E-E-A-T Score: How Google and AI Engines Judge Whether Your Site Is Trustworthy

Google introduced E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness) as the framework quality raters use to evaluate websites. It is not a direct ranking factor, but it shapes the training data that drives algorithmic updates, and AI engines have adopted similar heuristics for deciding whom to cite. The E-E-A-T sub-score in the SEO + GEO AI Search Score weighs 20% of your global number. This guide walks through the ten signals Bloomwise measures and the order in which to fix them.

The ten E-E-A-T signals

Every signal is binary at the diagnosis stage: you either have it or you do not. Once all ten are present, the sub-score jumps from the 50 to 65 range into the 80 to 90 range within a single crawl.

Signal 1: Named author on every post

Anonymous posts are the single biggest E-E-A-T red flag. If your articles are bylined "admin" or have no author at all, fix this first. Use a real person (or a consistent persona like Juliette for Bloomwise) with a name, photo, and link to a bio page.

Signal 2: Author bio and photo

Every author needs a dedicated bio page at /authors/author-name with:

• Real photo (not stock)
• Two to four paragraph biography
• Professional credentials and years of experience
• Links to their published work
• Optional: social profiles on LinkedIn, X, or industry platforms

This page is what Google quality raters click through to when verifying authorship.

Signal 3: Credentials and track record

Credentials vary by topic. For YMYL verticals:

• Health: licences, medical degrees, clinical experience
• Finance: CFA, CPA, licensed advisor status
• Legal: bar membership, jurisdiction
• Tech or SaaS: years of hands-on experience, prior products shipped, GitHub profile

For non-YMYL topics, demonstrated track record (books, talks, case studies) substitutes for formal credentials. The key is visibility: if a rater has to dig to find your expertise, you have failed the signal.

Signal 4: Detailed about page

A good about page answers four questions in plain language:

1. Who runs this site (names, photos)
2. Why this site exists (mission)
3. How content is produced (editorial process)
4. How you can be reached

A thin about page with "We are a team of passionate enthusiasts" scores zero. A detailed about page with named humans and a real story scores full marks. For competitive verticals, this single page can move rankings more than any technical change. Pair it with our guide to choosing SEO keywords to make sure your about page is also keyword-relevant for brand queries.

Signal 5: Transparent contact information

Every site needs a visible contact page with at least one of:

• Email address (not a contact form only)
• Phone number
• Physical mailing address
• Social media with a verified human

A contact form alone is weaker than a visible email. Google quality raters explicitly check for the ability to reach a real human.

Signal 6: Privacy policy and terms of service

These are legally required in most jurisdictions (GDPR, CCPA) and they are E-E-A-T hygiene. A missing privacy page is an automatic downgrade. Use a template, customise it, publish it, link it from the footer. One-time cost, permanent signal.

Signal 7: Cited sources in articles

Authoritative content cites its sources. This is especially critical for YMYL topics but matters across the board. When you reference a statistic, name the source. When you quote a study, link to it. This both builds trust and feeds the "article references other trusted sources" check that AI engines now use.

Signal 8: Visible last-updated dates

A date is two things at once: a freshness signal and a trust signal. Pages without dates feel abandoned. Pages with a last-updated date that matches recent content feel maintained. Show both publish date and last-updated date when they differ.

Signal 9: Physical or legal address

A real business address (registered office, not a virtual PO box) reinforces legitimacy. Include it in the footer, on the contact page, or in the about page. This is especially important for ecommerce, local services, and B2B.

Signal 10: HTTPS with valid certificate

HTTPS is the floor. A broken certificate or a mixed-content warning destroys trust instantly. Check your certificate quarterly and automate renewal.

The 90-day E-E-A-T upgrade

If your E-E-A-T sub-score is under 70, here is the 90-day sprint:

Week 1: Pick one author (or create a persona). Write their bio page with real credentials. Add bylines to every post.

Week 2: Rewrite the about page with four sections (who, why, how, contact). Add a contact page with email plus one other channel.

Week 3: Publish privacy policy and terms of service. Add a physical or legal address to the footer.

Weeks 4 to 12: Audit every top 20 article and add cited sources. Add last-updated dates to any post older than 6 months. Run a structure score audit while you are at it.

Expected score movement: 50 to 60 in week 1, 70 to 75 in week 3, 80+ by week 12.

E-E-A-T is the sub-score that separates small sites that rank from small sites that do not. The signals are simple, the effort is finite, and the compounding is real. Every post you publish with a real author, real sources, and a real date is a deposit into a trust bank that pays rankings for years.