Google E-A-T: The New 'E' and AI Content - What to Expect in 2024

Intro

Google's E-A-T (Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness) has been the North Star for content creators since 2014, ensuring that the content served to users met strict quality benchmarks. Yet, as the digital landscape transforms, so do Google's guidelines. The recent evolution from E-A-T to E-E-A-T marks another milestone in the search giant's commitment to refining the user experience.

This article will explore the new expanded E-E-A-T guidelines and explain why experience matters. We will also share tips and practices to meet Google's demands and how to withstand the competition in the world of content abundance.

The rise of E-E-A-T: Why it's more important than ever

Content creators aim for their work to reach its target audience, but in today's internet environment saturated with information, standing out is increasingly challenging. Even Google struggles to sift through this vast sea of data.

That's where E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authority, Trust) steps in. It acts as a beacon, guiding Google to distinguish high-quality content from the surrounding "white noise." For modern creators, aligning with E-E-A-T not only ensures visibility but also marks their content as credible and valuable.

This is especially applicable to YMYL (Your Money, Your Life) topics, which touch on critical areas like finance, health, and current events. Such content can greatly influence a people's well-being. Google categorizes content into clear YMYL (e.g., evacuation routes), potential YMYL (e.g., weather forecasts), and unlikely YMYL (e.g., movie awards).

While neither E-E-A-T nor YMYL are direct ranking factors in SEO, they're instrumental in shaping high-quality content. Pages discussing YMYL topics should particularly emphasize E-E-A-T principles.

But what do these principles mean? Let’s find out.

Unpacking the new 'E': The role of experience in E-E-A-T

Before, Google used three aspects to make sure search results are helpful and trustworthy:

• Expertise - is the info from a knowledgeable source?
• Authoritativeness - is it from a respected source?
• Trustworthiness - can we trust this info?

Now, Google has added another E which stands for Experience. This ensures that the person providing the information has actually tried the product, visited the place, implemented the solution or lived through the event they're talking about.

Why? Because theory is different from practice and often we value the advice coming from experience more than from pure theory. That's where "Experience" comes in. It expands on what we think of as "expertise." Imagine someone who's read tons of books about climbing mountains versus someone who's actually climbed them. The first person has academic knowledge, like what you'd get in school. The second person, though, has firsthand experience, having felt the cold wind and seen the view from the top.

By adding "Experience" to the mix, Google is saying both types of knowledge are valuable and important. Just admit, you’d rather read a new smartphone review from a person, who actually bought and used it.

Google also loves original content and this is another reason for adding the ‘E’. What can be more original than your personal experience?! Theoretical knowledge can be Googled and rewritten, but you cannot do it with experience.

Demonstrating 'Experience': Practical tips and best practices

Do you want to show people (and almighty Google) you've really been there and done that? There are some easy ways to do just that. First, think about the type of experience you want to highlight. This could be:

• Case studies where you solved a problem. Write about a problem you or someone else faced, how you fixed it, and what happened after. Use pictures or numbers to make it clear.

Tradesmen marketplace development case study

• Personal stories about what you went through. Sharing your own experiences helps readers connect with you. Tell real stories from your life that relate to your topic. If you're talking about cooking, share a story about a meal you made and what you learned from it.
• Photos or videos of you trying out a product. When people see you using something, they trust you more. Take photos or make videos of you opening, using, or talking about a product. Make sure the pictures and videos are clear.
• Verified reviews from real clients. Ask happy customers to write reviews and put them on your website or other places where people can see them.

There are a few areas where you can display experience and enhance alignment with E-E-A-T guidelines, thus improving search result potential:

• Have pages dedicated to experience: A dedicated page allows a comprehensive view of your knowledge and experience in the domain. Consider building a portfolio page that lists projects, tasks, or roles you've undertaken. This not only showcases your background but provides a snapshot of your hands-on involvement.

• Mention experience in author bio: It gives instant credibility. When readers know your background, they're more likely to trust your content. In your bio, briefly highlight your years of experience, major achievements, or significant roles related to the topic.

Example of mentioning experience in bio

• Mention experience throughout the content: It reinforces your authority and assures readers of the authenticity of your content. Share some stories from your professional journey where relevant. This personal touch makes the content relatable and proves your expertise.

Mentioning experience in content

• Have client testimonials pages: Authentic feedback acts as a trust signal, showcasing your real-world impact. Dedicate a page or at least a section for testimonials. Encourage satisfied clients or collaborators to share their positive experiences with you.

Testimonials segment on a page

• Add visual proof: Photos and videos of trying the product is the easiest way to show that it is real. Visuals can prove your experience in one more way. Share photos of events you've attended, workshops you've conducted, or even infographics you've created.
• Use language that demonstrates experience: The way you speak (or write) within your content can boost the perception of expertise. Use phrases that emphasize real-world experience, such as "in my years of working on...", "when I tackled a similar challenge...", or "our team's hands-on encounter revealed...".
• Add external links: Third-party recognition increases credibility. Have backlinks from interviews, guest articles, or features of yours placed on reputed platforms. Also, link any awards or acknowledgments you've received back to your website or platform.
• Show credentials and certifications: Formal certifications can validate your expertise in certain fields. If you've undergone formal training or have been certified by recognized bodies, highlight it. Whether it's a degree, a short course, or an industry-recognized certification, make it visible to your audience.

Credentials on Mayo Clinic staff profile

You can definitely use more than one way to show your experience. Actually, the more - the better, just make it look natural. So don’t forget to incorporate this into your SEO checklist or SOP for content creation to make sure your experience is apparent.

AI-generated content in the age of E-E-A-T

With the rise of AI, content creation has become significantly easier. As AI technology advances and we learn to use its potential more effectively, the creation of vast amounts of content has accelerated at an unseen rate.

This has made Google's job tougher in sorting and ranking this content. To handle this, Google is now focusing more on E-E-A-T, which means they care about who's giving the information and if they can be trusted. Because of this, doing well in SEO now needs skills beyond just writing, for example, PR and personal branding.

A burning question many have is: Does Google oppose AI-generated content? The answer is no. There is a clear statement from a Google representative that confirms this:

“Appropriate use of AI or automation is not against our guidelines. This means that it is not used to generate content primarily to manipulate search rankings, which is against our spam policies.”

However, for AI-generated content to align with E-E-A-T guidelines, it shouldn't replace human effort entirely. Think of AI more as an assistant rather than a replacement.

Crafting content involves a multi-faceted approach, including research, outlining, writing, editing, proofreading, and formatting. AI can lend a hand in each of these stages.

For instance, AI can gather data during the research phase, assist in organizing ideas for outlining, or even provide grammar checks during editing. But it's not just for writing; AI can also help in marketing by analyzing data (especially GPT-powered chatbots) and even making visuals (e.g. using Dall-E or MidJourney). New AI tools offer more ways to make and improve content.

The key is to use AI to complement, not substitute, human expertise.

Conclusion

To wrap things up, we've looked at how Google's E-E-A-T guidelines are changing the game in the digital world. We learned about the big role "Experience" now plays and how it makes our content richer and more genuine.

We also discussed how AI is stepping into content creation, but it has its limits. It's super important for anyone making content, whether you're a big brand or just starting out, to keep these guidelines in mind.

In today’s digital environment E-E-A-T is a key to be found by your target audience. By sharing real stories, blending in firsthand knowledge, and making sure you're trustworthy, your content will show that you have real experience, which can help you stand out and be trusted more by readers and search engines like Google.