# Google E-E-A-T & Search Quality Guidelines (Condensed)

> Source: Google Search Quality Evaluator Guidelines (176 pages) - Condensed for AI content generation

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## 1. E-E-A-T Framework

**Trust is the CENTER of E-E-A-T** - All other factors support trustworthiness.

| Factor | Definition | Signals |
|--------|------------|---------|
| **Experience** | First-hand/life experience with topic | Personal stories, photos, real usage, specific details only someone who experienced would know |
| **Expertise** | Knowledge/skill in subject area | Credentials, qualifications, demonstrated mastery, accurate technical info |
| **Authoritativeness** | Reputation as go-to source | Citations, mentions, reviews, industry recognition, backlinks from authorities |
| **Trustworthiness** | Accuracy, honesty, safety, reliability | Clear ownership, contact info, sources cited, factual accuracy, transparent about ads/affiliate |

### E-E-A-T by Content Type

| Content Type | Primary E-E-A-T Focus |
|--------------|----------------------|
| Product reviews | Experience > Expertise |
| Medical/legal advice | Expertise > Experience |
| News articles | Authoritativeness + accurate reporting |
| How-to tutorials | Experience + Expertise |
| Personal blogs | Experience (authentic voice) |
| Scientific content | Expertise + peer consensus |

---

## 2. YMYL (Your Money or Your Life)

**High-stakes topics requiring HIGHEST E-E-A-T standards.**

### YMYL Categories

| Category | Examples |
|----------|----------|
| **Health & Safety** | Medical conditions, drugs, hospitals, emergency info |
| **Financial** | Banking, investments, taxes, retirement, loans, insurance |
| **Legal** | Divorce, custody, immigration, wills, citizenship |
| **News & Current Events** | Politics, international events, science, technology (when consequential) |
| **Groups of People** | Content about race, religion, nationality, disability, gender, age |
| **Shopping/Transactions** | Major purchases, money transfers |
| **Other Consequential** | Fitness, nutrition, housing, job searching, education decisions |

### YMYL Content Requirements

- ✅ Author credentials clearly displayed
- ✅ Sources cited (preferably authoritative)
- ✅ Content reviewed by experts when applicable
- ✅ Clear contact information
- ✅ Transparent about organization/ownership
- ✅ Up-to-date information
- ✅ Consensus with medical/scientific community

---

## 3. Page Quality Signals

### HIGH Quality Indicators

```
✓ Satisfying amount of high-quality Main Content (MC)
✓ Clear, accurate, and helpful information
✓ Expertise evident in content
✓ Positive reputation (website & author)
✓ Clear who is responsible for content
✓ Helpful supplementary content
✓ Functional page design
✓ Regular updates/maintenance
```

### LOW Quality Indicators

```
✗ Thin/shallow content - lacks depth
✗ Clickbait titles that mislead
✗ Excessive ads disrupting content
✗ No author/source information
✗ Factual inaccuracies
✗ Copied/scraped content
✗ Auto-generated content (low effort)
✗ Broken functionality
✗ Outdated information (when freshness matters)
✗ Mixed/negative reputation
```

### LOWEST Quality (Avoid at All Costs)

```
✗ Harmful/dangerous content
✗ Deceptive practices (fake reviews, hidden affiliate)
✗ Spam
✗ Completely lacks E-E-A-T
✗ Malicious intent
✗ YMYL content with no expertise
✗ Factually incorrect on important topics
```

---

## 4. Content Quality Checklist

### Before Writing - Research Phase

- [ ] Identify user intent (Know, Do, Website, Visit-in-person)
- [ ] Determine if YMYL - adjust E-E-A-T requirements
- [ ] Research authoritative sources
- [ ] Understand target audience expertise level

### During Writing - Content Creation

- [ ] Provide sufficient depth for the topic
- [ ] Include unique insights/experience where relevant
- [ ] Cite sources for claims (especially YMYL)
- [ ] Use accurate, up-to-date information
- [ ] Match content to user intent
- [ ] Write for humans first, SEO second
- [ ] Avoid filler content - every paragraph should add value

### After Writing - Quality Check

- [ ] Author bio with credentials (if applicable)
- [ ] Clear, non-clickbait title
- [ ] Logical structure with helpful headings
- [ ] No factual errors
- [ ] No misleading claims
- [ ] Disclosure of affiliate/sponsored content
- [ ] Mobile-friendly formatting

---

## 5. Query Understanding & Interpretation

### Query Types by Meaning

| Type | Definition | Example |
|------|------------|---------|
| **Dominant Interpretation** | What MOST users mean | [apple] → Apple Inc. (computer company) |
| **Common Interpretation** | What MANY users mean | [mercury] → Planet OR Chemical element |
| **Minor Interpretation** | What FEW users mean | [apple] → A person's name |
| **No Chance Interpretation** | Almost NO user means this | [hot dog] → Overheated pet |

### Query Meanings Change Over Time

- [iphone] in 2007 → iPhone 1
- [iphone] in 2024 → Latest iPhone model
- Always assume users want CURRENT information unless specified

### Locale & Location Impact

| Query Type | Location Matters? | Example |
|------------|------------------|---------|
| **Explicit Location** | YES - use stated location | [New York hotels] → NYC results regardless of user location |
| **Local Intent** | YES - user location critical | [pizza], [gas stations] → Nearby results |
| **Universal** | NO - same everywhere | [distance earth to moon], [pictures of kittens] |

---

## 6. User Intent Types

| Intent | User Goal | Content Strategy |
|--------|-----------|------------------|
| **Know** | Find information | Comprehensive, accurate answer |
| **Know Simple** | Quick fact | Direct answer, featured snippet worthy |
| **Do** | Complete action | Step-by-step instructions, actionable |
| **Website** | Find specific site | Ensure brand/entity is clear |
| **Visit-in-person** | Find local place | Local info, address, hours, directions |

### Visit-in-Person Queries

**Clear Visit-in-Person Intent:**
- [car repair shop], [gas stations], [pizza near me]
- [yoga class], [dentists], [bank of america atm locations]

**Clear Non-Visit-in-Person Intent:**
- [how tall is mt everest], [iq test], [boston red sox]
- [scrabble cheat], [minecraft], [dance videos]

**Mixed Intent (both possible):**
- [walmart], [h&m], [library], [bank of america]
- User may want to visit OR shop online/get info

### Know vs Know Simple

| Know Simple | Know (Complex) |
|-------------|----------------|
| [barack obama height] | [barack obama] |
| [weather] | [how do people predict weather] |
| [what is starbucks stock price] | [should i invest in starbucks] |
| Short, factual answer | Broad exploration needed |

### Do Queries

User wants to accomplish a goal:
- [get my GED online] → Obtain diploma
- [online personality test] → Take a test
- [watch stranger things] → Watch content
- [pay parking ticket] → Complete transaction

### Needs Met Scale

| Rating | Meaning |
|--------|---------|
| **Fully Meets** | Perfect match - completely satisfies intent |
| **Highly Meets** | Very helpful, satisfies most users |
| **Moderately Meets** | Somewhat helpful, may need more info |
| **Slightly Meets** | Minimally helpful |
| **Fails to Meet** | Completely fails to help user |

---

## 6. Quick Reference: Content Do's and Don'ts

### DO

- Demonstrate first-hand experience when reviewing products
- Show expertise through detailed, accurate explanations
- Build authority via consistent, quality content over time
- Establish trust with transparency and accuracy
- Match content depth to topic complexity
- Update content when information changes
- Provide clear value beyond what exists elsewhere

### DON'T

- Write about YMYL topics without genuine expertise
- Use clickbait or misleading headlines
- Stuff keywords unnaturally
- Copy/spin content from other sources
- Hide affiliate relationships
- Publish thin content just to rank
- Ignore factual accuracy for engagement
- Over-promise in titles, under-deliver in content

---

## 7. Reputation Signals

### Positive Reputation

- Expert recommendations/citations
- Positive reviews on independent sites
- Awards/recognition in industry
- Wikipedia presence (for established entities)
- Quality backlinks from authorities

### Negative Reputation

- BBB complaints, lawsuit history
- Negative news coverage
- Poor reviews across platforms
- Known for misinformation
- User complaints about deception

---

## 8. Special Content Considerations

### Product Reviews

- Must show ACTUAL experience with product
- Include original photos/videos when possible
- Discuss both pros AND cons
- Compare with alternatives
- Provide specific usage details

### Medical/Health Content

- Author should have medical credentials
- Align with scientific/medical consensus
- Cite reputable sources (NIH, Mayo, peer-reviewed)
- Include date of last review/update
- Recommend consulting professionals

### Financial Content

- Author credentials in finance
- Disclaimer about not being personal advice
- Up-to-date with current regulations
- Clear about risks
- Transparent about any conflicts of interest

### News Content

- Distinguish news from opinion
- Cite primary sources
- Timely and accurate
- Corrections policy visible
- Journalist credentials clear

---

## 9. Forum & Q&A Page Quality

### Rating Guidance

- **MC** = Question + Answers + Discussion
- Rate from visitor POV, not participant
- Usernames/aliases acceptable for identification
- E-E-A-T judged by post quality itself

### Quality Levels for Forums/Q&A

| Quality | Characteristics |
|---------|-----------------|
| **Highest** | Deep, satisfying discussions; Expert/experienced participants; Unique insights; Great effort in posts |
| **High** | Helpful answers; Good expertise evident; Meaningful discussion |
| **Medium** | New question (no responses yet); Nothing wrong, nothing special |
| **Low** | Few responses; Surface-level discussion; Mild inaccuracies; Lacks effort |
| **Lowest** | Harmfully misleading advice; Contradicts expert consensus; Encourages harm |

### Special Cases

- **New questions with no answers**: Rate Medium (needs time to develop)
- **Drifted/combative discussions**: Value insightful parts; Medium if mixed quality
- **YMYL topics**: Require extra attention to Trust and E-E-A-T

---

## 10. Spam & Abuse Types

### Content Abuse Categories

| Type | Description |
|------|-------------|
| **Hacked/Defaced Pages** | Content modified by attackers |
| **Expired Domain Abuse** | Buying expired domains to exploit old reputation |
| **Site Reputation Abuse** | Using trusted site to host low-quality content |
| **Scaled Content Abuse** | Mass-produced low-effort content |
| **Copied Content** | Scraped/duplicated without added value |

### Low Effort MC Indicators

- Little to no originality
- No added value for visitors
- Created primarily for search engines, not users
- Auto-generated without human review

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*Last updated: December 2025*
*Reference: Google Search Quality Evaluator Guidelines v2025 (September 11, 2025)*

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**See also:** [Appendix & Rater Reference](./google-sqeg-appendix-rater-reference.md) - Evaluation platform usage, duplicate handling, change log, advanced rating examples.
