In one sentence
E-E-A-T stands for the four criteria Google uses to evaluate search quality:
- Experience
- Expertise
- Authoritativeness
- Trustworthiness
Google rates sites that satisfy all four highly. It has also become clear that AIs use the same signals when deciding what to cite.
What does it look like in practice?
Imagine two sites publishing information about "cancer treatment methods":
| Site A | Site B |
|---|---|
| No author name | Author: a practicing doctor (MD/PhD), credentials shown |
| No sources | Each paper cited (URL + author) |
| Publication date unknown | Publication + last-updated date shown |
→ Google and AIs both prefer to cite Site B. This is E-E-A-T in action.
Why it matters in the GEO context
- AIs preferentially cite sites with high E-E-A-T (suggested in papers from Anthropic and others)
- Especially important in Your Money Your Life (YMYL) topics: healthcare, finance, legal
- You can't overlook this in GEO: Technical measures alone (Schema.org etc.) are not enough
The four elements
Experience
The writer has firsthand experience. Example: "Explained by a former tax accountant who has done furusato nōzei for 10 years"
Expertise
Specialized knowledge or qualifications. Example: "Supervised by a physician" / "Written by an attorney"
Authoritativeness
Widely recognized in the industry. Example: citations from other sites, media exposure
Trustworthiness
Accurate / transparent / safe. Example: clearly cited sources, operator information, SSL support
How to implement it for GEO
- Clearly show author information (Author Schema, profile pages)
- State sources and references explicitly
- Add publication date / last-updated date / Last verified to every article
- Structure operator information using Organization Schema
See also Topical Authority for more detail.