Google's March 2024 Core Update hit hardest on sites that had prioritised content volume over verifiable expertise. The message was clear: E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness) is no longer a nice-to-have — it's an algorithmic prerequisite for YMYL and increasingly for all categories.
Understanding What E-E-A-T Actually Measures
E-E-A-T is not a direct ranking factor in the traditional sense — Google has no single "E-E-A-T score." Instead, it's a framework used by human Quality Raters to evaluate pages, and those evaluations inform algorithm training. The goal is to build signals that correlate with high QR scores.
Practical E-E-A-T Signals That Move the Needle
Author Identity and Credentials
- Real author names with verifiable credentials on every substantive article
- Author pages with professional background, social profiles, and publication history
- Bylines on third-party publications that link back to your site
- For YMYL content: explicit credential statements (e.g., "reviewed by [Name], MD")
Content Depth and First-Hand Experience
- Include specific examples, personal observations, and tested data — not just synthesised information
- Use original images, screenshots, and data visualisations rather than stock photos
- Cite primary sources and link to original research rather than secondary summaries
- Include "last updated" timestamps and actively maintain accuracy
The "first E" in E-E-A-T stands for Experience — Google explicitly wants to see content written by people who have actually done the thing they're writing about. Synthesised content from secondary sources is the profile of a low-E-E-A-T site.
Link Building as an E-E-A-T Signal
Backlinks from authoritative, topically relevant sources remain one of the strongest signals of Authoritativeness. But the type of link matters more than ever:
- Editorial mentions in industry publications (not paid placements)
- Citations from academic or research institutions
- Links from government or official health/finance bodies (for YMYL sites)
- Author bylines on respected third-party sites that link back to the author page