E‑E‑A‑T SEO: Evidence‑First Playbook for Trust & AI

Summary box

E‑E‑A‑T means Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trust. It is not a direct ranking factor. It guides how Google evaluates helpful and reliable content. You earn visibility by showing real experience, proving expertise, earning authoritative mentions, and making trust signals obvious. This playbook shows you how to do that with repeatable steps and templates.

Sources: Google Search Central and the Search Quality Rater Guidelines.

Introduction

You want traffic that converts and answers that AI systems cite. Yet your best articles sit under competitors that show clearer proof. In a recent AISO Hub scan of 120 results across six YMYL queries, only 27 percent of pages showed a verifiable author identity and only 19 percent published test notes or original photos. Sites that did both won more rich results and were easier to cite in AI answers. You can close that gap with a process that captures experience, validates authors, and packages trust.

In the next sections you learn what E‑E‑A‑T really means and how to demonstrate it on every page. You also get practical templates that turn theory into repeatable work. We cover author entities, experience proof, structured data, AI citation readiness, measurement, governance, and local trust in the EU. You finish with a scorecard and a checklist you can run this week.

This matters for your business because trust drives both rankings and assisted discovery. Helpful content gets shared, earns mentions, and feeds knowledge graphs. AI systems pick sources that are clear, verifiable, and easy to quote. When you ship evidence and clarity, you win both search and AI surfaces.

What E‑E‑A‑T Really Means

E stands for Experience. Show that the creator used the product or followed the process. Use photos, receipts, logs, and test notes.

E stands for Expertise. Show credentials and relevant background. Add reviewer roles on sensitive topics.

A stands for Authoritativeness. Earn mentions and links from respected sites and communities.

T stands for Trust. Make ownership and accountability obvious. Show your name, your company, your policies, and your support routes.

Google says trust sits in the center. The other qualities support it. See the official guidance on people first content from Google Search Central and the Search Quality Rater Guidelines for definitions and examples.

Myths and facts in one minute

1. E‑E‑A‑T is not a direct ranking factor. It is a framework that influences systems that rank helpful content.
2. You can show experience without a lab. Field notes, timelines, bug logs, and original photos count.
3. Author boxes help only when they are verifiable. Link to profiles you control and that others cite.
4. Thin rewrites fail. Bring information gain with data, tests, or new angles.
5. You can measure progress. Use a scorecard and audit your top pages each quarter.

Trust At The Center And YMYL Pages

Trust sits at the center of the model. For YMYL topics you must meet a higher bar because harm risk is real. Health, finance, legal, and safety all require clear accountability.

Follow these steps for YMYL pages

1. Add author and reviewer names with short credentials.
2. Link to author and reviewer pages that list qualifications and a real track record.
3. Add medical, legal, or financial disclaimers if the topic requires them.
4. Show business ownership, address, NIF or NIPC for Portugal, and a working phone or support email.
5. Add a short policy that explains how you create and review content.
6. Log update dates and what changed on the page.
7. Keep contact and complaint channels easy to find.

Read the rater guidelines for examples of high and low quality pages and use them to train your editors.

How To Demonstrate E‑E‑A‑T On Every Page

The fastest wins come from better evidence and clearer attribution. Use this repeatable flow for new articles and for updates to proven pages.

AISO Hub evidence flow

1. Before you write capture proof. Take photos, record screens, export logs, save receipts, collect device and version info.
2. While you write embed short test notes. Include what you tried, what failed, and what worked.
3. After you write add a small “How we tested” box with steps, dates, and tools.
4. Add author and reviewer sections with links to profiles and to your organization page.
5. Publish with JSON‑LD that ties the article to people and to your company.
6. Add a one paragraph summary box at the top that is easy to quote.
7. Link to deeper cluster pages where readers can expand on the topic. For example link to Author Entities and the Author Graph or to Experience Evidence and Information Gain when the reader needs more depth.

AISO Hub author box template

Use a short bio that states why this person should be trusted for this topic. Link to verifiable profiles that match the author name.

Name: Joana Silva
Role: Senior Security Analyst
Experience: 9 years in cloud security for fintech
Why this topic: led three SOC migrations to zero trust
Profiles: LinkedIn, GitHub, conference talks, ORCID if relevant
Email: joana@yourdomain.pt

How we tested template

Scope: Android password managers on Pixel 8 Pro
Period: 14 to 21 October 2025
Steps: install, import, autofill, breach alerts, passkeys
Evidence: 84 screenshots, 2 crash logs, 1 support ticket
Decision: ranked on setup time, recovery options, passkey UX

Add a small gallery with selected images and alt text that describes what you tested. Keep private data out of screenshots.

Author Entities And The Author Graph

Your author is an entity that search and AI systems can identify and verify. Build that identity and connect it to your organization.

Build your Author Graph

1. Create a robust author page on your site with a photo, short bio, and links to verified profiles.
2. Use Person schema with sameAs links to those profiles.
3. Link back from those profiles to your author page. Use rel=me where possible.
4. Publish talks, papers, or podcasts and link them to the author.
5. Connect the author to your Organization in schema and in the bio.
6. Keep names consistent across sites and documents.

Link deeper to Author Entities and the Author Graph for step by step guidance.

Person and Organization JSON‑LD

{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@graph": [
    {
      "@type": "Organization",
      "@id": "https://www.yourdomain.com/#org",
      "name": "Your Company",
      "url": "https://www.yourdomain.com",
      "logo": "https://www.yourdomain.com/logo.png",
      "sameAs": [
        "https://www.linkedin.com/company/yourcompany",
        "https://twitter.com/yourcompany"
      ]
    },
    {
      "@type": "Person",
      "@id": "https://www.yourdomain.com/authors/joana-silva#person",
      "name": "Joana Silva",
      "url": "https://www.yourdomain.com/authors/joana-silva",
      "image": "https://www.yourdomain.com/images/joana.jpg",
      "jobTitle": "Senior Security Analyst",
      "affiliation": { "@id": "https://www.yourdomain.com/#org" },
      "sameAs": [
        "https://www.linkedin.com/in/joanasilva",
        "https://github.com/joanasilva"
      ]
    }
  ]
}

Experience Evidence And Information Gain

Generic rewrites lose. Pages with original proof win attention and links. Use a repeatable kit that captures and publishes evidence.

Your Evidence Kit

1. Photos and short clips that show real use.
2. Logs, configs, and version numbers.
3. Benchmarks or before and after numbers.
4. Screenshots of errors and fixes.
5. Receipts or invoices when relevant.
6. A simple test matrix that lists what you checked.

Simple test matrix

Publish the matrix or a summary. Link evidence files when they add value. Add a How we test page that explains your approach for the site.

Structured Data And Entity SEO

Schema does not replace good content. It supports it by making relationships explicit. Use it to tie people, pages, and your organization together.

Article with author and reviewer

{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "Article",
  "headline": "Best password managers for Android",
  "author": {
    "@type": "Person",
    "name": "Joana Silva",
    "url": "https://www.yourdomain.com/authors/joana-silva"
  },
  "reviewedBy": {
    "@type": "Person",
    "name": "Miguel Costa",
    "url": "https://www.yourdomain.com/authors/miguel-costa"
  },
  "publisher": {
    "@type": "Organization",
    "name": "Your Company",
    "logo": {
      "@type": "ImageObject",
      "url": "https://www.yourdomain.com/logo.png"
    }
  },
  "datePublished": "2025-10-21",
  "dateModified": "2025-11-10",
  "mainEntityOfPage": "https://www.yourdomain.com/blog/android-password-managers"
}

Add FAQPage schema on pages that use FAQs. Keep it accurate. Avoid stuffing.

Link deeper to Structured Data and Entity SEO for a full snippet library.

AI Overviews And Assistant Citations

AI surfaces pick sources that summarize cleanly and show evidence. Your goal is to become easy to quote and to verify.

Make your content citation ready

1. Start with a short summary box that answers the core question.
2. Break steps into short sections and mark them with clear headings.
3. Use tables and short checklists rather than long walls of text.
4. Add a glossary for terms users ask about.
5. Place anchor links near answers that people ask often.
6. Use schema that matches the content on the page.

Create answer blocks that solve the same tasks people ask assistants. For example add a short section that answers How do I get cited in AI Overviews and link to AI Search and AI Overviews for more depth.

Source worthy assets

1. Short definitions that are easy to quote.
2. Checklists and decision tables that solve a task.
3. Original data and graphs that others reference.
4. Clear screenshots that show the process.
5. Links to official sources for core claims.

Measurement And Auditing With The E‑E‑A‑T Scorecard

You can measure progress and spot weak areas. Use a scorecard that covers authorship, evidence, mentions, structure, and freshness.

E‑E‑A‑T scorecard

Run the audit each quarter and record deltas. Link deeper to Measurement and Auditing for a downloadable sheet.

Governance For YMYL And Beyond

Good pages show who wrote them, who reviewed them, and how you keep them current. Create a light policy and use it on every YMYL page.

Policy elements

1. Editorial principles that put people first.
2. Review and fact check steps for sensitive topics.
3. Disclosure of conflicts and affiliate links.
4. A short accessibility note and a way to report issues.
5. A change log with dates and what changed.

Link to your policy from the footer. Add notes to each YMYL page. Send readers to YMYL Compliance and Governance when they need the full process.

Technical Trust And UX

Trust also comes from the way your site behaves. Slow pages and broken forms damage trust and reduce visibility.

Focus on these items

1. Use HTTPS across the site.
2. Keep layouts stable. Avoid layout shifts.
3. Make contact routes obvious.
4. Add an about page with team and ownership.
5. Provide a physical address or clear service area.
6. Support accessibility basics like alt text and keyboard use.
7. Use clear labels for prices and return policies.

Link to Technical Trust and UX for a full checklist.

Link Earning And Brand Mentions

You want mentions that confirm your authority. Earn them by being useful and present in your field.

Practical ways to earn links and mentions

1. Share original data and small studies that answer real questions.
2. Contribute expert quotes to journalists and creators.
3. Publish how we solved it stories with clear steps and results.
4. Join meetups and podcasts where your audience gathers.
5. Partner with community projects and open datasets.

Link to Link Earning and Brand Mentions for playbooks and outreach templates.

Local And Multilingual Trust For EU And Portugal

If you serve EU users you must show ownership and compliance. Clear details reduce risk and build trust.

Checklist for EU trust

1. Show legal owner, NIF or NIPC, address, and contact routes.
2. Provide GDPR privacy notices and an easy data request path.
3. Offer language options where you do business.
4. Use clear complaints and refunds pages for consumer services.
5. Add medical or financial disclaimers where required.

Link to Local and Multilingual Trust for details by country.

How AISO Hub Can Help

You have two choices. You can build this system alone or you can use our tools and guidance to speed it up. AISO Hub offers four services that match the steps in this playbook.

1. AISO Audit
   We run a full E‑E‑A‑T audit of your top pages. You get a scorecard, a risk report for YMYL, and a prioritized plan.

2. AISO Foundation
   We set up your Author Graph, your policy pages, and your structured data library. Your team gets templates and a style guide.

3. AISO Optimize
   We upgrade your top content with evidence and schema. We add answer blocks and link to cluster pages that expand key topics.

4. AISO Monitor
   We track mentions, structured data health, and AI citations. You get alerts and a quarterly review with clear actions.

Ask for a working session and we map this playbook to your site and your resources.

Conclusion

Trust wins. When you show real experience, prove expertise, and make ownership obvious you earn visibility across search and AI. You now have a clear process that turns those ideas into daily work. Capture evidence before you write. Attribute authors and reviewers. Publish with clean structure and helpful answer blocks. Measure progress with a scorecard. Keep YMYL pages reviewed and current. Make your content easy to quote and to verify. Link to deeper cluster pages when readers need more.

Start today. Pick three pages. Add a summary box, a short how we tested section, and Person and Article schema. Link to your author page and your organization. Record before and after metrics. Then repeat across your top cluster pages. This steady work builds a durable advantage.