Google EAT : Improving the quality and visibility of content for search engine optimization

Introduction – Altosor Communication, your SEO partner

At Altosor Communication, we support small businesses and e-merchants in their digital strategy with a tailor-made approach focused on performance and visibility. As a Paris-based SEO agency, we put our expertise to work for your online growth. In an ever-changing digital environment, understanding and applying Google’s E-E-A-T criteria has become essential to standing out on search engines. This article provides a step-by-step guide to integrating these pillars into your SEO strategy and propelling your site to the top positions on Google.

Google’s E-A-T criteria are now an essential component of SEO (Search Engine Optimization). In the world of search engine optimization, E-A-T (Expertise, Authority, Reliability) has become essential to guarantee optimal visibility on search engines. Respecting these criteria can significantly improve a site’s positioning in the SERPs (Search Engine Results Pages), thereby increasing its organic traffic. In fact, almost all traffic is concentrated on the first results: over 90% of clicks are made on the first page of Google. So it’s vital to position your site there!

These E-A-T criteria aim to ensure the quality and relevance of the content offered to Internet users. Google wants to highlight pages that offer useful, accurate information from authors who are competent and reliable in their field. Unlike paid search (Google Ads campaigns, formerly AdWords, which generate sponsored links), natural referencing obtained through a good application of E-A-T brings you free, sustainable traffic, without paying for each click.

In this article, aimed at SMEs and e-tailers, we’ll explore the various aspects of Google’s E-A-T criteria (now E-E-A-T with the notion of Experience) and give you concrete advice on how to integrate them into your SEO strategy. The aim is to help you optimize your website’s SEO, improve its visibility on Google and ultimately generate more qualified traffic to your site, whether it’s a showcase site or an e-commerce site.

What is Google E-A-T?

The acronym E-A-T stands for Expertise, Authoritativeness, TrustworthinessThe acronym E-A-T stands for Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness. These three key elements are used by Google to evaluate the quality of a website and its content, and thus determine its ranking in search results. In simple terms, E-A-T answers three questions that Google asks about your site:

• Expertise: Is the content written by someone who has mastered the subject?
• Authority: Is the site (or author) recognized as a reference in its field?
• Reliability: Can we trust the information and the source?

The E-A-T criteria were brought to the fore by Google from 2018, notably following several updates to its algorithms and the introduction of the YMYL (Your Money or Your Life) concept. YMYL pages are those that can have a major impact on users’ lives, finances or health (e.g. health, finance, law…). For these sensitive subjects, Google is redoubling its requirements and wants to ensure that content comes from reliable sources and experts in their field. But beyond YMYL pages, the E-A-T approach actually applies to all websites: offering Internet users relevant, high-quality and trustworthy information is a universal principle for good SEO.

In short, Google E-A-T is a kind of quality barometer: the more your site demonstrates expertise, is an authority on its subject and inspires trust, the better it will be referenced in the long term.

What’s the difference with Google E-E-A-T?

You may also have heard of Google E-E-A-T (with an extra E). In 2022, Google added an additional criterion to the first three:Experience. We now speak of E-E-A-T (sometimes nicknamed “Double E-A-T”). This fourth criterion aims to further improve the quality of results. Google asks itself: Does the content presented indicate a certain level of experience on the part of its author?

In concrete terms, this means that Google values content created by people with real experience of the subject. For example, for a product review, the algorithm will favor an article written by someone who has actually used the product, rather than content that is too theoretical or purely promotional. Similarly, for a travel guide, an article by someone who has actually visited the place will be more valuable than content generated without first-hand experience. In certain contexts, the most relevant content for the web user is that produced by someone with direct experience of the subject. (Source: Google Quality Rater Guidelines updated2022).

Experience thus complements Expertise, Authority and Reliability in Google’s evaluation. The addition of this criterion shows the growing importance of authentic, fact-based content. In short, E-E-A-T now requires: experience, expertise, authority and trust. If you want your site to rise to the top of the results, you need to work on these four dimensions. Find out more about E-E-A-T criteria.

What are the E-A-T criteria?

Having defined E-A-T, let’s take a closer look at each of these three initial criteria (to which we add practical experience). How does Google evaluate your Expertise, Authority and Reliability? And how can you optimize your site in each of these areas? Here are the key points.

“E” for Expertise (Expertise)

To establish your expertise in the eyes of Google (and visitors!), it’s vital to produce rich, useful and comprehensive content reflecting your skills and knowledge in your field. Here are a few best practices for demonstrating expertise:

• Quality content: create pages that really answer your users’ questions. Your content must be precise, up-to-date and provide real added value. Don’t hesitate to go into greater depth on your subjects, even if your articles are long. A detailed 2000-word guide will be perceived as more expert than a 300-word overview. For example, if you’re an SEO consultant, an article entitled “A complete guide to optimizing your local SEO” with actionable advice will show your mastery of the subject. Also remember to include factual data, figures, studies to back up your points, and cite your sources when you put forward facts or statistics.
• Relevance and SEO optimization: make sure youoptimize your pages for the relevant keywords in your sector, while remaining natural. Include your main keywords (and their variants) in strategic areas: titles, subtitles, meta tags (title, meta description), URL, content… without over-optimization. Use a rich semantic and lexical field around these terms to show Google that you cover the subject well. For example, for an article on natural referencing, you could naturally use associated terms such as “search engines”, “positioning”, “keywords”, “SEO on site”, “natural results”, etc. These lexical co-occurrences would be very useful for Google. These lexical co-occurrences reinforce Google’s understanding of the subject. And don’t forget to target the long tail: dealing with more specific queries (3-4 words or more) related to your theme will enable you to capture additional qualified traffic and prove that you’ve mastered even the most specialized aspects of your field.
• Structure and clarity: well-presented expertise is more convincing. Take care with the structure of your pages: headings and sub-headings (tags, …) to separate ideas, short sentences and paragraphs for readability, bulleted lists for important points. Each page should have a clear title (H1) and a meta description that reflects its content. By structuring your content, you improve theuser experience and make it easier for Google to analyze. Well-structured, hierarchical content will be better understood, and therefore potentially better ranked.
• Concrete examples and experience: where relevant, illustrate what you’re saying with examples drawn from your own experience or real-life cases. This is where we make the link with the first “E” of Experience in E-E-A-T: an expert who shares anecdotes, case studies and results he or she has obtained himself or herself, will give much more weight to his or her content. For example, an athletic trainer who publishes an article on sports nutrition could tell how he created a meal plan for an athlete he coaches. These concrete elements demonstrate that you practice what you preach, reinforcing your credibility.

In short, for Google, an expert site is one whose content is reliable, complete and written by experts in the field. By following these principles (quality, optimization, structure, examples), you’ll send out strong signals of expertise. And your visitors will appreciate the quality of the information, consolidating your reputation. It’s a win-win situation!

“A” for AuthoritativenessAuthoritativeness)

A website’sauthority is reflected in its reputation and the recognition it achieves among other players in its sector. In concrete terms, Google measures this largely through links and mentions of your site on the Internet. Here’s how to boost your online authority:

• Quality backlinks: Obtaining inbound links from other sites is one of the pillars of authority. Every link to your site is seen as a kind of “recommendation”. But beware: Google focuses on the quality of backlinks, not just the quantity. One link from a reputable and relevant site (for example, an article in a recognized media outlet in your field) will carry far more weight than ten links from obscure or irrelevant sites. So work on your netlinking strategy, targeting reliable sites in your field. How do you get good backlinks? By producing content that others will want to quote (studies, infographics, expert articles…), by forging partnerships or exchanges with complementary sites, by being mentioned in quality press articles or professional directories, etc. For a small local business, this could mean an article in the regional newspaper or the blog of a local association mentioning you. For an e-tailer, a link from an influential comparator or blog in your niche is excellent for brand awareness.
• Internal linking and site architecture: Authority is also built internally. A well thought-out internal mesh (internal links between your pages) helps to distribute authority within your site and to highlight your important pages. For example, your “services” page or your best case studies should receive links from your blog posts or other relevant pages. Use explicit and relevant link anchors (avoid “click here”, prefer descriptive text including keywords related to the subject of the target page). A clear site tree, where every piece of content has its place, reinforces your thematic authority in the eyes of Google. It also helps users navigate, which improves your conversion rate and time spent on site.
• Brand awareness: The authority of your site is also linked to the overall awareness of your brand or company. Google takes into account branded searches (e.g. “Altosor Communication SEO”), mentions of your name on other sites (even without clickable links), presence on social networks, and so on. To develop this notoriety, be active online: social networks, YouTube videos, webinars, press releases… The more people talk about you (in a good way) on the web, the more your authority in Google’s eyes will increase. Don’t hesitate to display the logos of your well-known partners or customers on your site – it’s a sign of authority that can also grab a visitor’s attention.
• Become a niche reference: If you specialize in a specific field, make it your strength. Publish content on a regular basis, exploring every facet of the subject, so as to become THE reference site on the topic. For example, a small agency specializing in SEO for craftsmen could maintain a highly specialized blog on the subject (articles, podcasts, case studies of craftsmen, etc.). By qualitatively saturating your niche, you send a strong signal to Google: you are the authority in this precise field. So, even if your site isn’t big, it will be able to outperform more generalist competitors on queries related to this niche, because Google will consider that “this site talks about it better than anyone else”.

Conversely, avoid anything that could undermine your authority. Artificial linking practices or comment spam to obtain backlinks can backfire – Google has filters like the Penguin algorithm that penalize sites with manipulative link profiles. It’s better to have few good-quality links than the opposite. Keep a close eye on your e-reputation too: respond to negative reviews, correct erroneous information about your company (opening hours, address…). Unmanaged bad buzz can damage your image and, indirectly, your SEO.

In short, building authority takes time and a qualitative approach. But it’s a powerful SEO investment: a site perceived as an “authority” will benefit from good overall referencing, all pages included, because Google will have confidence in the domain. It’s this famous “trust capital” that means your new pages will rank more easily over time, because your site has proven itself.

Strengthen yourTrustworthiness)

The third criterion, reliability, overlaps with the notion of trust. Google seeks to highlight sites that users can trust, both in terms of content and operation. To reinforce the Trustworthiness of your site, here are the points to work on:

• Truthful, verifiable information: Your content must be honest, accurate and sincere. Avoid misleading, exaggerated or unsubstantiated information. If you offer data or advice, rely on reliable sources (studies, official sources, recognized experts) and cite them. For example, if you give a statistic or a study, make a link or mention the source in brackets. This shows that you’re not pulling figures out of thin air, and that you’re backing up your claims with concrete facts. This editorial rigor is much appreciated by readers and search engines alike.
• Transparency on author and date: Clearly display who wrote the content and when it was published (or updated). For a blog, create an “about the author” insert at the bottom of articles, with a few lines about the author’s expertise, or even a link to a profile page. For a corporate site, present the team on a “About Us” page, with everyone’s role and background. Google values content where you know “who’s talking”. This is particularly important on YMYL subjects (e.g.: a health article signed by a doctor will carry much more weight than an anonymous one). Similarly, indicating the date an article was updated proves that you keep your content up to date – a sign of seriousness. An article without a date, or with a date that’s too far back, can arouse suspicion.
• Editorial charter and moderation: If your site publishes participative content (comments, forums), keep an eye on it! Moderate comments to avoid spam or erroneous information published by third parties on your pages. Have a clear comment charter. A comment area riddled with spam or false information can damage the overall reliability of your site.
• Image of trust: Certain elements instantly reassure Internet users. For example, security badges (for online payment), quality labels or certifications, positive customer reviews, etc. Proudly display the things that build trust. Are you quality certified (ISO, Label Rouge, etc.)? Say so. Do you have many satisfied customers? Publish a few testimonials or the average rating of your reviews. Think of simple things too: an online store that displays a little padlock saying “Secure payment”, or a showcase site that displays “Member of the Fédération Professionnelle X”, are small details that contribute to perceived reliability.

Last but not least, reliability also means technical reliability – I’ll come back to this later in the section on overall site quality. For example, a site in HTTPS (with SSL certificate) is not only better referenced by Google than an unsecured site, but above all it inspires more confidence in the user (his browser doesn’t display a “site not secured” warning). Similarly, a fast, bug-free site that works well on mobile gives an impression of professional reliability, whereas a slow or error-ridden site raises doubts.

In short, ask yourself this question: What would make a web surfer not trust my site? Then correct these points one by one. From content (truth, accuracy) to presentation (transparency, mentions, professional design) and technical aspects (security, reliability). Nothing should stop a visitor from trusting you. And when users trust you, Google notices it through their behavior (more time spent, more conversions, more sharing…) – which ultimately strengthens your SEO.

Improve overall site quality by complying with Google E-A-T guidelines

Beyond content and strict E-A-T criteria, Google also evaluates the overall quality of your site. A site can offer the best article in the world, but if it offers a poor user experience, it will be penalized sooner or later. That’s why it’s crucial to take care of all the technical and UX aspects of your site alongside the content. Here are a few key points to bear in mind:

• Impeccable user experience (UX): Make sure your site is pleasant to navigate. This means a professional, uncluttered design, intuitive navigation, a clear menu, a breadcrumb trail and an airy layout. Avoid intrusive pop-ups or advertising overloads that drive people away. Think mobile-first: the site must be responsive design (adaptable to mobile and tablet devices), as the majority of visits are now made on mobile and Google favors the mobile-first index. If your site isn’t “mobile-friendly”, it’s very bad for your SEO and your image.
• Loading speed: A slow site will frustrate your visitors and be penalized by Google (loading time is an official criterion of the algorithm, not to mention the impact on the bounce rate). Optimize your images, use caching and avoid unnecessary scripting. Test your pages with tools like Google PageSpeed Insights to identify areas for improvement. A loading time of under 3 seconds is a good target for offering a fluid experience.
• Site security: As mentioned, HTTPS is a must-have. Obtaining an SSL certificate (often free via Let’s Encrypt) and switching your site to https:// is essential today. Not only are your exchanges encrypted (which protects your users’ data, particularly in the case of payment or forms), but browsers and Google clearly favor secure sites. What’s more, be sure to protect your site against spam (captcha on forms), malware, etc. A hacked or infected site will almost immediately be blacklisted by Google to protect users – a nightmare for your SEO. So make sure your CMS is secure (updates, security plugins, strong passwords…).
• Clean technical structure: Make it easier for Google to index your site. A good sitemap.xml file submitted to Google Search Console will help Google discover all your important pages. A well-configured robots.txt file will prevent Google from wasting time on irrelevant pages (e.g. the login page, certain filter pages, etc.) and direct it towards your relevant content. Correct 404 errors (pages not found) or broken links – too many errors sends out the wrong quality signal. Make judicious use of 301 redirects when deleting or moving pages, so as not to leave any dead links lying around. Finally, make sure that each of your pages can be reached with just a few clicks from the home page (avoid a single page with no internal link pointing to it).
• Duplicate or low-quality content: Review your pages and track down duplicate content (internal or external duplicates) and low-quality content. Two very similar pages on your site (e.g. two almost identical product sheets) can compete with each other and confuse Google. Merge them or differentiate them sufficiently. If you have old articles that are too short or obsolete, update them by adding new content, or combine them with others to make a more complete guide. In some cases, it’s better to delete a page that doesn’t contribute anything than to keep it as it is (especially if it attracts zero traffic). A site stripped of its “weak” pages will have a better overall image. Google even has a filter (the Panda algorithm) that specifically targets sites with lightweight or duplicate content. So don’t give Google any reason to penalize you.
• Ergonomics and professional design: This point may seem obvious, but a site that looks “serious” is more trustworthy than one with an outdated, amateurish look. Without going for crazy budgets, invest in a modern theme, beautiful (optimized) images, a graphic charter consistent with your logo… This contributes to overall credibility and therefore reliability/Trustworthiness. Google doesn’t “see” design, but it does register user behavior: if your design repels visitors, your bounce rate will increase and your SEO will suffer.

To sum up, remember that Google seeks to promote not only quality pages, but also quality sites. A technically advanced, fast, secure, well-organized site will reinforce (or at least not sabotage) all your efforts on content and E-A-T. Conversely, a poorly designed site can ruin excellent content, because visitors won’t find it, or will leave the page before reading it.

An overall SEO audit of your site can be useful to take stock and prioritize the technical and UX improvements you need to make. At Altosor Communication, we offer complete “Technical & Content” audits to identify the obstacles to your SEO and help you remedy them.

How can you integrate Google’s E-A-T criteria into your SEO strategy?

After all that theory, let’s get down to business! How can you put these criteria of Expertise, Authority, Experience and Reliability into practice in the day-to-day management of your site and your SEO strategy? Here’s a list of actionable tips for improving every E-E-A-T aspect of your website:

• Produce high-quality, value-added content: Putexpertise at the heart of your editorial strategy. Choose topics that are relevant to your audience and cover them in depth. Your content should provide something more than what already exists (original angle, recent information, advice based on your experience…). Don’t hesitate to share your personal experience on the subject to reinforce authenticity (for example, if you’re talking about a product, mention your own use of it). Each page or article must be SEO optimized (keywords in title tags, meta description, URL, alternative text for images, etc.) while remaining natural and pleasant to read. And don’t forget to update your content regularly: an up-to-date article (e.g. figures for 2024 instead of 2018) will show Google that your site is alive and well.
• Promote authors and their expertise: Show that your content is written by competent people. Create a “Team” or “About” page presenting everyone’s qualifications. In a blog, add a brief bio of the author at the bottom of each article: “By Jean Dupont, SEO consultant at Altosor for 10 years.” If you have certifications (e.g. Google Partner, Hubspot Certification, etc.) or degrees related to your field, mention them. This contributes to perceivedauthority. Similarly, if you’re tackling a specialized subject, you can have the article proofread or co-written by an expert in the field (e.g. a lawyer for a legal topic) and indicate this.
• Reassure with customer reviews and testimonials: Encourage your satisfied customers to leave positive reviews (on Google, Facebook, or specialized review platforms depending on your sector). Display these reviews on your site, particularly on the home page or sales pages. Authentic testimonials, possibly including the customer’s name and company, are a huge confidence booster for prospects visiting your site. A reassured visitor is more likely to contact you or buy from you (better conversion rate), and a site praised by its customers is also better regarded by Google (especially for local search, reviews being a ranking factor on Google Maps).
• Provide proof of experience: Remember to include tangible evidence of your expertise. For example, publish case studies detailing how you helped a customer solve their problem, with figures to back them up. Display the logos of your customer references, especially if they are recognizable (a sign that others trust you). If you’re selling a product, offer free trials, video demonstrations and examples of use. Anything that shows you’ ve already done what you say will reinforce the PerceivedExperience. On an e-commerce site, this could be customer photos using the product, an Instagram hashtag where your customers share their experience, etc.
• Be transparent and legally compliant: A serious website must be transparent about its identity and conditions. Check that you have an up-to-date Legal Notice page (with company name, SIRET, publication manager…), an RGPD-compliant Privacy Policy page if you collect data, and the GTC/GTC if you sell online. Clearly display your contact details (address, email, phone) on the site – why not in the footer and on a “Contact” page. All these elements are extremely reassuring for web users (and incidentally, in many cases mandatory). If applicable, also mention your commitments (e.g.: “Satisfied or your money back in 30 days”, “7/7 customer support”). Leave no ambiguity about who you are and how you work. Total transparency is the key to reliability. And don’ t forget: having a well-crafted, clear legal text may require legal advice, so don’t hesitate to ask for help in drafting these important sections.
• Focus on user experience (UX) and ergonomics: As detailed in the previous section, UX indirectly influences E-A-T criteria. A pleasant site means more time spent on it, more positive interactions, and therefore a better signal for your SEO. So make continuous UX improvement an integral part of your SEO strategy: test your site on mobile, make sure the design is both aesthetically pleasing and functional, and use testers or pilot customers to get feedback. Whether it’s for an SME showcase site or an e-commerce site, information architecture and ease of finding what you’re looking for are paramount. For example, from a service page, include a “Request a quote” or “See our work” link to take the user further.
• Continuously clean and optimize your site: In an effective SEO strategy, you need to know how to audit and improve what’s going wrong. Identify pages of poor quality or that are performing poorly. For example, via Google Analytics or Search Console, spot pages with a very high bounce rate or those with virtually no organic traffic. Ask yourself why: obsolete content? too little content? poorly targeted keyword? Then improve them (enrich the content, change the title, optimize the main keyword) or consider deleting/redirecting them if they’re of no interest. A concise, excellent site is better than a huge, average one. Take the opportunity to correct broken links, 404 errors, and optimize the technical structure (as we’ve seen: HTTPS, speed, etc.). On WordPress, for example, use SEO plugins (Yoast, SEOPress…) to help you manage meta tags, sitemaps, structured data, redirects, and so on. These tools can make it easier for you to comply with good technical practices without having to be a code expert.
• Secure and maintain trust: Ensure the security of your site on a daily basis. Update your CMS (WordPress, Joomla, etc.) and plugins to correct known vulnerabilities, and back up your data regularly. Display security features (HTTPS padlocks, payment method logos, etc.) as a sign of trust. Monitor what people are saying about you online (your brand on Google, social networks) so you can react to negative comments or unfavorable articles – showing that you take criticism seriously can turn a bad impression into a positive. Trust is earned day after day, both with customers and with Google.
• Develop quality backlinks: Continue to work on your authority through ethical netlinking. Look for opportunities to obtain links from authoritative sites: publish a guest article on a well-known site in your sector, answer interviews, participate in local or thematic quality directories, etc. Beware of abusive link exchanges or link buying: these black hat practices may provide temporary false signals, but Google often ends up spotting them and imposing penalties. For example, if you suddenly obtain 100 links from irrelevant sites, Google is likely to be suspicious. Choose quality over quantity. You can also diversify your traffic sources (social networks, newsletters) – even if this doesn’t directly influence SEO, a site that receives regular direct and social traffic appears more legitimate than an isolated site.

In short, integrate E-A-T into every aspect of your SEO strategy: from content design to UX, from technical to marketing. Always think: “How does what I’m doing build expertise, authority, user experience or trust?“. By doing so, you’ll see your positions gradually improve and your SEO become stronger and stronger in the face of Google’s updates.

(Please note: these E-A-T efforts are of particular benefit to sites dealing with YMYL subjects – health, finance, etc. – where Google is very demanding. – where Google is very demanding. But in reality they benefit all sites, because a quality site is universally advantaged).

What content is covered by the Google E-A-T criteria?

As we mentioned, all online content is affected by E-A-T in general, as Google always wants to provide the best possible results for its users. However, certain types of content are particularly scrutinized and impacted by these criteria. According to Google’s guidelines, this includes pages that fall into the Y-M-Y-L (Your Money or Your Life) category, i.e. pages likely to significantly affect a person’s happiness, health, financial situation or safety. Google considers that misinformation in these areas could have serious consequences for people’s lives, and therefore requires a very high level of E-A-T for such content.

Here are some examples of content types Y-M-Y-L for which E-A-T is particularly crucial:

• Medical or health information. (e.g. medical advice, treatment information, nutrition and wellness sites).
• Financial or investment-related information. (e.g. stock market advice, financial planning, cryptocurrencies).
• Legal information. (e.g. legal advice, consumer rights, tax information).
• Important political and civic news and information. (e.g. national news, public safety reports).
• Scientific information. (e.g. articles explaining scientific phenomena, research reports).
• Information about groups of people. (Ex: pages dealing with religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation, etc., which require impartiality and reliability).
• Advice or information on major purchases. (e.g. real estate buyer’s guide, health insurance comparison, university choice).
• Pages that request sensitive personal information. (e.g. banking sites, online payments, where security and trust are paramount).

Google’s aim is to ensure that this content – which can have a major impact on users’ lives – comes from highly reliable, authoritative sources. If you publish this type of content, it’s particularly important to take care of your E-E-A-T: have it professionally proofread, systematically cite recognized sources, update your pages very frequently, etc. For example, a health blog run by a doctor and updating its articles in line with the latest research will have a much better chance of breaking through than an anonymous blog with dubious advice.

This doesn’t mean that E-A-T doesn’t count for other sites! Simply put, on more “everyday” or light subjects (cooking recipes, travel blogs, humor…), Google will be a little less strict than on YMYL subjects. But in any case, the more expert, authoritative and trustworthy your site, the better for your SEO.

Who are Quality Raters?

Google doesn’t just rely on algorithms to assess the quality of its search results. It also relies on human evaluators, known as Quality Raters. These are third-party people, spread across the globe, whose job it is to manually assess the quality of web pages and the relevance of search results for certain queries. Their work serves to continuously improve Google’s algorithm, even if they do not directly intervene in real-time rankings.

Quality Raters use a comprehensive reference document provided by Google: the Search Quality Rater Guidelines (Search Quality Rater Guidelines). Over 170 pages long, these guidelines detail precisely how to evaluate a page. In particular, it includes a section dedicated to E-A-T criteria. For the pages they audit, quality raters must judge the author’s level of expertise, authority, reliability and, more recently, experience. They also look at the overalluser experience on the page.

(For the curious, the Search Quality Rater Guidelines are available online – in English – and offer a fascinating insight into Google’s evaluation criteria).

Google regularly updates these guidelines in line with the evolution of the web and its expectations of “excellence” on the Internet. The last major update added the Experience criterion in December 2022, underlining the importance of practical experience in content creation. As a result, quality raters are now tasked with identifying whether content is based on real-life experience, in addition to verifying expertise/authority/reliability.

It’s important to understand that Quality Raters don‘t directly influence your site’s ranking. Their evaluations serve as feedback to Google: for example, if the raters find that a new algorithm change degrades the quality of results, Google will correct the situation. Or conversely, if they find that a certain type of page deemed to have low E-A-T remains too high in the results, Google will adjust its algorithm to better take these criteria into account. Think of Quality Raters as “tasters” who tell Google whether its ranking recipes are working. You can’t interact with them or know if they’ll ever evaluate your site, but the guidelines they use are public. That’s why it’s a good idea for webmasters and SEOs to read them: they tell you in concrete terms what Google values and hates. By following these guidelines, you put all the chances on your side that your site will please both the algorithms and these human examiners.

How does Google measure a web page’s E-A-T score?

This brings us to a frequently asked question: is there an E-A-T score calculated by Google for each page? The official answer is no – at least, Google doesn’t formulate it that way. E-A-T is not a number or figure that Google assigns and which directly determines ranking. Rather, it’s a set of signals evaluated by the algorithms.

Google remains very secretive about the exact signals used, but we can deduce some:

• ForExpertise: Google will look in particular at content quality (semantic analysis, depth of subject covered), grammar and spelling, the presence of enriched content (images, videos, structured data), user behavior (do people stay on the page for long, share content…), etc. Indirectly, Natural Language Processing algorithms (such as BERT, MUM, etc.) help Google understand whether a text is relevant and well-written on a subject.
• Authority: backlinks are a major indicator. A site with many quality links will be interpreted as authoritative. Brand awareness (name search volume, mentions) can also play a role. Google still has its PageRank algorithm at the heart of the ranking system, which measures the authority transmitted via links. Although much more sophisticated today, the spirit remains that every link is a vote.
• For Trustworthiness: Google will consider signals such as the presence of an HTTPS certificate, the absence of malware, the reputation of the domain (a site with a history of spamming or hacking may be under scrutiny), possibly the bounce rate (a very high bounce rate could indicate that the page doesn’t inspire trust or isn’t relevant). The fact that a site has a Contact page, legal notices, etc., can be detected (there is structured data for organization, address, etc., which Google encourages the use of).
• ForExperience: it’s more subtle, but Google can detect certain signs of content stemming from lived experience, for example the use of 1st person in the text (“I”), the presence of specific details that a novice wouldn’t know, or via the original images/videos present showing the author in a real-life situation. As this criterion is new, we can assume that Google is still fine-tuning the way it measures it via AI.

It’s important to note that there is no single “E-A-T” algorithm. E-A-T is evaluated across hundreds of components of Google’s main algorithm. For example, Panda (content) and Penguin (links), mentioned above, as well as other filters, are some of the ways in which Google manages E-A-T without actually calling it that.

Google refuses to say that there is an “E-A-T score” per page, as that would be too simplistic. Above all, it doesn’t want SEOs to focus on a single number. The recommended approach is: do your best for your audience, offer a quality site, and if your visitors love it, Google will eventually take notice. However, we can “empirically” estimate a page’s E-A-T level by observing its ranking: if, despite all your efforts, a page stagnates on page 2 or 3, it may be lacking something in terms of authority or trust. Conversely, if a page is in 1st position for a competitive keyword, it’s probably ticking all the E-A-T (and other) boxes relative to its competitors.

In practice, don’t try to calculate a score, but follow good practice. Google places a great deal of emphasis on the notion of useful, user-friendly content (cf. its “Helpful Content” updates). If you take this qualitative approach, you’re naturally in line with the E-A-T principles.

Google E-A-T: essential criteria for your SEO ranking

In conclusion, whether you manage the website of a local SME, an online store or a professional blog, Google’s E-E-A-T criteria have become essential for boosting your natural SEO. Expertise, Experience, Authority, Reliability: each pillar reinforces your site’s credibility in the eyes of users and search engines alike.

By applying the advice given in this article, you’ll not only improve your site’s SEO (better positioning, more organic traffic), but also offer your visitors a better experience and more confidence – which ultimately translates into more conversions and success for your online business.

Remember: SEO is a long-term process. Building a reputation as an expert and reliable site doesn’t happen overnight, but the benefits are long-lasting. Google rewards investment in quality over the long term. Conversely, looking for shortcuts or neglecting these E-A-T aspects can cost you dearly in terms of visibility in future algorithm updates.

N’attendez plus pour mettre en place ces bonnes pratiques E-E-A-T et prendre une longueur d’avance sur vos concurrents. Un site optimisé selon ces critères, c’est un site armé pour viser la première position sur Google sur vos requêtes clés ! Et si vous souhaitez être accompagné dans cette démarche, n’hésitez pas à déléguer l’optimisation de votre site internet à une équipe de professionnels. Chez Altosor Communication, agence SEO expérimentée, nous aidons les entreprises comme la vôtre à bâtir une stratégie de référencement sur mesure en accord avec les dernières recommandations de Google. Votre succès en ligne est à portée de main – contactez-nous pour en savoir plus et faire décoller votre visibilité numérique 🚀. 

Table of E-E-A-T best practices applied to SEO

To give you a visual summary of what we’ve seen, here’s a table summarizing E-E-A-T best practices applied to SEO, with the key points to remember for each pillar and a concrete example adapted to SMEs on the one hand, and e-commerce sites on the other:

By applying these best practices to each pillar, you’ll considerably strengthen your site’s E-E-A-T profile. The result? A site that ranks higher in search results, increased visibility on Google, and more confident users who will be inclined to stay on your pages and take action (contact, purchase, etc.). In other words, a virtuous circle where SEO and user experience feed off each other to take your online presence to the top of search results. Happy optimization to all!

Choose high-performance SEO with Altosor Communication

Would you like to boost your website’s visibility and attract more customers with high-performance SEO?
Don’t leave your online presence to chance. Rely on an expert SEO agency that masters Google’s latest requirements, including the E-E-A-T criteria. Contact Altosor Communication now for a personalized SEO audit and find out how we can help you reach the first page of Google.