E-A-T stands for Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness. It is a model used by Google to define and evaluate content quality, especially in the context of its search algorithms. E-A-T is an essential component of Google's Search Quality Rater Guidelines, which human raters use to assess and rate the quality of web pages. High E-A-T scores can contribute to better search rankings, while low scores may result in lower visibility on search results pages. Here's a brief explanation of each component:
Expertise: Expertise refers to the level of knowledge or skill demonstrated by the content creator in a specific field or topic. High-quality content should be created by individuals who possess the necessary expertise to provide accurate and useful information. Expertise can be assessed based on the creator's credentials, education, experience, or recognition in the relevant domain. In some cases, everyday users without formal qualifications can still demonstrate expertise through their life experiences or hobbies.
Authoritativeness: Authoritativeness refers to the credibility and reliability of both the content and the website hosting it. Authoritative content is created by reputable sources and is often supported by research, citations, or endorsements from other experts in the field. To assess the authoritativeness of a website, raters might consider its reputation, the quality of external links pointing to it, or how well it is recognized as a leader or reference in its domain.
Trustworthiness: Trustworthiness relates to the accuracy, honesty, and transparency of the content and its source. Trustworthy content should be factually accurate, well-researched, and devoid of misleading information. To evaluate trustworthiness, raters might examine whether the website has a clear privacy policy, discloses its ownership and affiliations, or provides easily verifiable information about the content creator.