E-E-A-T for AI: Why Authority Signals Matter More Than Ever
E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness) is Google's framework for evaluating content quality. AI platforms — including ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Claude — use similar signals to decide which sources to trust and cite.
How AI Platforms Evaluate Authority
AI platforms do not have a single "authority score." Instead, they evaluate multiple signals:
- Domain reputation — Backlinks, brand mentions, and domain age.
- Author credentials — Named authors with verifiable expertise.
- Citation patterns — Content that cites authoritative sources is itself treated as more authoritative.
- Consistency — Brands with consistent information across multiple platforms score higher.
- Freshness — Recently updated content from established domains gets priority.
Building E-E-A-T for AI Visibility
Experience: Show Real-World Proof
AI platforms detect experience signals: case studies, original data, first-person accounts. "We tested this with 500 users" is more quotable than "studies suggest."
Expertise: Named Authors with Credentials
Add author bios to all content. Include job titles, years of experience, and relevant credentials. AI models use author information as a trust signal.
Authority: Build Cross-Platform Presence
Create and maintain profiles on high-authority platforms: LinkedIn, GitHub, Crunchbase, Wikipedia (if notable). Each profile that links back to your domain strengthens your brand entity signal.
Trust: Structured Data and Transparency
Organization schema, clear contact information, privacy policy, and terms of service all contribute to trust signals. AI platforms are more likely to cite brands with transparent, verifiable information.
Quick E-E-A-T Wins
- Add author bios with credentials to your top 10 content pages.
- Add Organization schema with complete contact information.
- Publish original data or research in your niche.
- Create profiles on 5+ high-authority platforms.
- Add citation links to external authoritative sources in your content.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does E-E-A-T directly affect AI rankings?
E-E-A-T is not a direct ranking factor for any platform. It describes the quality signals that AI models use when deciding which content to trust and cite. Building strong E-E-A-T signals correlates with higher citation rates.
Which E-E-A-T factor matters most for AI?
Authority and Trust have the strongest impact on AI citation rates. Author expertise matters most for YMYL (Your Money, Your Life) topics.
For a practical checklist of E-E-A-T wins, see our GEO Checklist: 15 Fixes. To learn how authority ties into GEO scoring, read Measuring GEO: Metrics That Matter.
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