SEO GLOSSARY

What is E-A-T SEO?

E-A-T stands for Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness. This set of guidelines helps Google assess the overall quality and reliability of webpages.

Websites that demonstrate high E-A-T tend to rank better in search results. Optimizing for these factors can improve your SEO.

Experience of the Website

Does the site have significant expertise in the topic area? Factors include:

• Amount of time the site has been active
• Depth of content archive and historical evidence of expertise
• Real-world experience and qualifications of creators

Sites with more experience come across as authoritative sources worth trusting.

Expertise of the Creators

What credentials, qualifications, and track record do the creators have? Signals of expertise include:

• Relevant education, training and certifications
• First-hand experience doing or researching the topic
• Recognition as an expert by peers and publications
• Extensive portfolio demonstrating skill and successes

Higher real-world expertise earns trust and authority.

Authoritativeness as a Source

How authoritative is this site perceived to be on the topic? Authority is shown by:

• Respect from peers through backlinks and citations
• Prominent awards and press recognition
• Leadership roles and participation in industry groups
• High-quality user engagement like social shares

More signals of authority improve search visibility and click-through rates.

Trustworthiness of the Information

Can users trust this content? Trust is built through:

• Transparent ownership, contact info, author bios
• Citing credible external sources
• Lack of easily detected false claims or intent to deceive
• Adhering to standards of quality journalism

Accurate, unbiased information that users can trust ranks better.

Why E-A-T Matters in SEO

Optimizing for E-A-T helps convince search engines your site offers the most useful, credible information to searchers. Users are more likely to:

• Click on your listings in search results
• Spend more time engaging with your content
• Share and link to your pages as an authoritative source

The higher quality experience, expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness you demonstrate, the better your pages will rank in the long run.

Improving E-A-T Factors for Your Site

Make E-A-T a priority across all your SEO efforts, including:

• Hiring writers with true subject expertise to create content
• Getting contributors published on authority sites to build personal brands
• Promoting content on social media to demonstrate engagement
• Building relationships with influencers to earn backlinks
• Monitoring metrics like dwell time as signals of quality content

By optimizing for E-A-T across the board, your site will be seen as more authoritative, earning higher search visibility over time.