E-E-A-T stands for Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness and Trust. It is the lens Google uses to judge whether your content is credible.
It comes from Google's Search Quality Rater Guidelines. It is not a single score, but a set of signals that decide whether your content looks credible enough to rank and be quoted.
The gist: Proof that a real, qualified source stands behind the page.
What each letter means
- Experience. You have actually done the thing you write about.
- Expertise. You have real knowledge or credentials on the topic.
- Authoritativeness. Other respected sites point to and cite you.
- Trust. The page is accurate, safe and honest, the core of it all.
How to show it
- Name the author. Real person, real credentials, on the content.
- Show proof. First-hand examples, your own data and results.
- Earn trust. Cite sources, secure the site, add a clear about page.
E-E-A-T comes from Google's helpful content guidance.
Frequently asked questions
Is E-E-A-T a ranking factor?
E-E-A-T is not a specific ranking factor. It is a quality-assessment framework; Google uses multiple signals, and quality raters do not directly determine page rankings.
How do I improve E-E-A-T?
Put real authors and credentials on content, show first-hand experience, cite sources, earn mentions from trusted sites, and keep the site accurate and secure.
Does E-E-A-T matter for AI search?
Accurate, well-supported content is useful to readers and source-checking systems. AI services do not publish a shared E-E-A-T score or guarantee citations for meeting this framework.