{"id":34154,"date":"2020-03-17T11:19:17","date_gmt":"2020-03-17T16:19:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/?p=34154"},"modified":"2024-10-04T10:15:20","modified_gmt":"2024-10-04T15:15:20","slug":"eat-seo","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/eat-seo\/","title":{"rendered":"What is E-A-T? Why It\u2019s Important for&nbsp;SEO"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"intro-txt\">People started talking about E-A-T in August 2018, and it\u2019s been mentioned in hundreds of SEO articles ever&nbsp;since.<\/div>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1448\" height=\"1066\" class=\"wp-image-34385\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/1-content-explorer-1.png\" alt=\"1 content explorer 1\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/1-content-explorer-1.png 1448w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/1-content-explorer-1-577x425.png 577w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/1-content-explorer-1-768x565.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1448px) 100vw, 1448px\"><\/p>\n<p>Some of these articles tell us it\u2019s an important <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/google-ranking-factors\/\">ranking factor<\/a>\u2026<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1600\" height=\"435\" class=\"wp-image-34387\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/3-eat-ranking-factor.png\" alt=\"3 eat ranking factor\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/3-eat-ranking-factor.png 1600w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/3-eat-ranking-factor-680x185.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/3-eat-ranking-factor-768x209.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/3-eat-ranking-factor-1536x418.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\"><\/p>\n<p>\u2026 while others tell us it isn\u2019t:<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1536\" height=\"610\" class=\"wp-image-34384\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/2-eat-not-ranking-factor.png\" alt=\"2 eat not ranking factor\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/2-eat-not-ranking-factor.png 1536w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/2-eat-not-ranking-factor-680x270.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/2-eat-not-ranking-factor-768x305.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1536px) 100vw, 1536px\"><\/p>\n<p>So what\u2019s the&nbsp;truth?<\/p>\n<p>In this guide, we\u2019ll answer the following questions:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"#what-is-eat\">What is&nbsp;E-A-T?<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#how-important-is-eat\">How important is&nbsp;E-A-T?<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#how-is-eat-evaluated\">How is E-A-T evaluated?<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#is-eat-a-ranking-factor\">Is E-A-T a ranking factor?<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#do-websites-have-an-eat-score\">Do websites have an E-A-T- score?<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#how-to-demonstrate-and-improve-eat\">How to improve and demonstrate E-A-T<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 14 14\" style><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\" \/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style \/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><div class=\"link-text\" data-anchor=\"What is E-A-T?\" data-section=\"what-is-eat\">\n<h2>What is&nbsp;E-A-T?<\/h2>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<p>E-A-T- stands for expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness. It comes from <a href=\"https:\/\/static.googleusercontent.com\/media\/guidelines.raterhub.com\/en\/\/searchqualityevaluatorguidelines.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Google\u2019s Search Quality Rater Guidelines<\/a>\u2014a 168-page document used by human quality raters to assess the quality of Google\u2019s search results.<\/p>\n<p>Google <a href=\"https:\/\/webmasters.googleblog.com\/2015\/11\/updating-our-search-quality-rating.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">published<\/a>&nbsp;this document online in 2013 to \u201chelp webmasters understand what Google looks for in a web&nbsp;page.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 14 14\" style><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\" \/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style \/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><div class=\"link-text\" data-anchor=\"How important is EAT?\" data-section=\"how-important-is-eat\">\n<h2>How important is&nbsp;EAT?<\/h2>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<p>E-A-T is important for all queries, but some more so than others.<\/p>\n<p>If you\u2019re just searching for pictures of cute cats, then E-A-T probably doesn\u2019t matter that much. The topic is subjective, and it\u2019s no big deal if you see a cat you don\u2019t think is&nbsp;cute.<\/p>\n<p>If you\u2019re searching for the correct dosage of aspirin&nbsp;when pregnant, on the other hand, then E-A-T is undoubtedly important. If Google were to surface content on this topic written by a clueless writer, published on an untrustworthy website that lacks <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/how-to-increase-website-authority\/\">authority<\/a>, then the probability of that content being inaccurate or misleading is&nbsp;high.<\/p>\n<p>Given the nature of the information being sought here, that\u2019s not just mildly inconvenient\u2014it\u2019s potentially life-threatening.<\/p>\n<p>E-A-T is also important for queries like \u201chow to improve credit score.\u201d Here, advice from the clueless and unauthoritative is unlikely to be legit and shouldn\u2019t be trusted.<\/p>\n<p>Google refers to these kinds of topics as YMYL (Your Money or Your Life) topics:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>Some types of pages or topics could potentially impact a person\u2019s future happiness, health, financial stability, or safety.<\/p>\n<p>We call such pages \u201cYour Money or Your Life\u201d pages, or&nbsp;YMYL.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>If your site is built around a YMYL topic, then demonstrating EAT is crucial.<\/p>\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 14 14\" style><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\" \/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style \/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><div class=\"link-text\" data-anchor=\"How is EAT evaluated?\" data-section=\"how-is-eat-evaluated\">\n<h2>How is EAT evaluated?<\/h2>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<p>Expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness are similar concepts\u2014but not identical. So, they\u2019re each evaluated independently using a different set of criteria.<\/p>\n<h3>Expertise<\/h3>\n<p>Expertise means to have a high level of knowledge or skill in a particular field. It\u2019s evaluated primarily at the content-level, <strong>not<\/strong>&nbsp;at the website or organizational level. Google is looking for content created by a subject matter expert.<\/p>\n<p>For YMYL topics, this is about the formal expertise, qualifications, and education of the <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/content-creator\/\">content creator<\/a>. For example, a chartered accountant is more qualified to write about tax preparation than someone who\u2019s read a few posts at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reddit.com\/r\/personalfinance\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">r\/personalfinance<\/a>.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>Formal expertise is important for YMYL topics such as medical, financial, or legal advice.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>For non-YMYL topics, it\u2019s about demonstrating relevant life experience and \u201ceveryday expertise.\u201d<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>Some topics require less formal expertise. [\u2026] If it seems as if the person creating the content has the type and amount of life experience to make him or her an \u201cexpert\u201d on the topic, we will value this \u201ceveryday expertise\u201d and not penalize the person\/webpage\/website for not having \u201cformal\u201d education or training in the&nbsp;field.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Google also says that \u201ceveryday expertise\u201d is enough for some YMYL topics. For example, take a query like \u201cwhat does it feel like to have cancer.\u201d Someone living with the disease is better placed to answer this than a qualified doctor with years of experience.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>It\u2019s even possible to have everyday expertise in YMYL topics. For example, there are forums and support pages for people with specific diseases. Sharing personal experience is a form of everyday expertise.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<h3>Authoritativeness<\/h3>\n<p>Authority is about reputation, particularly among other experts and influencers in the industry. Quite simply, when others see an individual or website as the go-to source of information about a topic, that\u2019s authority.<\/p>\n<p>To evaluate authority, raters search the web for insights into the reputation of the website or individual.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>Use reputation research to find out what real users, as well as experts, think about a website. Look for reviews, references, recommendations by experts, news articles, and other credible information created\/written by individuals about the website.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Raters are told to look for independent sources when doing&nbsp;this.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>When searching for reputation information, try to find sources that were not written or created by the website, the company itself, or the individual.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Wikipedia is one good source of information that Google mentions.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>Wikipedia articles can help you learn about a company and may include information specific to reputation, such as awards and other forms of recognition, or also controversies and issues.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>It\u2019s important to remember that authority is a relative concept. While Elon Musk and Tesla are authoritative sources of information about electric vehicles, they have little to no authority when it comes to&nbsp;SEO.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s also the case that some people and websites are uniquely authoritative when it comes to certain topics. For example, the most authoritative source of lyrics to Coldplay songs is their official website. And the most authoritative source of information for beef grades in the US is the&nbsp;USDA.<\/p>\n<h3>Trustworthiness<\/h3>\n<p>Trust is about the legitimacy, transparency, and accuracy of the website and its content.<\/p>\n<p>Raters look for a number of things to evaluate trustworthiness, including whether the website states who is responsible for published content. This is particularly important for YMYL queries, but applies to non-YMYL queries too.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>YMYL websites demand a high degree of trust, so they generally need satisfying information about who is responsible for the content of the&nbsp;site.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Having sufficient contact information is also important, especially for YMYL topics and online stores.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>If a store or financial transaction website has just an email address and physical address, it may be difficult to get help if there are issues with the transaction. Likewise, many other types of YMYL websites also require a high degree of user&nbsp;trust.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Raters also take into account content accuracy.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>For news articles and information pages, high quality MC must be factually accurate for the topic and must be supported by expert consensus where such consensus exists.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Citing trustworthy sources is part of&nbsp;this.<\/p>\n<blockquote>[an article] with a satisfying amount of accurate information and trustworthy external references can usually be rated in the High&nbsp;range.<\/blockquote>\n<p>Just remember that trust, like authoritativeness, is a relative concept. People and websites can\u2019t be perceived as trustworthy in all areas. We\u2019re a trustworthy source of information about SEO, but not bodybuilding.<\/p>\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 14 14\" style><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\" \/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style \/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><div class=\"link-text\" data-anchor=\"Is E-A-T a ranking factor?\" data-section=\"is-eat-a-ranking-factor\">\n<h2>Is E-A-T a ranking factor?<\/h2>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<p>Kind of, at least according to Google\u2019s Public Liaison of Search, Danny Sullivan:<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-conversation=\"none\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">Is E-A-T a ranking factor? Not if you mean there\u2019s some technical thing like with speed that we can measure directly.<\/p>\n<p>We do use a variety of signals as a proxy to tell if content seems to match E-A-T as humans would assess it.<\/p>\n<p>In that regard, yeah, it\u2019s a ranking factor.\u2014 Danny Sullivan (@dannysullivan) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/dannysullivan\/status\/1182674027166326785?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">October 11,&nbsp;2019<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>Confused? Let me explain.<\/p>\n<p>You see, for something to be a \u201cranking factor,\u201d it has to be something tangible that a computer can understand and evaluate.<\/p>\n<p>Perhaps the most obvious example of this is the number of backlinks to a&nbsp;page.<\/p>\n<p>Google crawls the web far and wide so they know how many backlinks point to most pages. They can easily create a computer program that ranks pages with the most high-quality backlinks.<\/p>\n<p>The problem with expertise, authoritativeness, and trust is that\u2014while they\u2019re desirable qualities of content\u2014they\u2019re fundamentally human concepts. You can\u2019t tell a computer to rank pages with E-A-T higher because it only understands bits and&nbsp;bytes.<\/p>\n<p>Here\u2019s Google\u2019s solution to this problem:<\/p>\n<p><strong>First<\/strong>, their search engineers think of algorithm tweaks that might improve search result quality.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Second<\/strong>, they show search results to Quality Raters with and without the proposed change implemented. Their job is to provide feedback to Google, and they aren\u2019t told which set of results is&nbsp;which.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Third<\/strong>, Google uses the feedback to decide whether the proposed tweak had a positive or negative impact on search results. If the results are positive, the change is implemented.<\/p>\n<p>Using this process, Google engineers are able to understand the tangible signals that align with E-A-T and adjust the ranking algorithms accordingly.<\/p>\n<p>Google explains more about this process <a href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/search\/howsearchworks\/mission\/users\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">here<\/a>, and in this&nbsp;video:<\/p>\n<div data-mode=\"normal\" data-oembed=\"1\" data-provider=\"youtube\" id=\"arve-youtube-j5rzou6vk4q\" style=\"max-width:900px;\" class=\"arve\">\n<div class=\"arve-inner\">\n<div style=\"aspect-ratio:500\/281\" class=\"arve-embed arve-embed--has-aspect-ratio\">\n<div class=\"arve-ar\" style=\"padding-top:56.200000%\"><\/div>\n<p>\t\t\t<iframe allow=\"accelerometer 'none';autoplay 'none';bluetooth 'none';browsing-topics 'none';camera 'none';clipboard-read 'none';clipboard-write;display-capture 'none';encrypted-media 'none';gamepad 'none';geolocation 'none';gyroscope 'none';hid 'none';identity-credentials-get 'none';idle-detection 'none';keyboard-map 'none';local-fonts;magnetometer 'none';microphone 'none';midi 'none';otp-credentials 'none';payment 'none';picture-in-picture;publickey-credentials-create 'none';publickey-credentials-get 'none';screen-wake-lock 'none';serial 'none';summarizer 'none';sync-xhr;usb 'none';web-share;window-management 'none';xr-spatial-tracking 'none';\" allowfullscreen class=\"arve-iframe fitvidsignore\" credentialless data-arve=\"arve-youtube-j5rzou6vk4q\" data-lenis-prevent data-src-no-ap=\"https:\/\/www.youtube-nocookie.com\/embed\/J5RZOU6vK4Q?feature=oembed&amp;iv_load_policy=3&amp;modestbranding=1&amp;rel=0&amp;autohide=1&amp;playsinline=0&amp;autoplay=0\" frameborder=\"0\" height=\"505.8\" loading=\"lazy\" name referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-presentation allow-popups allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube-nocookie.com\/embed\/J5RZOU6vK4Q?feature=oembed&amp;iv_load_policy=3&amp;modestbranding=1&amp;rel=0&amp;autohide=1&amp;playsinline=0&amp;autoplay=0\" title width=\"900\"><\/iframe><\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Ben Gomes, Google\u2019s Vice President of Search, offered a fantastic tldr; version of everything above in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnbc.com\/2018\/09\/17\/google-tests-changes-to-its-search-algorithm-how-search-works.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">an interview with CNBC<\/a>&nbsp;in 2018:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>You can view the rater guidelines as where we want the search algorithm to go. They don\u2019t tell you how the algorithm is ranking results, but they fundamentally show what the algorithm should do.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 14 14\" style><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\" \/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style \/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><div class=\"link-text\" data-anchor=\"Do websites have an E-A-T score?\" data-section=\"do-websites-have-an-eat-score\">\n<h2>Do websites have an E-A-T&nbsp;score?<\/h2>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<p>No. (Finally, a question with a definitive answer).<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">\u201cEAT and YMYL are concepts introduced for Quality Raters to dumb down algorithm concepts. They are not \u2018scores\u2019 used by Google internally.\u201c <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/Pubcon?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#Pubcon<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/methode?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@methode<\/a> Followup: There is no EAT algorithm.\u2014 Grant Simmons (@simmonet) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/simmonet\/status\/1182314876535857152?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">October 10,&nbsp;2019<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>This answer is quite obvious when you understand how Google evaluates E-A-T, and the role of the Quality Raters. But it\u2019s definitely worth reiterating nonetheless:<\/p>\n<p><strong>Google does not give your website an E-A-T&nbsp;score.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>That said, there are still ways to improve your expertise, authoritativeness, and trust in the eyes of Quality Raters.<\/p>\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 14 14\" style><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\" \/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style \/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><div class=\"link-text\" data-anchor=\"How to improve and demonstrate E-A-T\" data-section=\"how-to-demonstrate-and-improve-eat\">\n<h2>How to improve and demonstrate E-A-T<\/h2>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<p>First, it\u2019s important to understand that demonstrating and improving E-A-T are two different things.<\/p>\n<p>You can\u2019t demonstrate E-A-T if you don\u2019t have it\u2014and that\u2019s the first hurdle to overcome.<\/p>\n<p>Lack of E-A-T is thought to be why many YMYL sites dropped like a stone in August 2018 when Google rolled out their now infamous <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/google-algorithm-updates\">\u201cmedic\u201d update<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1600\" height=\"601\" class=\"wp-image-34389\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/4-traffic-drop-1.png\" alt=\"4 traffic drop 1\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/4-traffic-drop-1.png 1600w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/4-traffic-drop-1-680x255.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/4-traffic-drop-1-768x288.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/4-traffic-drop-1-1536x577.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\"><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1600\" height=\"599\" class=\"wp-image-34378\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/5-traffic-drop-2.png\" alt=\"5 traffic drop 2\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/5-traffic-drop-2.png 1600w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/5-traffic-drop-2-680x255.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/5-traffic-drop-2-768x288.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/5-traffic-drop-2-1536x575.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\"><\/p>\n<p>Because many of these sites had almost no E-A-T&nbsp;in the first place, traffic dropped when the core update rolled out and Google\u2019s ability to algorithmically detect E-A-T improved.<\/p>\n<p>If you were one of these sites, or just want to safeguard for the future, making an effort to improve and better demonstrate your E-A-T to Google is a wise&nbsp;move.<\/p>\n<p>Here are some ways to do&nbsp;that:<\/p>\n<h3>1. Build more&nbsp;links<\/h3>\n<p>Despite there being no mention of links in Google\u2019s Search Quality Rater Guidelines, Gary Illyes, a Google Webmaster Trends Analyst, has said that E-A-T is largely based on links and mentions from authoritative sites.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">I asked Gary about E-A-T. He said it\u2019s largely based on links and mentions on authoritative sites. i.e. if the Washington post mentions you, that\u2019s good.<\/p>\n<p>He recommended reading the sections in the QRG on E-A-T as it outlines things well.<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/methode?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@methode<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/Pubcon?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#Pubcon<\/a>\u2014 Marie Haynes (@Marie_Haynes) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Marie_Haynes\/status\/966325146968559616?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">February 21,&nbsp;2018<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>According to Marie Haynes, he also said that Google is really good at understanding which links count, so make sure you\u2019re prioritising the <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/high-quality-backlinks\/\">building of high-quality links<\/a> over low-quality ones.<\/p>\n<p>Read more about that <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/what-are-backlinks\/\">here<\/a>, or watch <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=E3mDlVutW_o\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">this video<\/a>:<\/p>\n<div data-mode=\"normal\" data-oembed=\"1\" data-provider=\"youtube\" id=\"arve-youtube-e3mdlvutw_o\" style=\"max-width:900px;\" class=\"arve\">\n<div class=\"arve-inner\">\n<div style=\"aspect-ratio:500\/281\" class=\"arve-embed arve-embed--has-aspect-ratio\">\n<div class=\"arve-ar\" style=\"padding-top:56.200000%\"><\/div>\n<p>\t\t\t<iframe allow=\"accelerometer 'none';autoplay 'none';bluetooth 'none';browsing-topics 'none';camera 'none';clipboard-read 'none';clipboard-write;display-capture 'none';encrypted-media 'none';gamepad 'none';geolocation 'none';gyroscope 'none';hid 'none';identity-credentials-get 'none';idle-detection 'none';keyboard-map 'none';local-fonts;magnetometer 'none';microphone 'none';midi 'none';otp-credentials 'none';payment 'none';picture-in-picture;publickey-credentials-create 'none';publickey-credentials-get 'none';screen-wake-lock 'none';serial 'none';summarizer 'none';sync-xhr;usb 'none';web-share;window-management 'none';xr-spatial-tracking 'none';\" allowfullscreen class=\"arve-iframe fitvidsignore\" credentialless data-arve=\"arve-youtube-e3mdlvutw_o\" data-lenis-prevent data-src-no-ap=\"https:\/\/www.youtube-nocookie.com\/embed\/E3mDlVutW_o?feature=oembed&amp;iv_load_policy=3&amp;modestbranding=1&amp;rel=0&amp;autohide=1&amp;playsinline=0&amp;autoplay=0\" frameborder=\"0\" height=\"505.8\" loading=\"lazy\" name referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-presentation allow-popups allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube-nocookie.com\/embed\/E3mDlVutW_o?feature=oembed&amp;iv_load_policy=3&amp;modestbranding=1&amp;rel=0&amp;autohide=1&amp;playsinline=0&amp;autoplay=0\" title width=\"900\"><\/iframe><\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h3>2. Keep content up to&nbsp;date<\/h3>\n<p>If you\u2019re covering YMYL topics like medical or financial advice, then keeping content updated is crucial for demonstrating E-A-T.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>High E-A-T financial advice, legal advice, tax advice, etc., should come from trustworthy sources and <strong>be maintained and updated regularly.<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote><p>High E-A-T medical advice or information should be written or produced in a professional style and should <strong>be edited, reviewed, and updated on a regular basis.<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>But what about non-YMYL topics?<\/p>\n<p>The QRGs&nbsp;don\u2019t talk about this specifically, but we believe it\u2019s still important. After all, how can a page be trustworthy if it misleads readers with outdated information?<\/p>\n<h3>3. Check the&nbsp;facts<\/h3>\n<p>Google\u2019s Quality Rater Guidelines say that news articles must be factually accurate to demonstrate a high level of&nbsp;E-A-T.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>High E-A-T news articles should be produced with journalistic professionalism\u2014they <strong>should contain factually accurate content<\/strong>&nbsp;[\u2026]<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>It\u2019s the same story for scientific content; it should be factually accurate and align with the consensus of the scientific community.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>High E-A-T information pages on scientific topics should be produced by people or organizations with appropriate scientific expertise and <strong>represent well-established scientific consensus<\/strong>&nbsp;on issues where such consensus exists.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>But again, what about other topics?<\/p>\n<p>Although the QRGs&nbsp;don\u2019t talk about accuracy any further in the context of E-A-T, we can assume it\u2019s important because the document mentions it a further 50+&nbsp;times.<\/p>\n<p>So, our advice is to fact-check your content, ideally against sources that Google trusts like Wikipedia and Wikidata.<\/p>\n<p>You should also make sure you\u2019re citing legit resources.<\/p>\n<h3>4. Get more reviews<\/h3>\n<p>Google tells Quality Raters to use online reviews as a source of reputation information about businesses, which relates to trust and authority.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>For businesses, there are many sources of reputation information and reviews. [\u2026] You can try searching on specific sites to find reviews.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Lots of people get hung up with this one, and often try to oversimplify things by focusing on one particular review site\u2014namely the Better Business Bureau.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s obvious why this happens, because the rater guidelines say things like:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>Please consider very low ratings on the BBB site to be evidence for a negative reputation.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>However, the notion of BBB reviews as a ranking factor has <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mariehaynes.com\/does-google-use-bbb-ratings-as-a-ranking-factor\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">been pretty much debunked<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Instead, focus on getting more positive online reviews, across the board, on the sites that matter\u2014i.e., the sites that people use and trust in your industry. For a restaurant, that might be TripAdvisor, or even a popular local food&nbsp;blog.<\/p>\n<h3>5. Hire experts<\/h3>\n<p>Experts are in plentiful supply in all industries, so why not hire them to write for your&nbsp;site?<\/p>\n<p>This is pretty much a mandatory requirement if you\u2019re covering YMYL topics.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>Formal expertise is important for YMYL topics such as medical, financial, or legal advice.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>But hiring folks with formal expertise isn\u2019t necessary for non-YMYL topics.<\/p>\n<p>Instead, you can hire people with a proven track record in the industry, or those who are already well-known for creating high-quality content on the&nbsp;topic.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>Expertise may be less formal for topics such as recipes or humor. An expert page on cooking may be a page on a professional chef\u2019s website, or it may be a video from an expert content creator who uploads very high quality cooking videos on YouTube and is one of the most well-known and popular content creators for recipes in their area of expertise.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>If you can\u2019t afford to hire people, you can always interview an expert or have them write a <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/guest-blogging\/\">guest post<\/a>&nbsp;for your&nbsp;site.<\/p>\n<p>We did this for <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/google-penalties\/\">our guide to Google penalties<\/a>:<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1600\" height=\"970\" class=\"wp-image-34386\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/6-google-penalties-expert.png\" alt=\"6 google penalties expert\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/6-google-penalties-expert.png 1600w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/6-google-penalties-expert-680x412.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/6-google-penalties-expert-768x466.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/6-google-penalties-expert-1536x931.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\"><\/p>\n<h3>6. Flash your credentials<\/h3>\n<p>Most people don\u2019t like to brag, but when it comes to demonstrating E-A-T to Google, this is precisely what you should do. If you have a PhD, have spoken at well-known industry conferences, or have won prestigious industry awards, let the world (and Google) know.<\/p>\n<p>There are two obvious places you can do this. The first is your author bio.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1600\" height=\"903\" class=\"wp-image-34381\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/7-author-bio.png\" alt=\"7 author bio\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/7-author-bio.png 1600w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/7-author-bio-680x384.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/7-author-bio-768x433.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/7-author-bio-1536x867.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\"><\/p>\n<p>The second is your \u201cAbout\u201d or \u201cTeam\u201d page:<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1600\" height=\"786\" class=\"wp-image-34383\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/8-about-page.png\" alt=\"8 about page\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/8-about-page.png 1600w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/8-about-page-680x334.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/8-about-page-768x377.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/8-about-page-1536x755.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\"><\/p>\n<p>Remember, the point of this is to demonstrate your expertise, authority, and trustworthiness to Google. Don\u2019t exaggerate or embellish the&nbsp;truth.<\/p>\n<p>You might also want to consider using <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/schema-markup\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">schema markup<\/a>&nbsp;to provide information about achievements and expertise in a more structured way.<\/p>\n<pre>&lt;script type=\"application\/ld+json\"&gt;\n{\n\"@context\": \"http:\/\/www.schema.org\",\n\"@type\": \"Person\",\n\"name\": \"Mark Zuckerberg\",\n\"alumniOf\": [\n&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;{\n&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;\"@type\": \"CollegeOrUniversity\",\n&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;\"name\": \"Harvard University\",\n&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;\"sameAs\": \"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Harvard_University\"\n&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;},\n],\n\n<\/pre>\n<h3>7. Show contact details<\/h3>\n<p>Businesses that fail to give visitors sufficient contact and customer support information may be perceived as untrustworthy. This is especially important for YMYL&nbsp;pages.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>For websites with YMYL pages, such as online banks, we expect to find a lot of information about the site, including extensive customer service information. [\u2026] Users need a way to ask questions or get help when a problem occurs.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Our opinion is that legit businesses should at least showcase their address, phone number, email address, and point of contact.<\/p>\n<p>But, what if you\u2019re a solo blogger or work from&nbsp;home?<\/p>\n<p>Don\u2019t worry, Google\u2019s Quality Raters aren\u2019t going to penalize you for not displaying your home address or providing 24\/7 customer support. That would be unreasonable. The QRGs state that the level of expected transparency depends on the&nbsp;site.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>For example, humor websites may not need the level of detailed contact information we would expect from online banking websites.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<h3>8. Get a Wikipedia page<\/h3>\n<p>Wikipedia receives a few mentions in the QRG, and Quality Raters are told to look specifically to the encyclopedia to help assess reputation.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>News articles and Wikipedia articles can help you learn about a company and may include information specific to reputation, such as awards and other forms of recognition, or also controversies and issues.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>But, there\u2019s a problem: Getting a Wikipedia page is hard. Really hard.<\/p>\n<p>Unless you\u2019re already an authority in your industry, which means having <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Wikipedia:Notability\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">significant coverage in reliable and independent sources<\/a>, getting a Wikipedia page is next to impossible. We don\u2019t even have&nbsp;one.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1600\" height=\"787\" class=\"wp-image-34388\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/9-wikipedia.png\" alt=\"9 wikipedia\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/9-wikipedia.png 1600w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/9-wikipedia-680x334.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/9-wikipedia-768x378.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/9-wikipedia-1536x756.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\"><\/p>\n<p>However, if you feel your business has garnered enough authority to warrant a Wikipedia page, and you don\u2019t yet have one, it\u2019s definitely worth <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/how-to-create-a-wikipedia-page\/\">shooting for one<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>For the rest of us, the next best thing is getting cited on an existing Wikipedia page.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1242\" height=\"94\" class=\"wp-image-34382\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/Screenshot-2020-03-02-at-18.06.41-1.png\" alt=\"Screenshot 2020 03 02 at 18.06.41 1\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/Screenshot-2020-03-02-at-18.06.41-1.png 1242w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/Screenshot-2020-03-02-at-18.06.41-1-680x51.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/Screenshot-2020-03-02-at-18.06.41-1-768x58.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1242px) 100vw, 1242px\"><\/p>\n<p>Unfortunately, this isn\u2019t that easy either. While it is possible to edit Wikipedia pages, self-promotional suggestions are usually removed. That said, it\u2019s worth a try if you have a genuinely useful resource that would add value to a particular article on Wikipedia.<\/p>\n<h3>9. Get more mentions<\/h3>\n<p>Mentions on well-known industry websites can help to improve your authority\u2014assuming they\u2019re positive. Quality Raters are told to look for these when assessing the reputation of the website and author.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>Look for reviews, references, recommendations by experts, news articles, and other credible information created\/written by individuals about the website.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>For example, when my name gets mentioned editorially on Search Engine Journal, that may help demonstrate my authority on the topic of&nbsp;SEO.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1118\" height=\"550\" class=\"wp-image-34380\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/11-mention-sej.png\" alt=\"11 mention sej\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/11-mention-sej.png 1118w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/11-mention-sej-680x335.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/11-mention-sej-768x378.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1118px) 100vw, 1118px\"><\/p>\n<p>The problem is that getting authoritative mentions is a bit of a catch 22. Mentions increase authority, but you need authority to get mentions.<\/p>\n<p>That said, there are a couple of things you can&nbsp;do.<\/p>\n<p>The first is to publish unique insights and data that others in your industry will reference.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1600\" height=\"659\" class=\"wp-image-34379\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/12-citation-sej.png\" alt=\"12 citation sej\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/12-citation-sej.png 1600w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/12-citation-sej-680x280.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/12-citation-sej-768x316.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/12-citation-sej-1536x633.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\"><\/p>\n<p>The second is to use a service like <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/haro-link-building\/\">HARO<\/a>&nbsp;to connect with journalists.<\/p>\n<h2>Final thoughts<\/h2>\n<p>E-A-T is important for SEO, and it\u2019s something that you should work to improve\u2014especially if you cover YMYL topics.<\/p>\n<p>Doing this is a two-part process.<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Be legit. Hire experts. Care about your customers. Do real company stuff. Have values.<\/li>\n<li>Work to demonstrate your expertise and values to Google.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>It sounds simple, and it is; it just takes some time and effort.<\/p>\n<p>If that sounds annoying, remember that Google doesn\u2019t owe you a living. Having a website doesn\u2019t necessarily mean you deserve to rank. If there\u2019s better, more authoritative content out there, or competitors with better products or services, then Google will, quite rightly, try to send traffic their way\u2014not yours.<\/p>\n<p>Potentially unwanted and patronizing moral guidance aside, it\u2019s also worth noting that Google changes their Rater Guidelines frequently, so E-A-T criteria is likely to change and evolve over&nbsp;time.<\/p>\n<p>Got questions? Got ideas? <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/joshuachardwick?lang=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Ping me on Twitter<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Some of these articles tell us it\u2019s an important ranking factor\u2026 \u2026 while others tell us it isn\u2019t: So what\u2019s the&nbsp;truth? In this guide, we\u2019ll answer the following questions: What is&nbsp;E-A-T? How important is&nbsp;E-A-T? How is E-A-T evaluated? Is E-A-T<span class=\"ellipsis\">\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"read-more\">Read more \u203a<\/div>\n<p><!-- end of .read-more --><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":114,"featured_media":34376,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"wp_typography_post_enhancements_disabled":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[335],"tags":[],"coauthors":[336],"class_list":["post-34154","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-general-seo","odd"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>What is E-A-T? Why It\u2019s Important for SEO<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"E-A-T- stands for expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness. 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