What is E-E-A-T?
E-E-A-T or Double-E-A-T stands for Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness. It is a set of signals Google Search Quality Raters use to assess the quality of a webpage. The guidelines are outlined in the Search Quality Rater Guidelines.
Search Quality Raters, or raters, are contractors who evaluate the quality of Google search results pages. Google uses their feedback to improve its algorithms and provide better search experiences to users. However, Google says their feedback does not directly affect the search results.
Below, we will provide a brief overview of the individual E-E-A-T signals one by one.
Experience
Raters determine the experience of a webpage by assessing how experienced the creator is on the subject matter. For example, a product review by a creator who has used the product indicates a significant level of experience compared to one created by someone who hasn’t used the product.
Compétence
The expertise of a webpage is based on the knowledge and know-how of the creator. For example, an electrician is better qualified to create content on home wiring than an antique home enthusiast.
Authoritativeness
The authoritativeness of a webpage is based on whether the creator or webpage is considered the go-to source for the topic. For example, the official government page for issuing passports is the go-to source for passport issuance and renewals.
Trust
The trust level of a site is determined by assessing the accuracy, honesty, reliability, and safety displayed by the site. It is the most important of all four E-E-A-T factors. Sites with low trust will have low E-E-A-T scores, even if their experience, expertise, and authoritativeness signals are high.
The method of determining trust can differ from site to site. For example, the trust of an eCommerce store can be determined by assessing its payment and customer service systems. In contrast, the trust of a product review page can be determined by evaluating whether the content is written to sell the product or help the audience reach a decision.