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E-E-A-T decoded: The secret to winning Google’s trust and building your brand
Let’s start from the beginning. Have you ever wondered how Google starts deciding which websites deserve the top spots on the search results page? Google judges this using their Search Quality Rater Guidelines. If you ever have the pleasure of diving into these (we have, so you don’t have to), one acronym jumps out again and again: E-E-A-T.
It might sound like another bit of digital marketing jargon, but it’s actually the backbone of how Google evaluates content quality and relevance.
And while E-E-A-T has been around for years, it’s more relevant than ever in today’s search landscape, especially with zero-click searches, AI overviews, and LLMs like ChatGPT changing how people find information. Everyone is competing for visibility, but the truth is simple: the best way to show up in search results is to create genuinely useful, trustworthy content that people actually want to read, share, and engage with.
So, let’s get into it. Here’s what E-E-A-T really means, why Google loves it, and how we make it work for brands like yours.
What is this mysterious E-E-A-T?!
via GIPHY
It is quite simple really. E-E-A-T is a framework Google uses (via its human raters) to judge the quality and credibility of content. It stands for:
Experience: Has the author been there, done that? Google values content that comes from firsthand experience because it tends to be more authentic and reliable than something written purely from research or hearsay.
Expertise: Expertise means having the skills or qualifications to speak authoritatively on a subject. This could be formal credentials, extensive professional experience, or a proven track record of producing accurate, insightful work in the field.
Authoritativeness: Authoritativeness is about reputation – both of the content creator and the website. Are other experts, reputable websites , and trusted sources referencing, citing, or recommending your content as a reliable source of information?
Trustworthiness: Can users feel confident that the information is honest, safe, and transparent? This includes things like clear contact details, accurate and up-to-date information, transparent sourcing, secure website practices (like HTTPS), and positive user reviews.
Why does E-E-A-T matter for SEO and brand building?
E-E-A-T is crucial in SEO and brand building and can heighten your rankings by making your content:
- Cut through the noise: No fluff! It steers you away from shallow, generic content that adds little value. No more “me too” articles that just echo what everyone else is saying without actually helping your audience.
- Build genuine brand credibility: When your content clearly demonstrates expertise and real-world experience, visitors are more likely to stick around, engage with your site, and ultimately become customers, leading to conversions! People trust brands that show they know their stuff.
- Support long-term SEO success: Rather than chasing fleeting algorithm loopholes or quick fixes, you invest in creating content that stands the test of time and continues to perform, even as search engines evolve.
- Protect your reputation under scrutiny: Google is getting stricter all the time, and it’s only going to get harder. Focusing on E-E-A-T means your content can pass inspections and quality checks without falling apart when it’s put to the test.
What can your brand build E-E-A-T?
Pillar: Experience
- What We Do: Use real case studies, testimonials, first-hand stories, behind-the-scenes and using original images/ videos.
- Why it helps: Users relate to real narratives; Google sees signals of originality.
Pillar: Expertise
- What We Do: Involve subject-matter experts, display credentials, and include original insights. Create author pages linking to team profiles with bios, accreditations, experience, and LinkedIn links.
- Why it helps: Helps google understand who these authors are and what their expertise is.
Pillar: Authoritativeness
- What We Do: Earn mentions, get positive online reviews, get cited, build natural backlinks, publish original research and opinions, create guest articles.
- Why it helps: Third-party validation is pure gold.
Pillar: Trustworthiness
- What We Do: Transparent sourcing, fact-checked and regularly updated content privacy/security signals, reviews, add HTTPS encryption.
- Why it helps: If I don’t know you, I won’t hang around – or click “buy.”
What is YMYL and why does it matter?
If you’ve ever searched for health, finance, or safety advice online, you’ve likely landed on content that falls under YMYL- an acronym that stands for ‘Your Money Your Life’. But what does it mean? Essentially, it is Google’s terms for topics that can directly impact a person’s health, wellbeing, finances or future decisions.
YMYL content is held to a much higher standard because bad advice here can cause real harm. That means Google expects these pages to demonstrate the highest levels of experience, expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness (E-E-A-T).Think of YMYL as the “high-stakes” zone of the internet, it’s the content based around topics like:
- Health, fitness or medical advice
- Financial planning, taxes or investing
- Legal, safety or personal security
- News or major public information.
If you publish YMYL content on your website, all claims must be backed with credible sources, ensuring your authors are qualified experts providing regularly updated information. Transparency, accuracy, and clear author credentials are key to earning both Google’s and your audience’s trust.
So, there you have it – E-E-A-T isn’t some mysterious algorithm magic. It’s the solid groundwork that makes your content trustworthy, credible, and genuinely useful. And that’s exactly how you win with Google – and with your audience.
At One Degree North, we help you build content that ticks all those boxes — experience, expertise, authority, and trust.
