Creators are often familiar with the term E-A-T, which is used to evaluate the effectiveness of search ranking systems in providing valuable and relevant information. The question is, do everyday users perceive the search results they receive as demonstrating expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness (E-A-T).

Introducing E-E-A-T

Google has introduced the expanded concept of E-E-A-T, which includes the addition of “experience” to the existing factors of expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness. This means that the quality of content can be assessed by considering the degree to which the content creator has firsthand experience in the topic. Google emphasizes that “trust” is the most crucial element of E-E-A-T. The company also offers clear examples of key concepts, including evaluating the reputation of websites and content creators, understanding the importance and evaluation of E-E-A-T, and defining harmful content.

The E-A-T framework is expanding to include “experience” as an additional factor for evaluating search results. This raises the question of whether content can demonstrate a level of experience, such as having used a product, visited a place, or shared personal experiences. In certain cases, content created by individuals with first-hand, real-life experience on a topic may be highly valued.

In the case of seeking information on how to accurately complete tax returns, it’s important to find content created by an accounting expert to ensure reliability. However, when seeking reviews for tax preparation software, the desired information may differ. For instance, it may be more useful to seek out a forum discussion where individuals with firsthand experience can share their perspectives on various tax preparation services.

The updated search rater guidelines now include the concept of E-E-A-T (or Double-E-A-T), emphasizing the importance of content that is not only expert, authoritative, and trustworthy, but also demonstrates firsthand experience. The guidelines also provide clearer instructions on the significance of original and helpful content, as well as acknowledging that useful information can come in various formats and from diverse sources.

Although not entirely novel, the updates to the E-A-T framework aim to better reflect the intricacies of how people search for information and the diversity of high-quality information available. This does not signify a departure from the principle of providing trustworthy information, particularly for subjects where accuracy and reliability are crucial.

It’s important to note that search raters use these guidelines to evaluate the effectiveness of our search ranking systems. While they don’t directly impact the ranking of search results, they can provide useful insights for creators who want to assess their content and improve their chances of success in Google Search. For further information, our page on creating helpful, people-centered content includes a section that delves deeper into this topic.

What is the significance of the E-E-A-T Update for SEO?

Writing new content or updating existing content on your website should consider E-E-A-T (or ‘Double E-A-T’). Whenever possible, Google evaluates relevance at the level of the individual document, i.e., each piece of content in relation to the search query and the intent of the searcher. 

Ensure that your site’s content is original, quality-driven, and backed up by first-hand experience in order to earn your site’s users’ trust. 

It is our responsibility as SEOs to create content that is helpful and authentic. To ensure our content is successful, we consult with our clients and SMEs about the topics we are writing about. We will surely be able to provide the best possible customer experience with suggestions or comments from experts with first-hand experience. In turn, this will boost the search visibility of our sites, help them rank better, and establish a reputation for high-quality, credible content among readers and search engines alike.

How have Google’s Quality Rater Guidelines been changed?

To highlight changes throughout the document, Google’s updated Quality Rater Guidelines included an appendix page (Appendix 2 in the QRG).

There were the following changes :

Section 1: Page Quality Guideline

A new concept and rating criteria have been developed to address the different types of websites and content creation models.

Section 2.5 : Understanding the website

In spite of the fact that the owner and operator of the website are not explicitly stated, it is vital that you know who owns and operates the site. 

Section 2.5.2

A clear guide to identifying who is responsible for the website

 For each type of webpage, created the content on the page. A website’s owner should be clearly visible according to Google.

Section 3: Overall Page Quality Rating changes

Google has added a summary table with the top ‘Page Quality Considerations’ included in PQ ratings (from lowest to highest).

Page quality is now assessed in three steps:

• Assessing the page’s true purpose and its misleading/harmful nature
• Identifying whether the page is safe, trustworthy, or spammy
• If a rater determines that a page is harmful, untrustworthy, or spammy, it should be given a low rating.
• The quality rating is determined by how well the page accomplishes its purpose if it is not harmful.

The following criteria have been added to the Page Quality Rating guidelines:

• The quality of the main content is covered in Section 3.2
• Websites and content creators’ reputations are discussed in Section 3.3.4
• Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trust (E-E-A-T) explain in section 3.4
• In section 3.4.1, you’ll find information about YMYL topics related to experience or expertise

The search engine introduced a new table to distinguish between content requiring expertise and content requiring experience. For various topics, the table shows if you need everyday experience or real expertise.

The following are listed in section 4.2: Harmful to others or to oneself 

It is determined whether a topic meets the YMYL criteria based on its risk of harming users. In a detailed table, Google explains what is considered harmful. 

Apparently, Google differentiates between free speech and violent or harassing speech when defining harmful content. As examples of “harmfully misleading information,” the search engine provides popular internet conspiracy theories that are either inaccurate or contradict well-established scientific theories.

Section 5.1: Information about the Lack of E-E-A-T 

Throughout this section, you’ll see examples of what a website looks like when it lacks an appropriate level of excellence

My final thoughts on the E-E-A-T update

A major goal of the updated E-E-A-T principle is to ensure the quality of the website and content. You should pay attention to Google’s E-E-A-T guidelines if you want your website to rank well in the search engine results pages (and be perceived as trustworthy and credible by users). If you create high-quality content and consult with qualified experts, your chances of success on the SERPs will increase.

Stay up-to-date on E-E-A-T guidelines to stay ahead of the competition. Moreover, understanding how Google Quality Raters rank websites overall may give us some insight into what content Google is prioritizing in terms of ranking high in its search engine results.