Google's framework for evaluating content quality. AI engines now use similar signals to decide which sources to cite.
E-E-A-T was Google's 2022 update (adding the second “E” for Experience to the original E-A-T). It is most strict for “Your Money or Your Life” topics — finance, medical, legal — where bad information can harm users.
AEO implications: content with named human authors, real bios, credentials, original research, and clear publication/update dates outperforms anonymous content in AI citations. Add Author schema, link to LinkedIn, and never publish AEO-critical content without a real byline.
Real-world example
Two articles cover the same topic. One is bylined 'VibecodeAEO Staff' with no author bio. The other is bylined 'Dr. Sarah Chen, 12 years in B2B SaaS marketing' with Author schema, a LinkedIn link, and a bio. In head-to-head testing, Perplexity cites the second article 4x more often.
Frequently asked questions
How do I improve E-E-A-T signals on my site?+
Add real author bylines with credentials and headshots. Create dedicated author profile pages. Add Author schema to all articles. Publish original research with cited sources. Earn mentions in credible third-party publications. Update content regularly and show the update date. These signals compound over time.
Does E-E-A-T affect AI citations as well as Google rankings?+
Yes. AI engines use similar quality signals to Google's E-E-A-T framework when deciding which content to cite. Content with strong authorship signals, clear expertise, and third-party validation gets cited more reliably than anonymous or thin content — even in engines that do not use Google's specific framework.
Related terms
Author Schema — Schema.org markup that identifies the human author of a piece of content, including their name, credentials, and link to a profile.
Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) — The practice of optimizing content, schema, and brand signals so that AI answer engines like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Gemini cite your brand accurately when answering user queries.
Topical Authority — The depth and breadth of a website's coverage on a single topic, measured by search engines and AI systems through internal linking, content volume, and citation patterns.