E-E-A-T
E-E-A-T stands for Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness and Trustworthiness. Google uses this yardstick to judge whether content and the party behind it can be trusted.
- 3 min read
What is E-E-A-T?
E-E-A-T is a concept from the guidelines Google uses to evaluate search results. It stands for four qualities. Experience: does the creator have first-hand experience with the topic? Expertise: is there demonstrable professional knowledge? Authoritativeness: is the source seen by others as authoritative? Trustworthiness: are the site and the party behind it trustworthy?
According to Google, trustworthiness is the most important of the four. Experience, expertise and authoritativeness contribute to it.
E-E-A-T is not a score you can read off somewhere. It is a framework that describes which signals Google considers important. Those signals are spread across your whole online presence: your website, your reviews, mentions on other sites and the way your content is written.
Why it matters for your business
Someone having a roof replaced or a heat pump installed is making a decision worth thousands of euros. Google knows that and, for searches like these, wants to show sources that are reliable. A site that shows who is behind it, what they have done and what customers think of it has a head start.
Tradespeople are in a strong position here. You already have the experience, you are on roofs or in crawl spaces every day. The problem is usually that this experience is nowhere to be seen on the website. Generic texts that any competitor could have written show no experience.
AI assistants also look at signals like these. An answer to the question of which installer is reliable leans on reviews, mentions and content with real knowledge. See also AI Overviews.
How E-E-A-T works
Google reads the signals from what can be found about you online. On your own site, it is about who you are, what you can do and what you have done. Outside your site, it is about reviews, backlinks and mentions by trade associations, suppliers and in the media.
An example. Say two contractors in the same region each have a page about extensions. The first page says the company “delivers quality at a sharp price” and has a stock photo of a smiling builder. There is no name, no project and no address.
The second page shows three extensions from the region with photos during the build and after completion. It explains how the foundation is handled on clay soil and what the customer needs to arrange for a permit. The page names who does the work preparation, which quality marks the company holds and links to the reviews. The about us page shows the team, the address and the KvK number.
The second page shows experience, knowledge and trustworthiness. For visitors and for Google it is immediately clear that a real company with real knowledge is behind it.
Common mistakes
The most common mistake is anonymous content. No names, no faces, no projects. Then nobody can see who is behind the site.
A second mistake is generic text without trade knowledge. Texts written quickly by someone with no knowledge of the trade, or by a tool without checking, lack the details that reveal experience. Think of material choices, points to watch in older homes or the order of work.
Also often seen: claims without proof. “The best for twenty years” says nothing. A quality mark, a certificate, a project photo or a review with a name says much more.
Finally, the basic details that build trust are often missing. A full address, a landline number, a KvK number, terms and conditions and a privacy statement belong on every business site.
How to approach it
Show who you are. An about us page with the team, the history of the company and your service area. Photos of real people instead of stock images.
Show what you have done. Project pages with photos, a short explanation of the job and the approach. You can also work real-life examples into service pages.
Write from knowledge. Let the tradesperson who does the work help shape the texts. Answer the questions customers really ask, with the details only someone from the trade knows. That is the core of good SEO copy.
Gather proof from outside. Reviews, mentions from suppliers and quality marks, articles in local media. Show those on your site and link to them.
Finally, make sure the basics of trust are in place: correct contact details, a secure https connection, clear terms and a site that works well on mobile.
Frequently asked questions
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Is E-E-A-T a ranking factor?
E-E-A-T is not a separate factor with a score, but a framework that describes which qualities Google considers important. The signals that fall under it, such as reviews, mentions and content with real knowledge, do influence how your pages are assessed. That is why it pays to work on it.
Why was the extra E for experience added?
Google added Experience to give more weight to first-hand experience with a topic. A text from someone who does the work themselves is often more useful than one from someone who has only read about it. For trade businesses that is an advantage, as long as you show that experience.
How do I show authority as a small business?
You build authority with reviews, mentions from suppliers, trade associations and quality marks, and articles in local media. Show your projects and write about your trade with concrete detail. A small business with real knowledge can have more authority in its own region than a national player.
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