Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness (E-A-T)

E-A-T (Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness) is a framework used by Google’s quality raters to evaluate the reliability and overall quality of web content. It is particularly important for YMYL (Your Money or Your Life) content, which includes information that could impact a user’s health, financial security, safety, or overall well-being.

The three pillars of E-A-T are:

• Expertise – the creator’s knowledge, credentials, and subject-matter expertise
• Authoritativeness – the reputation of the creator or website as a recognized source in the field
• Trustworthiness – the accuracy, honesty, transparency, and overall reliability of the content and site

Although E-A-T itself is not a direct ranking factor, it strongly influences how both human reviewers and AI systems evaluate the quality of content. In the context of GEO and AI-driven search, E-A-T signals help AI models identify which sources are credible enough to cite.

Key signals of strong E-A-T include:

• Author bylines with professional credentials
• Detailed author bio pages showcasing expertise
• References to authoritative and verifiable sources
• Recognition from other reputable experts or publications
• Professional certifications or affiliations
• Transparent company and contact information
• Use of secure website infrastructure (HTTPS)
• Clear editorial standards, fact-checking, and content policies

As AI systems advance, E-A-T principles are becoming increasingly vital to ensure content is trusted, ranked, and cited by both search engines and AI models.