SEO website Search Engine Land recently reported that the Google E-E-A-T framework has around 80+ signals informing the search engine if a site matches its requirements. Google states that following its E-E-A-T framework can dramatically reshape how you think about SEO and offer you dramatic boons in your organic visibility. However, are you even aware of what this acronym is and what these 80+ signals mean for your website’s visibility?

Below, we follow a deep dive into both the technical and content sides of E-E-A-T, allowing you to understand what it means so that you can develop measurable strategies that align with Google’s intent. So, 

What Is Google E-E-A-T?

E-E-A-T SEO is not a strict set of rules that Google has made public, with which you can judge your website. Instead, they are a framework. As such, their role is twofold:

1. They give you a set of guidelines to follow to help ensure your website has the best chance of being visible on a SERP.
2. They guide Google’s efforts to design and develop their search engine to promote high-value content.

While E-E-A-T content might not directly influence the search engine algorithm, each component instead describes how Google intends pages with high potential user engagement and content quality to be at the top of the ranking. 

The Basics of Google E-E-A-T Guidelines

The four elements of E-E-A-T, from which Google formed the acronym, are:

• Experience
• Expertise
• Authoritativeness
• Trustworthiness

Experience involves offering direct and first-hand accounts of an experience. Writing in this way shows the content creator as a subject-matter expert, having engaged with the topic in question specifically, with the potential of offering unique insights one would not get elsewhere.

Expertise is a level of subject intelligence and a depth of knowledge on the topic in question. Demonstrating specific qualifications or skills by creating comprehensive and truthful content can help build up this quality.

Authoritativeness shows that the website is a thought leader in a specific area of business or culture. They prove this by curating links to their website from locations that offer similarly high authority and thus consistently receive a lot of visits.

Trustworthiness means ensuring the content that appears on the website is accurate. It also relates to transparency and clarity in speaking and using a secure website, such as an HTTPS protocol.

Using content that users find definitively valuable, causing them to return multiple times to that page or site, proves to Google that yours is a website visitors want to see, as it helps them fulfill the intent of their search.

Why Google E-E-A-T Matters for SEO

E-E-A-T may not be a direct ranking factor. However, it signals that Google should treat your website as an authority online. A robust E-E-A-T presence means you are much more likely to engage with you or return at a later time.

These factors are not a one-time thing, either. A stronger E-E-A-T means investing in long-term content to help users. In truth, the goal is to avoid creating content with the aim of drawing in visitors alone. Instead, the objective is to increase the usefulness of website content and clarify which websites offer the best results for many different purposes.

Proving Experience

To succeed at proving you have experience, you need to show authenticity in what you have done. Examples of how to present this include:

• Breaking down processes to demonstrate firsthand knowledge
• Speaking in the first-person
• Leveraging user-generated content or testimonials
• Discussing both successes and failures

While no single one of these strategies is guaranteed to increase your visibility, they represent a range of options you can use to show off your humanity as a brand and that you have engaged with your own industry.

Showcasing Expertise

The simplest way to do this is to list your credentials, such as:

• Certifications
• Experiences in the field
• Discussions of trends and your insights
• Guest posts or interviews on other platforms that link to you

These all show that you know both your industry’s knowledge and how to apply it.

Establishing Authority

The purpose of authority is to create a persona online that people can believe has the right answers or that people can return to with the expectation you will offer answers. Develop a consistent method of representing your brand, or that of your site’s authors, across all your content. If you are the brand, then ensure you represent yourself the same across your online presence.

Also, try to attain links back to your site from other trustworthy sources. The best way to do this is to ensure they have a reason to link to insightful or useful content on your site.

Building Trustworthiness

In addition to using HTTPS and security badges to ensure your website avoids appearing fraudulent, make sure you also verify the sources you use online and fact-check any claims that appear on your site. At the same time, maintain a stance of creating content that builds up users and helps them with resolving the issues they come to your site to understand.

Is E-E-A-T Still Important in 2025?

Is E-E-A-T still important as Google moves towards its search generative experience? 

The truth is that nothing is tracking E-E-A-T. These qualities instead underpin high-quality content, no matter the search engine.

So long as you follow these concepts in your content, it will remain reliable, even as AI-generated summaries become more commonplace.

Driving E-E-A-T with Rose & Cactus

E-E-A-T remains essential to build content that drives SEO success both on Google’s SERPs and across the Internet. If you develop valuable content that displays a deep understanding of the subject matter, your website will likely draw in many more users.

Consistently building such content, however, is not an easy task. It takes commitment and a drive to develop an online presence. If you need help, Rose & Cactus can work with you to produce consistent content that offers real value.  So, contact us today to learn how we can focus on your Google E-E-A-T signals and get you noticed today.

FAQ: Google E-E-A-T SEO

What does E-E-A-T stand for?

E-E-A-T stands for Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness — Google’s framework for assessing content quality.

Is E-E-A-T a direct Google ranking factor?

No — E-E-A-T is a quality guideline, not a ranking signal. However, strong E-E-A-T increases your chance of ranking higher and appearing in AI Overviews.

How can I improve my site’s E-E-A-T?

Share personal experience, cite credible sources, highlight author credentials, and build backlinks from trusted websites.

Is E-E-A-T still important in 2025?

Yes — E-E-A-T continues to underpin Google’s approach to ranking trustworthy, human-authored content across all search types.

Can Rose & Cactus help with E-E-A-T SEO?

Absolutely. Rose & Cactus specializes in creating content strategies that reflect real expertise and human experience — boosting visibility and trust.

Get a free E-E-A-T content consultation → Contact Rose & Cactus.