Why it matters for your business
E-E-A-T comes from the guidelines Google gives the people who rate the quality of its search results. It isn’t a single score or ranking factor, but it describes what Google’s systems aim to reward: content from people who know what they’re talking about, on websites people can trust. Google says trust is the most important part.
For a small business, this is good news. You have real experience that generic content sites don’t.
The four parts
- Experience: first-hand experience of the topic, like having actually fixed hundreds of water heaters.
- Expertise: the knowledge and skill to explain it correctly.
- Authoritativeness: being recognized as a go-to source, through reviews, mentions and links.
- Trustworthiness: being accurate, honest and transparent about who you are.
How to check or improve it
- Show who’s behind your business: an About page, real names and photos, and how to contact you.
- Write from your own experience, with real examples and your own photos.
- Keep facts and prices accurate and up to date.
- Earn genuine reviews and mentions from respected local sources.
- Be transparent about prices, guarantees and policies.