Glossary · Search fundamentals
E-E-A-T
The definition
E-E-A-T stands for Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness — the framework Google's Search Quality Rater Guidelines use to assess the quality and credibility of content and the people and sites behind it.
In short
- The first "E" — Experience — was added to the earlier E-A-T model to reward first-hand, lived knowledge.
- It is not a single, direct ranking factor but a concept Google's systems are designed to reward.
- Trust is the most important component; content can demonstrate it through accuracy, transparency, and credentials.
- It matters most for "Your Money or Your Life" topics like health, finance, and legal advice.
How it applies to Calgary businesses
For a Calgary business, E-E-A-T is about proving you are a real, credible expert worth trusting. That means showing genuine experience (case studies, real projects), expertise (qualified authors, depth), authoritativeness (recognition, citations, reviews), and trust (clear contact details, honest claims, secure site). Both Google and AI engines lean on these signals to decide whose content to surface — making E-E-A-T central to both ranking and AI citation.
Related terms
Learn more: E-E-A-T underpins our SEO and AI Search Optimization (GEO) work.