How to Improve Your E-E-A-T Score? Google's Trust Criteria

At a time when AI generates millions of pages per day, the web is saturated with "average" content. To stand out, you need content readers can trust, and proof that a real expert stands behind it. That's what E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness) describes.

If your traffic is stagnating or dropping, the cause is not always a keyword problem. It can be a lack of tangible proof and trust signals, which is one of the things to check after an unexplained traffic drop. Here's how to make your expertise visible and verifiable.

1. Make Your Authors Identifiable

Google "strongly encourages adding accurate authorship information, such as bylines". Start with what readers see: a byline on each article, linked to an author page that explains who the person is, what they have done and why they are qualified to write about the topic.

Then help search engines connect the dots with structured data. In your Article markup, Google recommends giving each author a url that "uniquely identifies the author", or a sameAs link to their official profiles. This helps Google tell apart two people with the same name. It is not a ranking shortcut: it simply makes your authorship clear.

{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "Person",
  "name": "John Smith",
  "url": "https://example.com/authors/john-smith",
  "jobTitle": "Cybersecurity Expert",
  "affiliation": {
    "@type": "Organization",
    "name": "Your Company Name"
  },
  "sameAs": [
    "https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnsmith",
    "https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=XYZ"
  ],
  "knowsAbout": ["Network Security", "Cryptography"]
}

Expert tip: Only list real profiles that you control, and keep the markup consistent with what the page shows. Google warns against fabricated author profiles.

2. Bring Something New: Original Information and First-Hand Experience

AI is excellent at summarizing what already exists. If your article says the same thing as the top 10 results, it gives readers no reason to choose it. Google's own self-assessment asks: "Does the content provide original information, reporting, research, or analysis?" and "Does your content clearly demonstrate first-hand expertise and a depth of knowledge"?

• Direct answers: Put the answer early, then the proof. Avoid unnecessary jargon.
• Proprietary data: Run your own surveys, case studies or technical tests. If you only repeat what is already published, you add nothing.
• The experience angle (the first "E"): Say what you saw, not only what is known. When our own site, FunInformatique, lost traffic, we did not publish another list of SEO tips: we checked 23 of our articles claim by claim and published what we found, including what our tool missed. A product review is far more convincing with your own photos and measurements than with manufacturer specs.
• Visual proof: Real photos and annotated screenshots show that you actually used the product or followed the steps.

What about AI Overviews? Google says there are "no additional requirements to appear in AI Overviews or AI Mode" and "no special schema.org structured data that you need to add" (Google). The same fundamentals apply: helpful, accurate, original content on pages Google can index.

3. The "T" for Trust: Accuracy, Sources and Transparency

Google calls trust the most important part of E-E-A-T: "Of these aspects, trust is most important." One of its self-assessment questions is simple: "Does the content have any easily-verified factual errors?" A site where many articles contain outdated prices, versions or rules gives readers good reasons to doubt the rest.

Most of these errors are small, which is exactly why they last. In one of our own articles on phone scams, the +269 dialing code was given for Mayotte; it is the Comoros, and Mayotte is +262. Any reader who checks loses confidence in the whole page. When you correct such a point, link the official page that proves it, so the next reader can check too.

• Cite your sources: Back your claims with primary sources: official documentation, government texts, original studies, the publisher's own pages. Google lists "clear sourcing" among the signs of trustworthy content.
• Check the facts in your old articles: versions, prices, dates, laws, statistics and procedures change. Find what is no longer true with our guide on how to find outdated content, then:
  • Update: correct the facts against current sources, then update the date. Google warns against changing dates "when the content has not substantially changed".
  • Merge: if you have several short articles on the same topic, group them into one complete guide.
  • Remove: as a last resort, for pages with no value that can't be saved (content pruning).
• Editorial policy: Explain how your content is produced and checked, including how automation or AI is used. Google suggests giving readers this kind of background.
• Legal notices and contact: An identifiable company or person, with a way to reach them, is more trustworthy than an anonymous site.

4. User Experience and Reputation

A trustworthy site is also a site that is pleasant and safe to use.

• Speed and security: HTTPS and good Core Web Vitals (LCP, INP, CLS) are part of a good page experience.
• Reading comfort: Avoid intrusive ads that get in the way of the content.
• Reputation: Google's quality rater guidelines ask raters to look for what independent sources say about a website and its creators: news articles, reviews, references from experts. Testimonials on your own site are a start; independent mentions carry more weight with readers.

5. Off-Site Authority: What Others Say About You

• Mentions and citations: Being quoted by respected media or experts in your field reinforces your authority with readers, with or without a link.
• Real-world presence: Talks, podcasts, publications and professional credentials give readers ways to verify who you are. Link to them from your author pages.

Your E-E-A-T Action Plan Summary

Final word: E-E-A-T is a matter of proof and transparency. Don't be an anonymous URL: sign your work, show your experience, cite your sources, and keep your information accurate over time.