{"slug":"eeat-content-standards","title":"E-E-A-T Content Standards & Quality Checklist","tags":["eeat","seo","quality","google-standards"],"agent_summary":"Google E-E-A-T framework applied to content creation: experience, expertise, authoritativeness, and trust signals with a complete pre-publication quality checklist and YMYL guidelines.","trigger_phrases":["eeat content","google quality guidelines","content quality score","experience expertise authority trust","people-first content","google quality rater"],"runnable":false,"markdown":"\n# E-E-A-T Content Standards & Quality Checklist\n\n## Core Framework\n\n- **Experience** — First-hand, real-world experience with the topic\n- **Expertise** — Demonstrable knowledge and skill\n- **Authoritativeness** — Recognized as a go-to source\n- **Trust** — Legitimate, accurate, safe\n\n---\n\n## Content Quality Questions\n\n### Original Information\n- Does the content provide original information, reporting, research, or analysis?\n- Does it provide a substantial, complete, or comprehensive description of the topic?\n- Does it provide insightful analysis beyond the obvious?\n- If it draws on other sources, does it add substantial value and originality?\n\n### Presentation\n- Does the main heading provide a descriptive, helpful summary?\n- Does it avoid exaggerating or being shocking?\n- Is the content produced well, or does it appear sloppy?\n- Is this the sort of page you'd want to bookmark or recommend?\n\n---\n\n## Trust Signals Checklist\n\n- Clear sourcing present\n- Evidence of expertise involved\n- Background about the author\n- Content fact-checked and accurate\n- Well-trusted or widely-recognized source\n- No easily-verified factual errors\n\n---\n\n## People-First Content Test\n\n**Pass all of these:**\n- [ ] Do you have an existing or intended audience that would find this useful if they came to you directly?\n- [ ] Does your content clearly demonstrate first-hand expertise and depth of knowledge?\n- [ ] Will someone reading this leave feeling like they've learned enough to achieve their goal?\n- [ ] Will they leave feeling like they've had a satisfying experience?\n\n**Fail any of these (search-engine-first content):**\n- Content primarily made to attract search traffic, not help people\n- Producing lots of content on many topics hoping some performs\n- Summarizing what others say without adding value\n- Writing about trending topics you have no expertise in\n- Writing to a word count you've heard Google prefers\n- Changing dates without substantially updating content\n\n---\n\n## WHO, HOW, WHY Framework\n\n**WHO created it:**\n- Is it evident who authored the content?\n- Do pages carry a byline where expected?\n- Do bylines lead to further information about the author?\n\n**HOW it was created:**\n- Is AI-generation disclosed where used?\n- Is the use of automation explained?\n\n**WHY it was created:**\n- Is the content created primarily to help people?\n- Is it useful to visitors who come directly to the site?\n\n---\n\n## YMYL (Your Money or Your Life)\n\nApply higher E-E-A-T standards for content that could impact:\n- Health or Safety\n- Financial Security\n- Society\n\n**YMYL Requires:**\n- Expert authorship\n- Clear sourcing\n- Medical/legal disclaimers where applicable\n- Regular updates\n- Fact-checking\n\n---\n\n## Page Quality Scale\n\n```\nLowest:  Harmful, deceptive, or spammy content\nLow:     Lacking E-E-A-T, low quality main content\nMedium:  Adequate quality, nothing special but not harmful\nHigh:    High quality content, positive reputation, high E-E-A-T\nHighest: Very high quality, very positive reputation, very high E-E-A-T\n```\n\n---\n\n## Hidden Intent Framework\n\nBeyond observable search intent (the keywords) lies hidden intent — the emotional and functional motivations beneath:\n\n**Observable Intent:** The explicit search query\n**Inferred Intent:** Informational / Navigational / Transactional / Commercial\n**Hidden Intent:** Underlying emotional drivers — fear, hope, ambition, uncertainty, urgency, aspiration\n\n**Rule:** Functional drivers open the door. Emotional drivers close the deal. Content must solve problems AND satisfy emotional outcomes.\n\nLead with functional promise, weave emotional fulfillment into the body.\n\n#content-sop #eeat #quality #seo\n","html":"<h1>E-E-A-T Content Standards &#x26; Quality Checklist</h1>\n<h2>Core Framework</h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Experience</strong> — First-hand, real-world experience with the topic</li>\n<li><strong>Expertise</strong> — Demonstrable knowledge and skill</li>\n<li><strong>Authoritativeness</strong> — Recognized as a go-to source</li>\n<li><strong>Trust</strong> — Legitimate, accurate, safe</li>\n</ul>\n<hr>\n<h2>Content Quality Questions</h2>\n<h3>Original Information</h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Does the content provide original information, reporting, research, or analysis?</li>\n<li>Does it provide a substantial, complete, or comprehensive description of the topic?</li>\n<li>Does it provide insightful analysis beyond the obvious?</li>\n<li>If it draws on other sources, does it add substantial value and originality?</li>\n</ul>\n<h3>Presentation</h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Does the main heading provide a descriptive, helpful summary?</li>\n<li>Does it avoid exaggerating or being shocking?</li>\n<li>Is the content produced well, or does it appear sloppy?</li>\n<li>Is this the sort of page you'd want to bookmark or recommend?</li>\n</ul>\n<hr>\n<h2>Trust Signals Checklist</h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Clear sourcing present</li>\n<li>Evidence of expertise involved</li>\n<li>Background about the author</li>\n<li>Content fact-checked and accurate</li>\n<li>Well-trusted or widely-recognized source</li>\n<li>No easily-verified factual errors</li>\n</ul>\n<hr>\n<h2>People-First Content Test</h2>\n<p><strong>Pass all of these:</strong></p>\n<ul>\n<li>[ ] Do you have an existing or intended audience that would find this useful if they came to you directly?</li>\n<li>[ ] Does your content clearly demonstrate first-hand expertise and depth of knowledge?</li>\n<li>[ ] Will someone reading this leave feeling like they've learned enough to achieve their goal?</li>\n<li>[ ] Will they leave feeling like they've had a satisfying experience?</li>\n</ul>\n<p><strong>Fail any of these (search-engine-first content):</strong></p>\n<ul>\n<li>Content primarily made to attract search traffic, not help people</li>\n<li>Producing lots of content on many topics hoping some performs</li>\n<li>Summarizing what others say without adding value</li>\n<li>Writing about trending topics you have no expertise in</li>\n<li>Writing to a word count you've heard Google prefers</li>\n<li>Changing dates without substantially updating content</li>\n</ul>\n<hr>\n<h2>WHO, HOW, WHY Framework</h2>\n<p><strong>WHO created it:</strong></p>\n<ul>\n<li>Is it evident who authored the content?</li>\n<li>Do pages carry a byline where expected?</li>\n<li>Do bylines lead to further information about the author?</li>\n</ul>\n<p><strong>HOW it was created:</strong></p>\n<ul>\n<li>Is AI-generation disclosed where used?</li>\n<li>Is the use of automation explained?</li>\n</ul>\n<p><strong>WHY it was created:</strong></p>\n<ul>\n<li>Is the content created primarily to help people?</li>\n<li>Is it useful to visitors who come directly to the site?</li>\n</ul>\n<hr>\n<h2>YMYL (Your Money or Your Life)</h2>\n<p>Apply higher E-E-A-T standards for content that could impact:</p>\n<ul>\n<li>Health or Safety</li>\n<li>Financial Security</li>\n<li>Society</li>\n</ul>\n<p><strong>YMYL Requires:</strong></p>\n<ul>\n<li>Expert authorship</li>\n<li>Clear sourcing</li>\n<li>Medical/legal disclaimers where applicable</li>\n<li>Regular updates</li>\n<li>Fact-checking</li>\n</ul>\n<hr>\n<h2>Page Quality Scale</h2>\n<pre><code>Lowest:  Harmful, deceptive, or spammy content\nLow:     Lacking E-E-A-T, low quality main content\nMedium:  Adequate quality, nothing special but not harmful\nHigh:    High quality content, positive reputation, high E-E-A-T\nHighest: Very high quality, very positive reputation, very high E-E-A-T\n</code></pre>\n<hr>\n<h2>Hidden Intent Framework</h2>\n<p>Beyond observable search intent (the keywords) lies hidden intent — the emotional and functional motivations beneath:</p>\n<p><strong>Observable Intent:</strong> The explicit search query\n<strong>Inferred Intent:</strong> Informational / Navigational / Transactional / Commercial\n<strong>Hidden Intent:</strong> Underlying emotional drivers — fear, hope, ambition, uncertainty, urgency, aspiration</p>\n<p><strong>Rule:</strong> Functional drivers open the door. Emotional drivers close the deal. Content must solve problems AND satisfy emotional outcomes.</p>\n<p>Lead with functional promise, weave emotional fulfillment into the body.</p>\n<p>#content-sop #eeat #quality #seo</p>\n"}