E-E-A-T

E-E-A-T stands for experience, expertise, authoritativeness and trustworthiness: the aspects of quality that Google describes in its guidance on creating helpful, reliable, people-first content. Google says that "of these aspects, trust is most important." The first E, for experience, was added in 2022, when Google updated its search quality rater guidelines to consider whether content shows first-hand experience, "such as with actual use of a product, having actually visited a place or communicating what a person experienced."

How Google uses it

Google says "E-E-A-T itself isn't a specific ranking factor." Its search quality raters assess whether content shows strong E-E-A-T, to give Google feedback on whether its systems return good results, and Google says raters have no control over how pages rank. What Google describes as useful is a mix of factors that can identify content with good E-E-A-T.

Why it matters for AI visibility

Google says that "the best practices for SEO remain relevant for AI features in Google Search," such as AI Overviews and AI Mode (Google Search Central). So the same guidance on helpful, reliable content applies to the pages those features link to.

How to apply it

Google suggests asking three questions about each page: who made it, how and why.

• Who: a byline that leads to information about the author.
• How: an explanation of how the content was made, including any use of automation or AI.
• Why: the content exists mainly to help people, not to attract search visits.

For a brand, that means product pages, comparisons and guides written by people who know the subject, with named authors, dates and sources. A comparison page signed by your head of product, dated, and linked to each vendor's pricing page shows who wrote it and what it rests on. Keep the facts in it consistent with your entity details everywhere else.