July 15, 2025
If you’ve been following SEO news lately, you’ve probably heard about E-E-A-T—a concept that stands for Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness.
It’s become a hot topic in the SEO world. Some marketers even treat it like a ranking formula.
But here’s the truth, straight from Google’s SEO Starter Guide:
E-E-A-T is not a ranking factor.
"While E-E-A-T itself isn't a specific ranking factor, using a mix of factors that can identify content with good E-E-A-T is useful. For example, our systems give even more weight to content that aligns with strong E-E-A-T for topics that could significantly impact the health, financial stability, or safety of people, or the welfare or well-being of society. We call these "Your Money or Your Life" topics, or YMYL for short."
- Google's Search Central Documentation
Let’s break down what E-E-A-T really means, why it still matters, and how it fits into a smart, modern SEO strategy.
What Is E-E-A-T?
E-E-A-T is part of Google’s Search Quality Evaluator Guidelines—the manual that human reviewers use to assess the quality of search results.
Here’s what each letter stands for:
-
Experience: Does the creator have first-hand experience with the topic?
-
Expertise: Do they show knowledge or skill?
-
Authoritativeness: Are they a recognized source in the field?
-
Trustworthiness: Can users trust the content and the site?
Google uses these ideas to train its algorithms and evaluate how good search results are—not to directly score your site.
E-E-A-T Is Not a Ranking Signal
This is where the confusion arises. While E-E-A-T is important, it’s not a direct signal that Google uses to rank websites—such as website authority or page speed.
It’s more like a framework for quality. Google uses it to teach its systems what high-quality content looks like.
That’s similar to how PageRank is just one part of a much bigger picture. Google isn’t looking for shortcuts; it wants to show results that are accurate, safe, and helpful.
So... Should You Still Care About E-E-A-T?
Absolutely. Just because it’s not a “ranking factor” doesn’t mean it’s not important.
Content that shows strong experience, expertise, and trustworthiness is more likely to perform well over time, especially in industries like:
-
Health
-
Finance
-
Legal
-
News
-
Education
If your content can help someone make an important life decision, Google wants to be extra sure it’s coming from a reliable source.
We touched on this in our duplicate content post, too—copying others won’t build trust. Original, helpful content does.
How to Strengthen E-E-A-T (Without Gaming the System)
Here are a few smart ways to build real credibility:
Show author bios with real credentials
Include real-world examples or case studies
Add trust signals like reviews, certifications, or third-party mentions
Keep your site secure and up to date
Cite reliable sources and link to expert information
This approach aligns with what we covered in our SEO 101 guide: make content that’s helpful for real people. That’s what Google rewards.
Final Thoughts: E-E-A-T Is About Trust, Not Tactics
You don’t need to “optimize” for E-E-A-T like you would for keywords or headings. Instead, use it as a guide to create trustworthy, expert-level content that actually helps your audience.
It’s not about tricks—it’s about building something real.
So no, E-E-A-T isn’t a ranking factor. But it might be one of the most important ideas behind what makes a great website. And that’s something worth focusing on.
Let's talk about your 2025 business goals
From design to PPC and everything in between, our experts will set you up for success.
