---
title: "E-E-A-T"
url: https://marketingsignals.com/glossary/e-e-a-t
type: Page
---

# E-E-A-T

E-E-A-T explained: what experience, expertise, authority and trust mean, when Google added experience, whether it is a ranking factor and how to show it.

SEO glossary

## E-E-A-T (EEAT)

E-E-A-T stands for experience, expertise, authoritativeness and trustworthiness, the qualities Google's search quality raters use to judge whether a page is reliable and helpful. Google says trust is the most important of the four, and that E-E-A-T is not a specific ranking factor in itself.

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

Google's search quality rater guidelines used E-A-T for years. On 15 December 2022 Google added a second E for experience: whether content shows first-hand experience, such as actually using a product or visiting a place. Google's own example is that tax return guidance should come from an accountant, while reviews of tax software may be more useful from people who have used it.

Raters use the guidelines to evaluate how well Google's ranking systems work. Google says the guidelines don't directly influence ranking and that raters have no control over how pages rank.

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

Not directly. Google says E-E-A-T itself isn't a specific ranking factor, but its systems use a mix of signals that identify content with good E-E-A-T. They give it even more weight on Your Money or Your Life (YMYL) topics, which could significantly affect people's health, financial stability or safety. The rater guidelines put it plainly: untrustworthy pages have low E-E-A-T no matter how experienced, expert or authoritative they seem.

## How to show E-E-A-T on a page

Google suggests asking who created the content, how it was made and why it exists.

- Add a byline that links to the author's background and qualifications
- Explain how the content was produced, including testing or any use of automation
- Show first-hand evidence such as original photos, test results or worked examples
- Make ownership, contact details and editorial policies easy to find
- Write for people who would visit directly, not mainly for search traffic

## Example

A review of three home EV chargers by someone who installed each one, with photos, measured charging times and the name of the electrician who checked the wiring, shows experience and expertise. A review that restates the manufacturers' specifications without any sign of use shows neither.

## Related terms

- [Topical authority](https://marketingsignals.com/glossary/topical-authority)
- [Search intent](https://marketingsignals.com/glossary/search-intent)
- [Entity SEO](https://marketingsignals.com/glossary/entity-seo)
- [Digital PR](https://marketingsignals.com/glossary/digital-pr)

## Further reading

- [How to Write Content for SEO That Converts and Ranks](https://marketingsignals.com/insights/how-to-write-content-for-seo-that-converts-and-ranks)
- [Law Firm SEO: What Actually Works in 2026](https://marketingsignals.com/insights/law-firm-seo-what-actually-works-in-2027)

Our [Organic Search](https://marketingsignals.com/service/organic-search) service puts this into practice for brands in the UK and US.

## Sources

- [Our latest update to the quality rater guidelines: E-A-T gets an extra E for Experience, Google Search Central (15 December 2022)](https://developers.google.com/search/blog/2022/12/google-raters-guidelines-e-e-a-t)
- [Creating helpful, reliable, people-first content, Google Search Central](https://developers.google.com/search/docs/fundamentals/creating-helpful-content)
- [Search Quality Rater Guidelines, Google (September 2025)](https://static.googleusercontent.com/media/guidelines.raterhub.com/en//searchqualityevaluatorguidelines.pdf)

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