01What is E-E-A-T
E-E-A-T stands for Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness. Google added the second E (Experience) in late 2022 to weight first-hand experience alongside topical expertise. The framework guides Google's Search Quality Raters and indirectly shapes ranking signals across classic and AI search.
02Experience signals
First-hand experience: dated case studies, original photography, named clients, project counts, founder bio with years in industry. AI engines explicitly weight Experience signals because LLM-generated content lacks them, so first-hand authority is rare and valuable.
03Expertise signals
Topical depth: comprehensive coverage of the category, named authors with credentials, internal linking that demonstrates topical authority, and Person schema for authors. AI engines cite expert sources disproportionately.
04Authoritativeness signals
External recognition: backlinks from authoritative domains, press mentions, industry awards, speaking engagements, and authoritative review platforms (G2, Clutch, DesignRush). Authoritativeness is earned externally; it cannot be claimed on your own site.
05Trustworthiness signals
Brand transparency: visible contact information, physical address, business registration, named team, testimonials with full names and titles, refund and privacy policies, HTTPS site-wide, and accurate, dated content. Trust is the overarching signal that ties Experience, Expertise, and Authoritativeness together.