The E-E-A-T Framework for AI Search | Complete Guide 2025
- SEO vs AEO vs GEO Explained | AI Search Optimisation Guide
- AI Search Glossary 2025 | Essential SEO, AEO & GEO Terms
- The E-E-A-T Framework for AI Search | Complete Guide 2025
- How to Rank in AI Search Results: 10 Proven Strategies for 2025
- How AI Engines Cite Your Content: ChatGPT, Perplexity & Claude
- The FLIP Framework: AI Search Content Patterns
- SEO Content Matrix 2025
- Marketing Funnel for AI Search 2025
- The 2025 SEO Framework: 5 Steps to Search Dominance
- ChatGPT Visibility & Optimization Guide
- AI Search Mastery Assessment
- SEO Best Practices 2025: What to Do vs Avoid
The E-E-A-T Framework for AI Search
Google’s leaked ranking factors revealed—and how AI platforms use them
The Foundation of Search Credibility
E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trust) is Google’s framework for evaluating content quality. But here’s what most don’t know: it’s not just for Google rankings—AI platforms like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Gemini use the same signals to decide what content to cite.
🔓 The Google API Leak (March 2024)
Google’s internal API documentation leaked, revealing the exact machine-readable proxies for E-E-A-T. We now know precisely what signals Google (and by extension, AI platforms) look for in content.
This guide breaks down each component of E-E-A-T with the leaked attributes and practical implementation strategies.
The Complete E-E-A-T Framework
The Definitive Guide to SEO Audits Post-Google Leak
| E-E-A-T Component | Conceptual Definition | Primary Machine-Readable Proxies (Leaked Attributes) | Strategic Imperative |
|---|---|---|---|
| Experience | Demonstrating first-hand, practical involvement with a topic. |
| Develop unique, high-effort, attributable content with original media and keep it meaningfully updated to demonstrate ongoing, first-hand experience. |
| Expertise | Possessing a high level of knowledge or skill in a particular field. |
| Build topically focused sites on clearly defined entities, and demonstrate topical expertise to signal the most important, expert-level content. |
| Authoritativeness | Being a recognised, widely cited source of information in an industry. |
| Pursue foundational links from trusted sources, build author entities, define the scale of your brand, and aim to become the ‘official’ source for key topics. |
| Trust | The reliability, accuracy, and security of the content, site, and author. |
| Eliminate all forms of spam, ensure technical, domain soundness and verifiable identity, and optimise for a clean, satisfying user experience. |
1. Experience: Demonstrating First-Hand Involvement
📊 What Google Looks For
Key Leaked Attributes: contentEffect, originalContentScore, isAuthor, lastSignificantUpdate, productReviewPubDate, docImages
What Experience Means
Experience is about proving you’ve actually done what you’re writing about. It’s the difference between “Here’s how to use this tool” (generic) and “After using this tool for 6 months in 50 client projects, here’s what works” (experienced).
How to Demonstrate Experience
1
Create Original Content
Publish unique insights that only come from hands-on experience. Include specific examples, numbers, and real scenarios.
Example: “We tested 15 different email subject lines across 10,000 sends and found that questions increased opens by 23%.”
2
Add Original Media
Include screenshots, photos, videos, and charts from your actual work. Stock photos signal lack of experience.
Signal: docImages attribute looks for unique, original visual content.
3
Update Content Regularly
Show ongoing experience by updating content with new findings, examples, and data.
Signal: lastSignificantUpdate tracks meaningful updates, not just date changes.
4
Use Author Attribution
Clearly attribute content to real people with verifiable identities and credentials.
Signal: isAuthor identifies content with clear authorship.
2. Expertise: Building Topical Authority
📊 What Google Looks For
Key Leaked Attributes: siteRadius, contentEffect, siteEmbeddingEncoded, ymylHealthScore, ymylMusicScore
What Expertise Means
Expertise is about depth of knowledge in a specific field. Google measures this through topical clustering—how well your site covers a defined subject area.
How to Build Expertise
Topical Focus
Build comprehensive content clusters around core topics rather than scattered individual posts.
Signal: siteRadius measures topical consistency
Deep Content Libraries
Create interconnected resources that comprehensively cover your expertise area.
Signal: siteEmbeddingEncoded analyzes content relationships
Expert-Level Depth
Go beyond basics. Cover advanced topics, edge cases, and nuanced details experts care about.
Signal: contentEffect measures content sophistication
YMYL Compliance
For health, finance, legal topics, meet higher expertise standards with credentials and citations.
Signal: ymylHealthScore, ymylMusicScore for sensitive topics
3. Authoritativeness: Becoming the Go-To Source
📊 What Google Looks For
Key Leaked Attributes: siteAuthority, PageRank, authorityPromotion, hostNSR, relatedTopicScore
What Authoritativeness Means
Authoritativeness is about being recognized externally as a credible source. It’s measured through links, mentions, and citations from other authoritative sites.
How to Build Authoritativeness
- Earn Quality Backlinks: Get links from industry publications, .edu/.gov sites, and respected brands (PageRank signal)
- Build Author Entities: Establish authors as recognized experts with Wikipedia pages, speaking engagements, and bylines (authorityPromotion)
- Become the Official Source: Be cited as the definitive resource for specific topics in your niche (authorityByOriginalPub)
- Scale Your Brand: Build brand recognition through mentions, reviews, and social presence (siteAuthority, hostNSR)
- Create Cite-Worthy Research: Publish original data and studies that others reference (relatedTopicScore)
🎯 Quick Win for Authoritativeness
Guest post on 3-5 industry publications linking back to your cornerstone content. One link from an authoritative source > 100 links from low-quality sites.
4. Trust: Technical and Content Integrity
📊 What Google Looks For
Key Leaked Attributes: pagersDemotion, exactMatchDomainDemotion, GoodClicks/BadClicks, scamness, ContentChecksumMD
What Trust Means
Trust encompasses technical security, content accuracy, and user safety. It’s the most critical component—without trust, the other three don’t matter.
How to Build Trust
✅ Trust Signals
✓
HTTPS/SSL Certificate
Secure connection for all pages (hacksSafeCertificate)
✓
Clear Contact Info
Real address, phone, email visible (verifiable identity)
✓
Privacy Policy & Terms
Transparent policies for user data
✓
Clean User Experience
No intrusive ads, popups, or deceptive patterns (GoodClicks signal)
✓
Content Consistency
Stable content, not constantly changing (ContentChecksumMD)
❌ Trust Killers
✗
Spam Tactics
Keyword stuffing, hidden text, cloaking (pagersDemotion)
✗
Exact Match Domains
Spammy exact-match domains (exactMatchDomainDemotion)
✗
Misleading Content
Clickbait, false promises, deception (scamness)
✗
Poor User Signals
High bounce, pogo-sticking (BadClicks)
✗
Security Issues
Malware, hacked content, no HTTPS
E-E-A-T Implementation Checklist
Experience
- Add author bylines to all content
- Include original screenshots, photos, or data
- Share specific examples from real projects
- Update top content quarterly with new insights
- Add “About the Author” sections with credentials
Expertise
- Define 3-5 core topical areas
- Create content clusters with 10+ pieces per topic
- Interlink related content within clusters
- Go deep on advanced subtopics
- Publish comprehensive guides (2,500+ words)
Authoritativeness
- Guest post on 5 industry publications
- Get mentioned in industry roundups
- Publish original research or surveys
- Build Wikipedia page for brand/authors
- Earn .edu or .gov backlinks
Trust
- Implement HTTPS site-wide
- Add clear contact information
- Create privacy policy and terms pages
- Remove intrusive ads/popups
- Fix all security vulnerabilities
E-E-A-T Audit Framework with Scoring System
How to Use This Audit
Score each factor on a scale of 0-10. Multiply by the weight percentage to get weighted scores. Total possible score = 100 points. Aim for 75+ for strong E-E-A-T.
Experience Audit (25 points total)
| Factor | What to Check | Weight | Score (0-10) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Original Content | Does content demonstrate first-hand experience with specific examples, case studies, or original data? | 30% | ___ |
| Original Media | Are images, screenshots, and videos original rather than stock photos? | 25% | ___ |
| Author Attribution | Is content clearly attributed to real authors with verifiable identities and credentials? | 25% | ___ |
| Content Freshness | Is content regularly updated with new findings, examples, and current data? | 20% | ___ |
Expertise Audit (25 points total)
| Factor | What to Check | Weight | Score (0-10) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Topical Focus | Does the site demonstrate clear topical focus with comprehensive coverage of 3-5 core topics? | 35% | ___ |
| Content Depth | Does content go beyond basics to cover advanced topics, edge cases, and nuances? | 30% | ___ |
| Content Clusters | Are related articles interlinked in topic clusters showing comprehensive coverage? | 20% | ___ |
| YMYL Compliance | If YMYL content, do authors have relevant credentials and professional qualifications? | 15% | ___ |
Authoritativeness Audit (25 points total)
| Factor | What to Check | Weight | Score (0-10) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Backlink Quality | Do you have quality backlinks from authoritative industry sites, .edu, .gov, or major publications? | 30% | ___ |
| Brand Recognition | Is your brand mentioned in industry publications, forums, reviews, and social media? | 25% | ___ |
| Original Research | Have you published cite-worthy original research, surveys, or data studies? | 25% | ___ |
| Author Profiles | Do authors have established profiles (Wikipedia, LinkedIn, speaking engagements, publications)? | 20% | ___ |
Trust Audit (25 points total)
| Factor | What to Check | Weight | Score (0-10) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Technical Security | HTTPS site-wide, valid SSL certificate, no security warnings or malware? | 25% | ___ |
| Transparency | Clear contact info, about page, author bios, privacy policy, and terms of service? | 25% | ___ |
| User Experience | No intrusive ads/popups, fast loading, mobile-friendly, clean design? | 25% | ___ |
| Content Accuracy | Are facts verified, sources cited, claims substantiated, and corrections made when needed? | 25% | ___ |
E-E-A-T Score Interpretation
- 85-100 points: Excellent E-E-A-T – Ready for YMYL topics, highly competitive niches, strong AI citation potential
- 75-84 points: Strong E-E-A-T – Well-positioned for most topics, good foundation for AI optimization
- 60-74 points: Moderate E-E-A-T – Needs improvement in key areas, vulnerable to competitors with stronger signals
- Below 60 points: Weak E-E-A-T – Priority focus needed, high risk for algorithm updates, unlikely to be cited by AI
E-E-A-T Success Stories: Brand Case Studies
Case Study 1: Healthcare Provider Builds Trust Through Medical E-E-A-T
Brand: Regional healthcare network (15 facilities)
Challenge: Competing against WebMD and Mayo Clinic for health information queries, low authority in YMYL category
E-E-A-T Strategy Implemented:
- Experience: Published patient success stories (with permission) and detailed treatment outcome data
- Expertise: Had board-certified physicians author all medical content with full credentials displayed
- Authoritativeness: Built Wikipedia pages for leading physicians, secured .edu backlinks from medical schools
- Trust: Added peer review process, medical citations, and last-reviewed dates to all content
E-E-A-T Score Progression:
Initial Score
42/100
After 6 Months
71/100
After 12 Months
89/100
Business Results:
- 327% increase in organic traffic to health information pages
- Ranked in top 3 for 45 medical condition queries
- Cited by ChatGPT Health for 23 different conditions
- 42% increase in new patient appointments from organic search
Key Takeaway: “YMYL content requires exceptional E-E-A-T. By having verified medical professionals author content and implementing rigorous peer review, we went from Google penalties to featured snippets and AI citations.” – Chief Medical Officer
Case Study 2: Financial Advisor Establishes Expertise in Competitive Niche
Brand: Independent financial planning firm (8 advisors)
Challenge: Competing against NerdWallet, Investopedia, and large banks for financial advice queries
E-E-A-T Strategy Implemented:
- Experience: Published anonymized client case studies showing real financial planning scenarios
- Expertise: Highlighted CFP certifications, years of experience, and specialized credentials for each advisor
- Authoritativeness: Published annual “Retirement Readiness Index” with original survey data from 2,000+ clients
- Trust: Added detailed disclosures, fiduciary commitment statement, and SEC registration information
E-E-A-T Score Progression:
Initial Score
58/100
After 6 Months
78/100
After 12 Months
86/100
Business Results:
- 214% increase in qualified leads from organic search
- Featured in Perplexity AI responses for retirement planning questions
- $4.2M in new assets under management from content marketing
- Backlinks from Forbes, WSJ, and major financial publications
Key Takeaway: “Publishing original research positioned us as thought leaders. AI platforms cite our Retirement Readiness Index, and prospects arrive already trusting our expertise.” – Managing Partner
Case Study 3: E-commerce Brand Recovers from Google Penalty with E-E-A-T
Brand: Supplement and nutrition company (£12M annual revenue)
Challenge: Hit by Google’s Medic Update, lost 73% of organic traffic due to weak E-E-A-T signals
E-E-A-T Recovery Strategy:
- Experience: Added before/after customer testimonials with verified purchases and real photos
- Expertise: Hired registered dietitians and sports nutritionists to review and co-author all content
- Authoritativeness: Published clinical research summaries with citations to peer-reviewed studies
- Trust: Added third-party testing certificates, manufacturing transparency, ingredient sourcing details
E-E-A-T Score Progression:
Post-Penalty Score
34/100
After 6 Months
67/100
After 12 Months
82/100
Recovery Results:
- Recovered 89% of lost organic traffic within 14 months
- Surpassed pre-penalty rankings for 34 core product keywords
- Featured in Google’s AI Overviews for supplement information
- Revenue recovered to £14.2M (18% above pre-penalty levels)
Key Takeaway: “The penalty was devastating but forced us to build proper E-E-A-T. Now we’re not just recovered—we’re stronger than ever with AI platforms citing our expert-authored content.” – CEO
Case Study 4: B2B SaaS Builds Authority Through Expertise Signals
Brand: Enterprise software company (HR tech platform)
Challenge: New market entrant competing against established brands with 10+ years of content
E-E-A-T Strategy Implemented:
- Experience: Published detailed implementation case studies with measurable outcomes
- Expertise: Created “HR Technology Advisory Board” of industry experts who contributed to content
- Authoritativeness: Launched annual “State of HR Technology” report with survey data from 5,000+ HR professionals
- Trust: Added security certifications (SOC 2, GDPR), customer testimonials, and transparent pricing
E-E-A-T Score Progression:
Launch Score
28/100
After 6 Months
64/100
After 18 Months
81/100
Business Results:
- Outranked established competitors for 28 high-value keywords
- State of HR Tech report cited by ChatGPT and Perplexity 156 times
- Reduced customer acquisition cost by 34% through organic search
- $8.7M in new ARR attributed to content marketing
Key Takeaway: “As a new entrant, we couldn’t compete on brand recognition alone. Building strong E-E-A-T through original research and expert contributions leveled the playing field.” – VP of Marketing
How to Measure E-E-A-T Impact
E-E-A-T isn’t directly measurable like traditional metrics, but you can track proxy indicators that signal improvements across all four components.
Experience Metrics
| Metric | What It Measures | How to Track | Target |
|---|---|---|---|
| Original Content Ratio | % of content with first-hand insights vs. aggregated information | Manual content audit | 70%+ |
| Content Update Frequency | How often top pages receive meaningful updates | CMS tracking, Google Search Console | Quarterly |
| Author Attribution Coverage | % of content with clear author bylines and bios | Site audit | 100% |
Expertise Metrics
| Metric | What It Measures | How to Track | Target |
|---|---|---|---|
| Topical Authority Score | Depth and breadth of coverage on core topics | SEO tools (Ahrefs, Semrush topical authority reports) | 80%+ coverage |
| Average Content Depth | Word count and comprehensiveness of articles | Content analytics tools | 2,000+ words |
| Content Cluster Completeness | % of topic clusters with 10+ interlinked articles | Content inventory analysis | 100% of core topics |
Authoritativeness Metrics
| Metric | What It Measures | How to Track | Target |
|---|---|---|---|
| Domain Authority (DA) | Overall site authority based on backlink profile | Moz, Ahrefs Domain Rating | 60+ (varies by industry) |
| Quality Backlink Growth | New backlinks from DA 50+ sources per month | Ahrefs, Semrush backlink tracking | 5-10 per month |
| Brand Mention Volume | Unlinked mentions of your brand across the web | Google Alerts, Brand24, Mention | Increasing trend |
| AI Citation Frequency | How often AI platforms cite your content | Searchable.ai, manual testing | Increasing trend |
Trust Metrics
| Metric | What It Measures | How to Track | Target |
|---|---|---|---|
| Core Web Vitals Score | Technical performance (LCP, FID, CLS) | Google Search Console, PageSpeed Insights | All metrics “Good” |
| Security Issues | Security warnings, malware, mixed content | Google Search Console security issues | Zero issues |
| User Engagement | Bounce rate, dwell time, pages per session | Google Analytics 4 | Below 50% bounce, 2+ min dwell |
| Manual Action Penalties | Google manual penalties for spam or quality issues | Google Search Console manual actions | Zero penalties |
Creating an E-E-A-T Dashboard
Set up a monthly tracking dashboard combining these metrics to visualize E-E-A-T progress over time. Track month-over-month changes and set quarterly improvement goals for each component.
6-Month E-E-A-T Implementation Roadmap
Month 1-2: Foundation & Audit
Week 1-2
Complete E-E-A-T Audit
- Score all four E-E-A-T components using audit framework
- Identify weakest areas requiring immediate attention
- Analyze top 3 competitors’ E-E-A-T signals
- Document current baseline metrics
Week 3-4
Fix Critical Trust Issues
- Implement HTTPS site-wide
- Add privacy policy, terms of service, contact info
- Remove intrusive ads and improve UX
- Fix security warnings and technical issues
Month 3-4: Build Experience & Expertise
Week 5-8
Enhance Author Profiles
- Add detailed author bios with credentials to all content
- Create author profile pages with portfolio and expertise areas
- Build LinkedIn profiles for authors
- Add author schema markup to all articles
Week 9-12
Add Experience Signals
- Update top 20 pages with original examples and data
- Replace stock photos with original images
- Add case studies and real-world scenarios
- Implement quarterly content update schedule
Month 5-6: Build Authoritativeness
Week 13-18
Authority Building Campaign
- Publish flagship research report or industry survey
- Guest post on 5-10 authoritative industry publications
- Earn backlinks from .edu, .gov, or major media sites
- Build Wikipedia page for brand or key authors
- Get featured in industry expert roundups
Week 19-24
Measure and Optimize
- Re-audit E-E-A-T score and compare to baseline
- Analyze metric improvements across all four components
- Identify remaining gaps and prioritize next phase
- Document successes and create ongoing maintenance plan
Frequently Asked Questions About E-E-A-T
Is E-E-A-T a direct ranking factor?
▼
▼
E-E-A-T itself isn’t a direct ranking factor, but the leaked Google API documents reveal specific machine-readable signals (contentEffect, originalContentScore, siteAuthority, etc.) that serve as proxies for E-E-A-T evaluation. These signals directly influence rankings.
How long does it take to see results from E-E-A-T improvements?
▼
▼
Trust improvements (HTTPS, UX fixes) can show results in 1-2 months. Experience and Expertise signals typically take 3-6 months. Authoritativeness (backlinks, brand mentions) requires 6-12 months of consistent effort to build meaningfully.
Do I need perfect E-E-A-T scores for all content?
▼
▼
No. YMYL content (health, finance, legal) requires exceptional E-E-A-T (85+ score), but general informational content can succeed with moderate scores (70+). Prioritize E-E-A-T investment based on content impact and business value.
Can small businesses compete on E-E-A-T against large brands?
▼
▼
Yes! Small businesses can build strong E-E-A-T through niche expertise, first-hand experience, and local authority. Focus on specific topics where you have genuine expertise rather than competing broadly. Quality and depth beat brand size in specialized niches.
What’s the relationship between E-E-A-T and AI search optimization?
▼
▼
AI platforms use similar quality signals to Google when selecting content to cite. Strong E-E-A-T signals (verified authors, original research, credible sources) make your content more likely to be cited by ChatGPT, Perplexity, and other AI systems.
Should I hire experts or can existing staff build E-E-A-T?
▼
▼
For YMYL topics, hire verified experts (doctors, lawyers, financial advisors). For other topics, existing staff with genuine experience can build E-E-A-T by documenting credentials, sharing first-hand knowledge, and establishing author profiles.
How do I know if my E-E-A-T improvements are working?
▼
▼
Track proxy metrics: increasing rankings for competitive keywords, growing backlink portfolio from quality sources, higher domain authority, featured snippet wins, AI citations, and improved user engagement metrics (lower bounce rate, higher dwell time).
What’s the most common E-E-A-T mistake businesses make?
▼
▼
Publishing content without clear authorship or expertise signals. Many sites have quality content but don’t properly attribute it to real people with verifiable credentials, missing critical E-E-A-T signals that both Google and AI platforms look for.