Good E-E-A-Ts: How Understanding the Algorithm Helps Writers Succeed

Learn to highlight your expertise, encourage Google’s E-E-A-T algorithm and readers to trust your content, and grow your online presence and credibility as a writer in your niche.

Want the pages you write to show up higher in search results? Of course you do. Top-ranking pages see more organic traffic, which, depending on a brand’s content goals, can mean increased leads, conversions, advertising revenue, and more. Good news for writers: when a brand’s content is performing well, that brand wants more content. Some of search performance comes down to brand strategy and keyword research — knowing what people are looking to read and strategically choosing what to publish when — but writers can take an active role in helping an individual article rank. In short, you better know what you’re talking about, and a little street cred doesn’t hurt. With the rise of AI-assisted content generation, real human writers with real human skills and expertise have an opportunity to distinguish themselves. You want to be known for your razor-sharp prose or your ability to polish a brand voice until it shines, sure. But you also might consider wanting to be known for being a go-to in your field.

Learning how to focus your work and grow your online presence can help search algorithms see your articles as the obvious choices readers are looking to find, which will in turn make you the obvious choice for clients looking to hire a content writer.

What Is E-E-A-T and Why Do You Need It?

Readers search the internet for answers to questions. Whether that’s a good way to get reliable info depends on a few factors, but much of it comes down to what they end up reading. Google aims to help ensure readers get good information through an algorithm that ranks pages with the goal of providing links to the best resources first.

The articles whose writers clearly demonstrate experience and expertise in what they’re talking about to build a sense of authority and trustworthiness show up higher in search, thanks to Google’s E-E-A-T ranking measures. The letters in E-E-A-T represent four core principles that together make content reliable and helpful to readers: experience, expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness.

E: Experience

Writers who focus on topics they're familiar with create some of the best content. That's not to say they don't research, but those pieces often have a little something special that can't come from paraphrasing other articles on the same topic. It's hard to write a blog recommending the six best restaurants in Toronto if you've never left Detroit. (Of course, a client might ask for a piece like this, but they're not doing their own E-E-A-T signals any favors, either.) When you've got the choice, write what you know.

E: Expertise

Increasingly, Google wants to see articles written by people who know what they're talking about, which is why you'll see more and more clients asking for bylines and bios. Some brands are looking for subject matter experts to contribute in their areas, bringing thought leadership and real-world experience to bear on their written work. Some brands are adding in an extra layer of subject matter expert review — think of medical or health and wellness brands that publish a "medically reviewed by" credit line. If you've got credentials that are relevant to the content you're writing, be sure they're highlighted within your bio.

A: Authoritativeness

Think about the difference between a good source when you're researching. You want to cite a source people have heard of, ideally one with credible writers and a real editorial oversight process. That's what readers need. You can work to grow your own authority through credentials, of course, and through being a part of relevant conversations. Network with other creators in your niche. Know who’s writing the top-ranking articles. Try engaging on LinkedIn to add your own two cents here and there.

T: Trustworthiness

There's a lot not to trust about the internet. There's a lot not to trust about outsourcing your brand's content to a slew of faceless freelancers, too. Are they a bunch of no-talent hacks with a total disregard for deadlines? We know you're not! But writers who boost their online credibility are a little easier for brands to trust, and when a solid brand features your work, that makes it a little easier for writers to trust you, too. Writers looking to boost their trustworthiness should cultivate a reputable digital presence. Aim to have a website, with proper security, and include an "about me" page. Social media is a double-edged sword, but if it's Googleable, be aware that your clients and readers might see it. Lock down anything you want to keep friends-only, and focus on beefing up your LinkedIn for professional purposes. Explain who you are and what you do. Include a way to contact you (with a posted email address or a link to your website with a contact form). Include a professional profile photo — it's not a beauty contest, but seeing the face behind the name does wonders for making things feel a little more human online.

What Can You Do?

Not everyone can be an expert in everything, so what's a freelancer to do? Write within your niche, work to boost your own credibility, research well, and know your limits.

Write within your niche. Each writer brings different real-world knowledge and know-how to their content writing practice. When you can, claim projects that are in your wheelhouse, and lend your own thoughts and ideas to the piece. Being a generalist serves many writers well, but the more you can specialize within your niche, the more credibility you can build within it. If you've got a lot of bylines with credible publications in one field, the better the odds another client will be excited to work with you in that area where you've already proven yourself.
Work to boost your own credibility. What's true for a brand is also true for your personal brand: increased visibility equals increased credibility. If someone searches your name, what will they find? The more bylines you've got, the better your street cred — on the mean streets of the world wide web, that is. But what else comes up? Maybe you've got a solid LinkedIn profile that shows you interacting with others in your field. Great! A personal website can help, too, and bonus points if you've got a portfolio. If you're a writer, does your name come up on Muckrack? Consider creating a free portfolio. If you're an editor, are you a member of any professional organizations like the Editorial Freelancers Association or ACES: The Society for Editing? (Pro tip: paid memberships are tax deductible when you do your freelance taxes.) Consider getting a certificate in your field or attending a conference. That sort of thing not only makes you look good, but it also keeps your skills and expertise fresh, too.
Research well. Even experts don't know everything, and if they tried to convince us they did, we'd be skeptical. If a doctor wants to give you a new medication for an off-label use, wouldn't you want to know if there's any peer-reviewed evidence this thing will work? Give the people the receipts they want! Use facts from credible sources only — dig up primary and recent sources to back up any claims and data. If it's not common knowledge, cite it, and lean on reliable sites only. Read more about best practices for sourcing in our style guide.
Know your limits. Writers want to write; we get it. The more projects you can do, the more you can earn. And everyone likes to learn! Writing outside your area of specialty can be a great way to learn something new. So stretch your wings and dig in... within reason. If you see a project that's totally not in your lane, consider before claiming it how confident you feel you'll be able to contribute something genuinely helpful to readers without simply rehashing what's published in similar pieces. If it's a piece about "Your Money and Your Life" — what Google calls YMYL, including finance, medication, the law, and other things that can seriously impact society or a person's well-being — that's a lot of responsibility, so make sure you're up to the task. And remember that theoretical blog about Toronto's best new restaurants? If you've never been, maybe leave that one for someone who lives there.

General Best Practices for Boosting E-E-A-T Signals

Multiple factors influence the final outcome when search engines determine how to rank content. Some of them affect digital content strategies at a higher level than you can solve for in an individual article — things like domain authority, ad density, backlinks, mobile device display, and more. Still, there’s a lot you can do to help ensure your content is what people want to read, which will help ensure search engines show it to your target audience.

Compose.ly trains our writers in best practices that help send strong E-E-A-T signals to search engine ranking systems.

Creating helpful content by people and for people

Our writers follow Google’s best practices for creating helpful, reliable, people-first content. We help our clients keep content accurate and up to date. Content is thoroughly researched and comprehensively covers the topic, aiming to be a better resource than what’s already out there. We thoughtfully consider each brand's target audience and content to strike the right balance of technicality and clarity.

Carefully evaluating and including sources

For research-based content, our writers know which sources to rely on — primary, relevant, recent, non-competitor — and they cite them accordingly. Our editors watch out for factual errors and help verify sources to ensure we’re providing up-to-date information.

Providing clean and clear presentation

Our writers take care to avoid spelling, punctuation, and stylistic errors that can harm a page’s credibility. Our editors carefully review each piece for these issues in addition to assessing the content, confirming it directly addresses the reader’s intent in choosing to read a given piece.

Thoughtfully organizing the content

We follow best practices not only when writing but also when organizing and formatting pieces. We aim for a clear heading structure highlighting relevant keywords where appropriate while avoiding the kind of “click-bait”-style titles and shock-value attention grabs both readers and search rankers alike have come to distrust.

Building trust through substantial real-world experience and credentials

Readers want to know who created the content to assess its trustworthiness. Our writers are experts or enthusiasts who can demonstrate their familiarity with topics in their niche. They’re pleased to put their name on their work, allowing our clients to publish bylines and providing brief bios that give readers a strong understanding of their background and relevant expertise. Our writers bring relevant education and years of career and research experience in their areas of expertise.

For topics that impact health, financial well-being, and the overall stability of people or society, we follow Google’s best practices related to “Your Money or Your Life” (YMYL), carefully vetting writers in these fields for relevant expertise and writing ability. We also offer a secondary review by credentialed experts in some areas, such as medical review by doctors for health-related content.

Page updated

Report abuse