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Our Guide To E-E-A-T: How To Build Trust With Search
Here’s All the GOOD Bits:
- E-E-A-T is an acronym standing for Experience – Expertise – Authoritativeness – Trustworthiness that Google uses to evaluate overall content quality.
- Whilst it isn’t a direct ranking factor, it’s critical to prioritise strong E-E-A-T signals as good E-E-A-T signals generally lead to better rankings and visibility.
- E-E-A-T is especially critical in 2025 as AI-generated content is becoming more and more prevalent on sites across the country.
- Strengthening E-E-A-T helps build trust, boost rankings and improve your overall visibility online so that you can create a future-proofed SEO strategy.
When it comes to your SEO content strategy, E-E-A-T is something you have to be familiar with in order to see success. In short, E-E-A-T has been a key factor in the way Google ranks content for a number of years, and wrapping your head around what it is, the criteria and how to demonstrate E-E-A-T is going to have a major impact on the way you create SEO content.
We’ve been helping businesses improve their SEO strategies for years, and we know a thing or two about best practices and it’s fair to say E-E-A-T SEO isn’t going anywhere!
First Things First, What Is E-E-A-T?
If you’re completely new to the game, you may not have a clue what we’re talking about, but don’t fret – we’re here to help! E-E-A-T is an acronym that stands for Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness.
Whilst it’s technically not a direct ranking factor in the search algorithm, its importance cannot be understated. E-E-A-T is a guideline that is used by human quality raters to evaluate the overall quality of content. It is thought, however, that E-E-A-T principles are incorporated into the algorithms for rankings.
Whilst whether E-E-A-T is a direct ranking factor remains hotly debated, one thing’s for certain: when you prioritise great content and strong E-E-A-T signals, you’re more likely to rank well on SERPs.
So, How Do I Demonstrate E-E-A-T?
There are a range of different ways to show Google you know your thing and position your site as the number one trusted source, and E-E-A-T is up there with the best of the best. But what kinds of content should you be creating? And how do you go about improving your E-E-A-T signals?
Let’s start from the beginning…
E - Experience
The first ‘E’ is for experience, and this covers demonstrating to your users that you have firsthand experience with what you’re discussing. Whether it’s through sharing firsthand accounts, case studies, real-life examples, unique images or something else entirely, find a way to demonstrate your experience.
Showing that you know your stuff through firsthand accounts is a great way to build trust with your users and position yourself as the experts in your field.
E - Expertise
Speaking of being experts in your field, the second E is for expertise. When you’re creating content for your site, you want to position your business as the go-to resource for users. You can do this in a number of ways, whether it’s through citing credible sources and authoritative websites or ensuring your content is written by experts in your field. Expertise is a driving factor for building trust with users.
We aren’t talking about getting someone with a PHD to write every one of your articles. You, yourself, are an expert in your field, so simply attaching your name to content rather than a generic “marketing team” byline can really step things up in the expertise department.
A - Authoritativeness
Next up is building authority, but this doesn’t necessarily happen on your own site. One of the best ways to build authority is through mentions and links from trusted websites and organisations. If you can get your business recognised by industry leaders, you’re already on your way to some serious authority.
Whether it’s seeking out these mentions, speaking at events, engaging on social media or a combination of all three, building authority helps signal to Google that your site is high-quality, and it can go a long way when it comes to boosting your rankings.
T - Trustworthiness
Being recognised as a trusted source really is what it’s all about for most businesses, but there’s a fair bit that goes into building trust with your community. In order to show trustworthiness, you should have clear “about us” sections and bios on your website. You also want to make sure you have testimonials and reviews from happy customers that are easily accessible to your users in order to build trust and show off your community.
Trust doesn’t just come in the form of author bios, about us sections and 5-star reviews, though; you also need to do some off-page bits to make sure your site is trustworthy. This includes making sure you’re using HTTPS to show you protect user data and having a clear privacy policy that is easily accessible to your users so they can see their data isn’t just protected but also how it may be used.
What About AI?
The influx of AI tools like ChatGPT and Gemini has called into question the way AI-generated content aligns with E-E-A-T guidelines, and the short answer is – it doesn’t.
Google has advised against publishing solely AI-written content (that is, content that hasn’t been reviewed and edited by a watchful – human – eye). Whilst using AI isn’t strictly against Google’s guidelines, prioritising real, high-quality, human content is always going to garner you the best results from an SEO perspective.
Whilst AI can help with topic ideation, general outlines, and structuring your content, you should always make sure you have real people behind the scenes who share their experiences and expertise to build authority and trust for your site.
Are You Ready To Take Your Site To New Heights?
If you’re looking for ways to boost your search engine rankings, improving your E-E-A-T signals is always a great place to start. However, if you’re feeling completely overwhelmed, you might find it best to work with an experienced SEO marketing agency while you find your footing.
E-E-A-T has been around for years, and it’s not going anywhere, so it’s time to familiarise yourself with the power of E-E-A-T and level up your brand’s online presence. To find out how The Good Marketer can help you, contact a member of our team today.