EAT (Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness) is the three-letter quality framework used in Google’s quality rater guidelines between 2014 and 2022. In December 2022, Google also added the “Experience” dimension to the guidelines, changing the term to E-E-A-T.
The three core pillars of EAT:
- Expertise (Expertise): The content creator has deep knowledge of the subject.
- Authoritativeness (Authority): The author and the site are recognized references in the industry.
- Trustworthiness (Trustworthiness): The information is accurate, up to date, and verifiable.
EAT still appears in many SEO documents; however, in modern practice, the E-E-A-T framework (with experience added) should be used.
Tip: All recommendations in older sources that mention EAT also apply to E-E-A-T; only the “experience” dimension has been added.