describes four quality characteristics used to judge whether content is helpful, credible and trustworthy: Experience (first-hand experience with the topic), Expertise (subject-matter competence), Authoritativeness (recognised authority or reputation) and Trustworthiness (reliability). Trust sits at the centre.

Google describes E-E-A-T in its Search Quality Rater Guidelines as an assessment concept. Rater judgements do not directly influence the ranking of individual pages, but they help Google measure the quality of its search systems.

Importantly, E-E-A-T is not a score or an tag. Visible author boxes, profile pages, sources and consistent make responsibility and recognisable. E-E-A-T matters most for sensitive topics that can affect a person's money or health.