Hi Iwan,

Google updated E-A-T to E-E-A-T in December 2022 by adding "Experience" as a distinct ranking signal. That first "E" means demonstrating that your content comes from someone who has actually done the thing they're writing about - not just someone who researched it.

Most sites still treat it as optional. Google's Helpful Content Updates hit the sites hardest that are missing this signal.

Here's how to build it into your site:

1. Make first-hand experience visible on the page

Claiming expertise isn't the same as demonstrating it - and Google's quality raters know the difference.

  • Add author bios with specific credentials: not "John is passionate about marketing," but "John has managed $2M in paid ad spend across 12 industries over 9 years."

  • Include your own results and case study data, not just third-party statistics.

  • Reference the specific tools, mistakes, and processes you've personally used, not generic advice.

  • Add a short "how I know this" note on posts where your direct experience is the core value.

2. Use primary sources and original data

Google rewards content that adds something new - not content that restates what already exists.

  • Run your own tests, surveys, or experiments and publish the findings.

  • Reference original research with direct quotes, not a summary of a summary.

  • Include screenshots, real dashboards, and before/after data from actual work you've done.

  • When you cite a stat, link to the primary source directly, not to a post that cited it.

3. Build an author presence outside your site

Google's quality raters check whether an author exists beyond the page they're reading - and AI search tools do too.

  • Create LinkedIn profiles and author pages on major publications for every writer producing content on your site.

  • Get your authors quoted or mentioned in other industry articles.

  • Build a byline history: guest posts, interviews, podcast appearances, and roundup contributions all count.

  • Link from your site's author pages to those external appearances so Google can follow the trail.

4. Match content depth to topic complexity

Thin content on a complex topic signals that the author didn't know the subject - regardless of word count.

  • Research what the top 5 ranked pages cover, then identify what they all miss.

  • Include the nuances, edge cases, and expert-level detail that only someone with real experience would add.

  • Add a "common mistakes" or "what I got wrong at first" section - these are hard to fake.

  • Update your highest-traffic pages every 6-12 months with new data as your own knowledge grows.

Google's algorithm keeps getting better at detecting whether content came from someone who's done the work. Sites built around real experience outlast every update.

Click here to get a free audit of your site's E-E-A-T signals.

To your continued success,

Matt Diggity