E-E-A-T

Where does E-E-A-T come from?

Until December 2022 the concept was called E-A-T. On December 15, 2022, Google added a second E for Experience together with an update of the rater guidelines. Experience means first-hand knowledge of a topic, for example from actually using a product or visiting a place. Google noted at the time that its raters don’t directly influence ranking. The guidelines can still help site owners assess their own content.

Is E-E-A-T a ranking factor?

Google addresses this in its documentation on helpful content. According to Google, E-E-A-T itself isn’t a specific ranking factor. Google’s systems use a mix of factors that can identify content with good E-E-A-T. Rater data is not used directly in the ranking algorithms. Google compares it to the feedback cards a restaurant collects from diners. The ratings help check whether changes to the ranking systems work as intended.

Of the four aspects, Google names trust as the most important. The other three contribute to trust, and a piece of content doesn’t need to show all of them. For topics that could significantly affect people’s health, financial stability, or safety, or the welfare of society (YMYL, “Your Money or Your Life”), Google’s systems give even more weight to content with strong E-E-A-T.

The four parts

• Experience: The author has used, tested, or lived through what the content is about.
• Expertise: The author has the knowledge or skills the topic requires.
• Authoritativeness: The author or site is a recognized source on the topic.
• Trustworthiness: The content is accurate, honest, and safe to rely on.

Example (constructed)

Two pages cover running. The first is a review of trail running shoes in which the author lists how many miles she ran in each pair and shows photos of the worn soles. First-hand experience carries this page. The second explains overuse injuries of the Achilles tendon. For a health topic like this, demonstrable expertise matters more, for example a sports physician as author and references to studies.

Common misconceptions

• An “E-E-A-T score”: Google doesn’t publish one. Tools that show a score rely on the vendor’s own models (assessment).
• Author bios as a shortcut: Google recommends bylines where readers expect them. Its self-assessment questions also ask how content was created and why, so a byline alone doesn’t establish trust.

FAQ

What does E-E-A-T stand for? Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness. It is also written without hyphens as EEAT.

How can I improve E-E-A-T? Google’s helpful-content documentation suggests asking who created the content, how it was created, and why. Clear authorship, transparent methods (for example how products were tested), and sources for factual claims are ways to answer those questions (our reading).

Does E-E-A-T matter for AI search? Google says its SEO best practices remain relevant for AI Overviews and AI Mode and that there are no additional requirements. As of October 2026, we found no comparable guidance on E-E-A-T from other AI assistant providers.

Last updated: October 8, 2026