E-E-A-T: experience, expertise, authority, trustworthiness
What lies behind the four letters, why this is a quality assessment framework rather than a ranking factor, in which niches the bar is higher, and what can be done in practice.
E-E-A-T — four criteria by which Google assessors evaluate the quality of content: experience, expertise, authority, and trustworthiness. This is not a ranking formula or a number in the interface, but a framework described in the guidelines for evaluators.
What lies behind the letters
| Criterion | Question it answers |
|---|---|
| Experience | Did the author do this themselves or are they recounting? |
| Expertise | Do they understand the topic at a professional level? |
| Authority | Is this recognized by others? |
| Trustworthiness | Can the site be trusted: contacts, transparency, security |
Why this is especially important in certain niches
For topics affecting health, money, and safety, the bar is higher: the cost of error is significant. For other niches, the requirements are softer, but the principle remains the same — the material must be written by someone knowledgeable in the field.
How this manifests in practice
None of the criteria are measured directly. They manifest through visible elements: the author and their experience are indicated, there are links to sources, original data is provided, the company has contact information and history, and the site is secure.What can be done
- Sign materials with real authors and indicate their experience.
- Provide original data and examples instead of recounting others' articles.
- Reference primary sources where facts are asserted.
- Keep company, contact, and policy pages organized.
- Ensure website security: a hacked site loses trust instantly — see Shield.
What should not be done
- Fictitious authors. A made-up expert with a stock photo does not add trust, and when exposed, it takes away everything.
- Unverified credentials. “Leading industry specialist” without a single reference is meaningless.
- Copying others' materials. Recounting a competitor's article is not experience.
- Reviews that never existed. Fabricated reviews and cases are a direct path to losing trust and facing penalties.
Our example
In this knowledge base, we publish our own measurements with denominators and separately describe the methodology — this is an attempt to comply with the framework in practice: “Where the numbers in this knowledge base come from”.
FAQ
Is E-E-A-T a ranking factor?
No, it is a framework from the guidelines for assessors. It is not measured directly, but manifests through visible elements: authorship, sources, transparency.
In which topics are the requirements higher?
In topics affecting health, money, and safety: the cost of error is higher and the quality bar is stricter.
Where to start?
Sign materials with real authors, provide original data and sources, keep company and contact pages organized.
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