EEAT stands for Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness. It is an evolution of the E-A-T (Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness) concept, which has been a fundamental part of Google’s guidelines for assessing the quality of web content. EEAT adds “Experience” to the original E-A-T criteria, emphasizing the importance of providing users with content that comes from a place of direct experience.
Here’s a breakdown of each component in EEAT:
- Experience: This new addition highlights the value of content created from personal experience. It suggests that firsthand experience on a topic can make content more valuable and relevant to users. For example, a review written by someone who has actually used the product is likely to be more helpful than one written by someone who has not.
- Expertise: Refers to the creator’s knowledge or skill in a specific area. Content should be created by individuals who have a deep understanding of the topic. This is particularly important in “Your Money or Your Life” (YMYL) topics, such as finance, healthcare, and legal advice, where accurate and reliable information is critical.
- Authoritativeness: This is about the credibility of the website publishing the content, as well as the content creator. It involves the reputation among peers, experts, and other authoritative sources in the field. Authoritative content is typically recognized, cited, and shared by experts or reputable sites within the topic area.
- Trustworthiness: Trustworthiness is related to the accuracy of the content and the transparency and honesty of the website. This includes clear identification of the content creator and the website, as well as trustworthy practices in how the site handles personal data, security, and honesty in advertising.
The addition of Experience to E-A-T underscores Google’s commitment to providing users with content that is not only accurate and reliable but also personally relatable and useful. Google assesses EEAT as part of its overall evaluation of page quality, using a combination of algorithms and human reviewers. While Google has not specified that EEAT is a direct ranking factor, it is clear that high-quality content that meets these criteria is more likely to rank well in search results.
For SEO professionals and content creators, focusing on EEAT means striving to produce content that is based on genuine expertise and experience, presented by authoritative sources, and designed to be transparent and trustworthy. This approach not only aligns with Google’s guidelines but also helps build a loyal audience by providing valuable, reliable, and engaging content.
