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E-E-A-T Checker & Audit Guide

10 December 2025|E-E-A-TContent QualitySEO Audit
E-E-A-T Checker & Audit Guide

Google's Search Quality Rater Guidelines devote over 30 pages to E-E-A-T evaluation. Quality raters assess every page against this framework. While E-E-A-T is not a direct ranking factor, the signals that demonstrate it are deeply embedded in Google's algorithms. This guide provides a practical, step-by-step audit framework you can apply to your own site today.

What is E-E-A-T and Why Does Google Use It?

E-E-A-T stands for Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness. Google introduced the original E-A-T framework in 2014 and added the Experience component in December 2022. It defines what high-quality content looks like from Google's perspective.

Why Google cares about E-E-A-T: Search quality depends on surfacing content from credible sources. Google's algorithms cannot fact-check every page, but they can evaluate proxy signals — author credentials, site reputation, content depth, external citations — that correlate with quality. E-E-A-T provides the evaluation framework for these signals.

The practical impact: Sites demonstrating strong E-E-A-T signals consistently outperform competitors in competitive niches. A Semrush study of 16,000 pages found that sites with comprehensive author bios, citation-supported claims, and established entity signals ranked 22% higher on average than sites with equivalent content but weak E-E-A-T signals.

For a detailed explanation of each pillar, read what is E-E-A-T in SEO.

The E-E-A-T Audit Framework: Overview

This audit evaluates your site across four dimensions, producing an actionable improvement plan. Score each section honestly — the value is in identifying weaknesses, not confirming strengths.

Scoring system:

  • 0 = Not present
  • 1 = Minimal/weak implementation
  • 2 = Adequate but improvable
  • 3 = Strong implementation

Maximum score: 60 points across 20 audit criteria. Sites scoring below 30 have significant E-E-A-T gaps. Sites scoring 40-50 have solid foundations with room for improvement. Sites scoring 50+ demonstrate strong E-E-A-T compliance.

Part 1: Experience Audit (15 Points)

Experience evaluates whether content creators have first-hand, direct knowledge of the topics they cover. Google added this pillar because research-aggregated content — accurate but impersonal — fails to serve users seeking genuine insight.

1.1 First-Hand Content Signals (0-3)

What to check:

  • Do blog posts and service pages include specific personal anecdotes or case examples?
  • Are client results described with specific metrics (e.g., "increased organic traffic by 180% over 9 months")?
  • Do product reviews include evidence the reviewer used the product (original photos, specific usage details)?
  • Is there content demonstrating hands-on knowledge that only someone with direct experience would include?

Score 3 if: Multiple pages include specific, verifiable first-hand experience with concrete details and measurable outcomes.

Score 0 if: All content reads as generic research summaries without personal perspective or specific experience markers.

1.2 Case Studies and Portfolio Evidence (0-3)

What to check:

  • Does the site include detailed case studies with before/after data?
  • Are client outcomes specific and measurable rather than vague testimonials?
  • Do case studies explain methodology — what was done and why?
  • Is there evidence of experience across multiple projects or time periods?

Score 3 if: The site presents multiple detailed case studies with verifiable metrics and methodological explanations.

Score 0 if: No case studies, portfolio, or project examples exist.

1.3 Original Photography and Media (0-3)

What to check:

  • Are images original (not stock photography)?
  • Do product reviews include original product photos?
  • Are screenshots from real tools, dashboards, or results used?
  • Is video content featuring the actual author/expert available?

Score 3 if: Original photography, screenshots, and media consistently demonstrate first-hand involvement.

Score 0 if: All images are generic stock photos with no original visual content.

1.4 Recency and Currency (0-3)

What to check:

  • Is content dated and recently updated?
  • Do articles reference current data, tools, and practices?
  • Are publication and modification dates visible to users?
  • Is there evidence of ongoing experience (recent case studies, current client work)?

Score 3 if: Content is current, regularly updated, and demonstrates ongoing active experience in the field.

Score 0 if: Content is undated or visibly outdated with no recent updates.

1.5 User-Generated Experience Signals (0-3)

What to check:

  • Are there genuine client reviews or testimonials on the site?
  • Do reviews include specific project details rather than generic praise?
  • Are third-party review platform ratings referenced or embedded?
  • Is there evidence of community engagement (comments, forum participation)?

Score 3 if: Multiple genuine, detailed reviews from real clients with specific project references.

Score 0 if: No reviews, testimonials, or user-generated experience signals exist.

Part 2: Expertise Audit (15 Points)

Expertise evaluates whether the content creator has the knowledge and skill required to provide accurate, thorough coverage of the topic. Google applies significantly higher expertise standards to YMYL topics.

2.1 Author Credentials and Bios (0-3)

What to check:

  • Is every content piece attributed to a named author?
  • Do author bios describe relevant qualifications, experience, and credentials?
  • Are credentials verifiable (LinkedIn profiles, professional certifications, published work)?
  • Do bios demonstrate specific expertise relevant to the content topics?

Score 3 if: All content has named authors with detailed, verifiable bios demonstrating topic-specific expertise.

Score 0 if: Content has no author attribution or only "Admin" / company name attribution.

Why this matters: Google's quality raters specifically check author pages and credentials. A 2024 analysis by Lily Ray found that sites adding comprehensive author bios with verifiable credentials saw average ranking improvements of 12-18% for YMYL content within 3-6 months.

2.2 Content Depth and Accuracy (0-3)

What to check:

  • Does content go beyond surface-level information?
  • Are claims supported by citations, data points, or references?
  • Is technical information accurate and current?
  • Does content demonstrate methodological understanding rather than just topic awareness?

Score 3 if: Content consistently demonstrates deep expertise with cited sources, accurate technical detail, and methodological depth.

Score 0 if: Content is shallow, generic, or contains factual errors.

2.3 Topical Coverage Completeness (0-3)

What to check:

  • Does the site cover its core topics comprehensively?
  • Are related subtopics and questions addressed?
  • Does the content architecture demonstrate systematic expertise?
  • Is there a logical content hierarchy from broad topics to specific details?

Score 3 if: Comprehensive topical coverage with interconnected content demonstrating systematic expertise across the subject area.

Score 0 if: Sparse, disconnected content with obvious topic gaps.

Building comprehensive topical coverage is the domain of topical authority and topical maps. These services create the content architecture that demonstrates expertise at scale.

2.4 Structured Data Supporting Expertise (0-3)

What to check:

  • Is Person schema implemented for authors with credentials?
  • Is Organisation schema present with relevant entity attributes?
  • Does Article schema link content to author and publisher entities?
  • Are sameAs properties linking to external professional profiles?

Score 3 if: Comprehensive structured data connecting authors to credentials, content to authors, and entities to external verification.

Score 0 if: No structured data implementation.

Entity SEO provides the technical framework for making expertise signals machine-readable and verifiable by search engines.

2.5 External Expertise Validation (0-3)

What to check:

  • Is the author published on external authoritative sites?
  • Are there mentions or citations from industry publications?
  • Does the author speak at conferences or contribute to industry resources?
  • Are there external links pointing to the author's content as a reference?

Score 3 if: Multiple external sources validate the author's expertise through citations, publications, and references.

Score 0 if: No external validation of expertise exists.

Part 3: Authoritativeness Audit (15 Points)

Authoritativeness evaluates the reputation your entity — person, brand, or website — has within your topic area, as recognised by external sources.

3.1 Backlink Profile Quality (0-3)

What to check:

  • Do authoritative sites in your industry link to your content?
  • Are backlinks from relevant, topically related sources?
  • Is the backlink profile growing naturally over time?
  • Are there editorial links (not paid, not directory, not comment spam)?

Score 3 if: Regular editorial backlinks from authoritative, topically relevant sources.

Score 0 if: No meaningful backlinks, or backlinks exclusively from low-quality or irrelevant sources.

3.2 Brand Mentions and Citations (0-3)

What to check:

  • Is your brand mentioned on industry sites, news outlets, or publications?
  • Do other experts reference your content or methodology?
  • Are you cited in industry roundups, guides, or resource lists?
  • Do AI search engines cite your content in generated responses?

Score 3 if: Regular brand mentions and content citations from respected industry sources.

Score 0 if: No external brand mentions or citations.

3.3 Google Business Profile and Knowledge Panel (0-3)

What to check:

  • Is your Google Business Profile claimed, verified, and complete?
  • Do you have a Knowledge Panel for branded searches?
  • Are GBP reviews positive and numerous?
  • Is NAP (Name, Address, Phone) consistent across all platforms?

Score 3 if: Verified GBP with strong reviews, Knowledge Panel present, consistent NAP data across all platforms.

Score 0 if: No GBP claimed, no Knowledge Panel, inconsistent business information online.

3.4 Social Proof and Industry Recognition (0-3)

What to check:

  • Are industry awards, certifications, or partnerships displayed?
  • Do professional association memberships validate expertise?
  • Are media appearances or expert commentary documented?
  • Is there evidence of recognised authority within your specific niche?

Score 3 if: Multiple forms of industry recognition validating authority within your topic area.

Score 0 if: No industry recognition, certifications, or social proof signals.

3.5 Content Referenced by Others (0-3)

What to check:

  • Do other sites link to your content as a reference or resource?
  • Is your content quoted or cited in industry publications?
  • Do forum discussions or social media reference your content as authoritative?
  • Are your data points, frameworks, or methodologies cited by others?

Score 3 if: Content regularly referenced as an authoritative source by others in the industry.

Score 0 if: Content is never referenced or cited by external sources.

Part 4: Trustworthiness Audit (15 Points)

Trustworthiness is the overarching evaluation — Google's quality guidelines describe it as the most important factor. It encompasses site security, transparency, accuracy, and honest business practices.

4.1 Site Security and Technical Trust (0-3)

What to check:

  • Is HTTPS implemented site-wide with a valid SSL certificate?
  • Are security headers configured (HSTS, Content-Security-Policy)?
  • Is the site free from malware, deceptive ads, or security warnings?
  • Does the site load reliably without errors?

Score 3 if: Full HTTPS implementation, security headers, no warnings, reliable performance.

Score 0 if: No HTTPS, security warnings, or unreliable site performance.

4.2 Contact Information and Transparency (0-3)

What to check:

  • Is a physical address or registered business address displayed?
  • Is a phone number or direct contact method available?
  • Is an email address or contact form accessible from every page?
  • Is business registration information available (company number, VAT)?

Score 3 if: Complete contact information including physical address, phone, email, and business registration readily accessible.

Score 0 if: No contact information or only a generic contact form with no identifying details.

4.3 About Page Quality (0-3)

What to check:

  • Does the About page clearly state who runs the site?
  • Are qualifications, experience, and credentials detailed?
  • Is the site's mission or purpose clearly articulated?
  • Is there a real human behind the site — not just a brand facade?

Score 3 if: Comprehensive About page with detailed personal/company information, qualifications, and clear purpose.

Score 0 if: No About page, or an About page with no meaningful information.

Your About page is the primary entity definition document. It is the first place quality raters look to evaluate trustworthiness. This is where entity SEO begins — establishing who you are as the foundation for everything else.

4.4 Editorial and Content Policies (0-3)

What to check:

  • Is there a clear editorial policy or content standards statement?
  • Are factual claims cited with sources?
  • Is there a corrections or update policy?
  • Are affiliate relationships, sponsorships, or commercial interests disclosed?

Score 3 if: Clear editorial standards, source citations, corrections policy, and full commercial disclosure.

Score 0 if: No editorial standards, uncited claims, no disclosure of commercial relationships.

4.5 Privacy and Legal Compliance (0-3)

What to check:

  • Is a privacy policy present and current?
  • Is cookie consent implemented per GDPR/PECR requirements?
  • Are terms of service or terms of use available?
  • Is there a data subject access request process?

Score 3 if: Complete legal compliance including privacy policy, cookie consent, terms of service, and DSAR process.

Score 0 if: No privacy policy or legal compliance documentation.

YMYL Considerations: When E-E-A-T Standards are Higher

YMYL (Your Money or Your Life) topics face significantly stricter E-E-A-T evaluation. Google applies elevated standards to content that could impact:

  • Financial wellbeing: Investment advice, tax guidance, loan information
  • Health and safety: Medical information, drug interactions, emergency guidance
  • Legal matters: Legal rights, immigration, contractual obligations
  • Major life decisions: Buying a home, choosing education, insurance

If your site covers YMYL topics:

  • Author credentials become essential, not optional
  • Source citations for every factual claim are expected
  • Professional review processes should be documented
  • Content must be current — outdated YMYL information is actively harmful
  • Trust signals (HTTPS, contact information, editorial policy) must be comprehensive

Sites in YMYL categories scoring below 40 on this audit framework have significant competitive disadvantages.

How E-E-A-T Connects to Entity SEO

E-E-A-T and entity SEO are deeply interconnected. Entity SEO provides the technical infrastructure that makes E-E-A-T signals machine-readable.

Experience is demonstrated through content attributes — case studies, first-hand details, original media — that entity markup makes explicitly discoverable.

Expertise is validated through Person and Organisation schema connecting authors to credentials, publications, and professional profiles.

Authoritativeness is built through entity relationships — sameAs links, external mentions, and Knowledge Graph presence — that establish your entity's position within its topic space.

Trustworthiness is reinforced through consistent entity data across all platforms, transparent business information, and verifiable attributes.

Building strong E-E-A-T without entity SEO is like having excellent credentials but never putting them on your CV. The signals exist but remain invisible to the systems evaluating you. A comprehensive semantic SEO approach ensures E-E-A-T signals are communicated through every available channel.

Tools for Checking E-E-A-T Signals

No single tool provides a comprehensive E-E-A-T score — Google does not publish one. However, these tools evaluate specific E-E-A-T components.

Google Search Console — Monitor search performance, structured data validation, and manual action notices. Manual actions directly indicate trustworthiness failures.

Google Rich Results Test — Validates structured data implementation supporting expertise and entity signals.

Screaming Frog SEO Spider — Crawl your site to identify missing author bios, thin About pages, missing schema markup, and structural issues affecting E-E-A-T presentation.

Ahrefs/Semrush — Evaluate backlink profile quality (authoritativeness), brand mentions, and referring domain authority.

Schema.org Validator — Verify that Person, Organisation, and Article schema are correctly implemented.

Google Alerts — Monitor brand mentions and citations across the web for authoritativeness tracking.

Manual review — The most effective E-E-A-T assessment remains a human review following Google's own Search Quality Rater Guidelines. My technical SEO audit includes this comprehensive E-E-A-T review.

Step-by-Step Action Plan After Your Audit

Once you have completed the scoring, prioritise improvements based on impact and feasibility.

Immediate actions (Week 1-2):

  • Add author bios with credentials to all content pages
  • Update your About page with comprehensive entity information
  • Ensure HTTPS, privacy policy, and contact information are complete
  • Implement Organisation and Person schema markup

Short-term improvements (Month 1-2):

  • Add source citations to all factual claims
  • Create or update case studies with specific metrics
  • Implement Article schema linking content to authors
  • Audit and correct NAP consistency across all platforms

Medium-term development (Month 2-6):

  • Build comprehensive topical coverage through systematic content creation
  • Earn external mentions and citations through outreach and expert contributions
  • Develop original media (photos, videos, data visualisations)
  • Build backlinks from authoritative, topically relevant sources

Long-term authority building (Month 6+):

  • Pursue industry awards, certifications, and speaking opportunities
  • Develop original research and data others cite
  • Build Knowledge Panel presence through consistent entity signals
  • Expand topical authority through comprehensive content programmes

Common E-E-A-T Audit Mistakes

Focusing on individual pages instead of entity-level signals. E-E-A-T operates at the entity level — your overall site and author reputation — not just individual pages. Improving one page's E-E-A-T without addressing site-wide signals produces minimal impact.

Adding fake or purchased reviews. Google's algorithms are sophisticated at detecting manufactured reviews. Fake reviews damage trustworthiness rather than building it. Genuine reviews from real clients are the only acceptable approach.

Treating E-E-A-T as a one-time project. E-E-A-T signals need continuous reinforcement. Publishing stops, outdated content, and stale credentials erode signals over time. Build E-E-A-T maintenance into your ongoing SEO workflow.

Ignoring structured data. E-E-A-T signals that exist only in natural language content are harder for algorithms to evaluate than signals communicated through structured data. Schema markup transforms implicit signals into explicit, machine-readable declarations.

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Want a professional E-E-A-T audit of your website? My semantic SEO service includes comprehensive E-E-A-T evaluation, entity signal analysis, and a prioritised action plan for strengthening your site's quality signals. Book a free consultation to discuss your site's E-E-A-T standing and what it would take to improve it.