Google’s recent clarification, as discussed by John Mueller at the Search Central Live NYC event, confirms that EEAT (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness) is not something SEOs can directly “add” to their web pages. This is something enar and dear to our heart at Primary Position where we’ve been waging an information war against the disinformation from many who have been trying to tell writers, SEOs and SME’s that EEAT is somehow built into an algorithm or a checklist.
What E-E-A-T Actually Is
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Not a Direct Ranking Factor: E-E-A-T is not an algorithmic ranking factor or a checklist for SEOs. It serves as a framework for assessing content quality in areas where trust and reliability are critical.
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Tied to Quality Raters: It is primarily a guideline for third-party quality raters who evaluate search results, helping Google improve its algorithms indirectly.
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Critical for YMYL Topics: E-E-A-T plays a role algorithmically in YMYL content, where user safety and confidence are paramount. For example, health advice or financial guidance must demonstrate clear reliability.
Misconceptions About E-E-A-T
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Cannot Be “Added”: Mueller explicitly stated that SEOs cannot simply “add” E-E-A-T to a website. Adding superficial elements like author bios or credentials without genuine trust signals does not enhance rankings.
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Not Relevant for Non-YMYL Sites: For non-critical content, such as recipe blogs, E-E-A-T is not algorithmically emphasized. While expertise and trust are always helpful for user experience, they are not ranking priorities for these types of sites.
Practical Implications
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Focus on Real Trust Signals: Instead of trying to “add” E-E-A-T, websites should focus on genuinely earning trust through authoritative content, user reviews, and backlinks from reputable sources.
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Avoid Overcomplication: Efforts to artificially “optimize” for E-E-A-T are misguided. Trustworthiness and authority are earned over time through consistent quality and reputation-building.
Final Thoughts
The clarification debunks many conjectural blog posts that treated E-E-A-T as a direct ranking factor or an optimization checklist. Instead, SEOs should view it as a guiding principle for creating reliable content in critical areas rather than something you can manipulate directly. This reinforces the importance of focusing on long-term strategies that build genuine authority and trustworthiness.
