Edited by Emilie Martin

Fast E-E-A-T: You’ve probably already seen definitions of E-E-A-T elsewhere, but for a short-order refresher, it’s a set of signals pulled from Google’s Quality Rater Guidelines, and it stands for the Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness and Trustworthiness factors that Google instructs its raters to look for in evaluating SERP quality.

Fries with that: On August 1, 2018, Google rolled out a core update popularly dubbed the “Medic update,” from which SEOs noted a new emphasis on Google’s part on the expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness of content. Then, on December 15, 2022, Google officially added an “E” for experience to the acronym.

Try our Local Speciality: There has been a wealth of helpful and inspirational content published about E-E-A-T for virtual businesses in the industry, but today, we’re going to “eat at Joe’s” in the local neighborhood and dish up dozens of ways you can incorporate these awesome signals into your local search marketing.

I’ve got tons of real-world local business examples to help you plan out your own full menu of E-E-A-T opportunities.

Google says:

“Does content… demonstrate that it was produced with some degree of experience, such as with actual use of a product, having actually visited a place or communicating what a person experienced?”

Experience pre-internet

Pre-Internet, travelers turned to publications like Duncan Hines’ Adventures in Good Eating or the Michelin Guide for first-hand reviews of places to eat on the road.

And, before local business reviews became such a huge deal on the web, many early websites featured guestbooks or testimonials pages like this one from The French Gourmet restaurant in San Diego, California:

Experience now

Testimonials remain an excellent source for proving experience and often have a more personal touch than other forms of customer feedback. But with big players like Google, Yelp, TripAdvisor, Nextdoor, and Facebook investing seriously in becoming local business review platforms, restaurants like The French Gourmet have been able to up their sentiment game too, embedding third-party review content on their sites, like this:

These reviews are pulled from sources like the Google Business Profile and go far towards proving that customers have truly experienced your company in person:

Motivated local businesses may embed a professional review acquisition system like those offered by SaaS companies such as GatherUp. Businesses can proactively ask customers to leave reviews on their sites or on third-party platforms, like how Climate Control HVAC company in San Antonio, Texas, is doing:

If you are receiving a substantial percentage of negative reviews from genuine customers who have legitimately had a poor experience with your business, this is a big red flag that your E-E-A-T may be at risk.

For example, suppose the returns policy on your website says you gladly accept returns of defective merchandise for an exchange or full refund, but your reviews are filled with complaints of customers being refused a refund. In that case, your overall trustworthiness can suffer in the eyes of both potential customers and quality raters.

If negative reviews are starting to mount up in your listings or the organic search engine results for your brand are filled with complaints, please read: What is Reputation Management?

When it comes to proving experience, reviews are definitely a natural, but they’re not your only option. Check out the YouTube channel of Green Building Supply — an eco-friendly building supply shop with a showroom in Fairfield, Iowa, that offers national shipping.

This small company not only claims to have tested the products they sell, but they use videos to prove it, like this one explaining what alternatives they have to toxic caulk and what the attributes of these products are:

If your inventory is vast, you may not be able to personally test every product you carry. Still, you could make a point of filming your business hand-testing some of your main product lines and explaining what you like about them to demonstrate that first “E’ in E-E-A-T. Alternatively, you could launch a campaign to collect and present customers’ own photos and videos of them experiencing your business, like these folks enjoying a meal at Sol Food Restaurant in San Rafael, California:

Or, you could professionally film a compilation of your customers’ oral testimonials, as Oxfordshire-based Green & Company estate agency has done here:

There’s also the option in some industries to get influencers to review your business, like this video from the massive YouTube channel JOLLY, stopping by an award-winning Scotch pie factory in Scotland:

And it can really build your brand if celebrities happen to show up at your door, as captured by this California TV news report about a famous musician dining at an SF Bay Area eatery:

All these forms of content create a clear picture that a local business is a legitimate entity that real people have experienced and that the business cares about its products to test them out and be able to explain them to customers. Given the proliferation of fake business listings and scams, helping Google’s quality raters (and potential customers) clearly see that your business is real is a smart start to your E-E-A-T strategy.

Google says,

“Make sure the information you find is appropriate for judging the reputation of the website… reputation information for YMYL topics should come from sources that have expertise in the associated YMYL topic.

Different topics require different levels and types of expertise to be trustworthy. For example, which would you trust: home electrical rewiring advice from a skilled electrician or from an antique homes enthusiast who has no knowledge of electrical wiring?”

YMYL is an acronym for your-money-or-your-life, and refers to scenarios in which someone’s finances, health, or safety are at play, such as in the banking, medical, and security industries. The more that is at stake, the more you need to prove your expertise. Demonstrating expertise also applies to non-YMYL categories, where Google will look for more practical, everyday know-how rather than degrees or license numbers.

Expertise pre-internet

Pre-internet, professional expertise looked like the degrees hanging on the walls of doctors, lawyers and the license numbers on company vehicles:

Practical expertise might have looked like this fish business sign, showing it had been established generations back:

Expertise now

Degrees, license numbers, and years of experience still matter, and local business signage is as important as ever. Still, the opportunity exists to prove both professional and practical expertise on the web. Here are some great examples:

In YMYL categories, websites should introduce the professionals at the business and explain their degrees, accreditations, accomplishments, awards, associations, and other signals of expertise, as in the case of this page for Dr. James D. Gearing of Sonora, California. Consider a video interview, multiple photos, and, of course, any licensing numbers on this type of page.

Meanwhile, you may not need a degree to run many kinds of local businesses, but years of practical experience in a particular field can be worth their weight in gold to customers, as in the case of Cottonwood quilt shop in Charlottesville, Virginia:

One of the best things about building out expert bios for the owner and staff at a local business is that they can be linked to as author bios. If a local business you’re marketing is taking a robust approach to content publication and marketing and is blogging and writing articles to grow the website’s usefulness and reach, be sure to highlight who authored each new piece of content. Author bios can also be critical for growing your digital footprint. If you are interviewed by a third party, contribute an article to another website, or are featured on blogs, news sites, and video channels, publishers can link to your bio, showing that you are an expert in your field.

Google has experimented over many years with trying to understand and highlight authorship in various ways. I predict this will take on new meaning in the coming era in which AI-generated drivel threatens to pollute the search engine results with auto-generated content instead of information based on human experts' credentialed or practical experience.

Discerning people will want to know that information about dental hygiene comes from a real endodontist who's been in practice for 30 years and will want to get quilting tips from someone who has been sewing beautiful objects since childhood… not from a program that’s been designed to mimic expertise. Always keep in mind that expertise-based content isn’t just for Google’s quality raters – it’s for your potential customers. Think of the confidence a pet owner would feel in choosing a clinic like Boundary Bay Veterinary Specialty Hospital in Surrey, BC, after seeing this video feature on one of their head vets:

And note how the video description describes the content and links to the doctor’s bio on the website:

The bio page not only introduces the practitioner but also lists out all his credentials:

A last tip in this section relates to the trending sentiment that search engine results have gotten worse recently. Whether this is true or not is subjective, but if internet users believe the results they’re seeing for Google or Bing searches just don’t deserve their trust (and given that AI-generated content will likely worsen this scenario), they may go elsewhere, such as to Reddit, Quora, or social media platforms in search of preferred answers from sources they trust.

If the competitive level of your geo-industry means you need to make a maximum effort to become visible online, consider establishing a strong presence on these Google-alternative information sources to expand the reach of your expertise.

Here’s an example of a Reddit thread in which a vet is answering a question about cat nutrition:

In sum, you can build out a picture of the expertise of your company’s owner and staff on your own website, but you can also build it out on multiple types of publications and channels and with various forms of media.

Google says,

“Consider the extent to which the content creator or the website is known as a go-to source for the topic. While most topics do not have one official, Authoritative website or content creator, when they do, that website or content creator is often among the most reliable and trustworthy sources.

For example, a local business profile page on social media may be the authoritative and trusted source for what is on sale now. The official government page for getting a passport is the unique, official, and authoritative source for passport renewal.”

I’m emphasizing the “is known as” snippet in the above quote because it explains that while the “E” for expertise is all about you proving your expertise, the “A” for authority depends on whether others recognize you as an expert. Achieving this can seem like a steep hill for local businesses to climb, but you can actively contribute to helping third parties cite your authority in various ways.

Authoritativeness pre-internet

Pre-internet, authoritativeness looked like being recognized by a community or nation for excellence:

Authoritativeness now

Now, local businesses have a variety of online opportunities for being cited by others as an authority in a particular field, including some or all of the following options:

If your field requires official degrees or certifications, being cited on the websites of accrediting and regulatory bodies in your industry is an excellent step to validating your authority. In the above example, we see the same veterinarian mentioned in our previous section being listed here by the American College of Veterinary Surgeons.

Meanwhile, your industry may not require a university degree, but certifications may either be essential or optional. This page on the National Fireplace Institute site lists certified professionals to install hearths.

And there are many fields in which no particular credentials are required but which, nevertheless, feature many options for building authority. In the above example, a large directory of vegan dining options cites a restaurant with a full vegan menu in Mendocino, California. The directory listing vouches for the eatery as being an authority on vegan food.

All three of the above examples are known as “structured citations” — a term that means being cited on an online publication that exists to list professionals, members, and businesses, and almost all local business industries have options like these for getting listed. Whether you earn a degree, complete a course, or reach out to a platform to let them know your business belongs in their directory, all these activities can build your authority.

Structured citations aren’t your only option; unstructured citations come from non-directory-type publications that mention you or your business along with your complete or partial contact information. The above example comes from a regional food blogger’s writeup of their visit to an Italian restaurant in New York City. Getting a local blogger to positively mention and/or link to you or your brand can contribute to your authority.

Meanwhile, if your business can earn positive press in local news, it’s another way to be recognized as an authority. Here, a Palm Beach online news article cites a dog trainer for the special services he offers. Developing relationships with local reporters and columnists can also help them turn to you for quotes when a relevant story is being published.

Unstructured citations can also be video-based, as in this example of a Washington DC restaurant owner featured in a Huffington Post video profile. This type of coverage validates that a business owner is a real person with a long work history in a particular industry, making them an authority in their field.

Here’s another example in which the owner of a doughnut shop is being interviewed on a Portland, Maine business podcast.

Another option for proactively building authority is to write guest posts and articles on third-party websites, as in the above example of a guest post published on a pet software site by a dog-walking business owner in Waltham, MA. In addition to featuring your expertise in guest posts, you might also accept opportunities to speak at local or national conferences, events, and workshops that receive online coverage.

Finally, an overriding practice for building authority is earning links from any high-quality website relevant to your industry or geography. Using a tool like Moz Link Explorer (get a free trial here), you can understand what links your local business has earned to date and research the links your local competitors have earned.

In the above example, we can see that this local restaurant has earned 6.2k total inbound links, and the software then provides a ton of information about the source and strength of those links.

Data like this will help you explore opportunities for earning further high-quality links to help strengthen both your Domain Authority and Page Authority and increase the number of places you and your business are being cited as a real-world authority.

To learn more about this interesting and complex facet of marketing, make use of these resources:

• Chapter 6 of the Essential Local SEO Strategy Guide

• The Beginner’s Guide to Link Building

In sum, the more places that the public (and Google’s quality raters) can see you being cited, promoted, and linked to as having expertise in a particular area, the more authority you will build.

Google says:

“Assess how trustworthy the page is. Experience, Expertise and Authoritativeness can help with your assessment of Trust. Some types of pages require a high level of Trust.”

In other words, elements of your E, your other E, and your A contribute to the quality raters’ overall picture of your trust. Still, there are additional factors you can put into play to ensure your local business is seen as trustworthy by both Google and the public.

Trustworthiness pre-internet

Before the internet, trust might have been instilled by consumer guarantees like these:

Trustworthiness now

While paper contracts still matter, now, all of the following can help your local business verify its trustworthiness online:

The most basic form of being trustworthy as a local business owner is ensuring that information about your company, its name, address, phone number, other contact information, and hours of operation are accurate on your website, social profiles, and across the local search ecosystem.

Online, the whole test of trust begins with whether what searchers find about your brand is accurate. If you know that inaccuracies or inconsistencies in this data are inconveniencing customers, make it a priority to clean up your site, profiles, and listings (Moz Local can help you with the latter at scale).

Be sure your business name on your listings matches what’s on your street-level signage and is the brand name with which your staff greets customers when they answer your phones. Adhere to the Guidelines for representing your business on Google, and don’t create listings at non-existent or ineligible addresses. Be sure the contact information is really easy to find on your website – don’t bury it to avoid calls, requests for help, complaints, etc. A trustworthy business is easily accessible, responsive, and ready to offer customer support.

Trust is further instilled when a business responds both promptly and helpfully to its reviews. The above example shows a deli owner doing their very best to make things right for a dissatisfied customer, offering an explanation, an apology, and a replacement meal. According to The Impact of Local Business Reviews on Consumer Behavior:

• 60% of reviewers expect an owner to respond to reviews within two or fewer days

• 62% of negative reviewers would give a local brand a second chance after an owner's response solves their problem

• 63% of consumers will update their negative review or low-star rating once an owner response resolves their complaint

Just be sure you don’t jeopardize trust in your business by engaging in any forbidden practices relating to reviews:

• Don’t review your own business or ask family or current/former staff to do so.
• Don’t offer any type of incentive in exchange for a review.

• Don’t post reviews on behalf of customers or pay anyone to do so.

• Don’t post negative reviews of your competitors.

• Don’t engage in review-gating; this practice involves funneling customers through a feedback process in which only the happy ones are asked to leave a review.

• Don’t ask for reviews on Yelp; it’s against their policy. Fortunately, nearly all other local business review platforms are perfectly fine with you asking real customers to review your business.

Answer the questions you receive via Google’s Questions and Answers Feature on your Google Business Profile, rather than leaving it up to the public to provide customer service to your potential patrons.

Here, a customer is given precisely the answer they need by the owner of a local jewelry store.

Photograph multiple aspects of your business, including your premise exterior and interior, amenities, staff, products, and services. Showcase these photos on your listings, website, and social channels to validate that yours is a real company at a real location and that customers can trust that if they arrive at your address, they can expect a particular experience.

On your website, put your satisfaction guarantees and customer service policies front and center, as The Vermont Country Store has done:

Write a strong customer satisfaction policy and publicize it on your website and social channels. Do the same with your returns policy, and if you ship merchandise, with your shipping policy.

Whether your website is a simple one, like Eat at Joe’s, on which visitors only need to perform only a few functions (like finding your contact information, looking at a menu, and ordering food) or contains hundreds or thousands of pages that support a great variety of customer actions, prioritize usability and accessibility.

Here are some basic do’s and don’t’s:

• Don’t load the site with intrusive popup ads or other elements that get in the way of customers doing what they want to do.

• Don’t have a confusing navigation system; menus should assist people in their journey through your site and be consistently placed, organized, and easy to understand.

• Don’t engage in practices designed to trick visitors or search engine bots instead of assisting them.

• Do implement web accessibility standards so that customers with differing abilities can use your site.

• Do thoroughly check the text content on your site so that it’s as free as possible from spelling and grammatical errors.

• Do try to keep your site fresh so it doesn’t look neglected (e.g., your home page likely shouldn’t have a snowman in July).

• Do keep your site current with evolving security protocols.

In sum, Google states that E-E-A all go into informing T, but as we’ve seen, local businesses have various unique opportunities for demonstrating how much they can be trusted.

SEO of all stripes can honestly be confusing, filled with acronyms, guidelines, and weird-seeming rituals, but here’s the good news: almost nobody knows how to provide great customer service better than local business owners, and the majority of Google’s highest ideals tend to boil down to this. They want the public to have a good experience using their results to navigate the web, and a good experience can be summed up as helping people. As complex as local SEO can seem, that’s really all it’s about.

If you owned a local diner, you’d have a staffed phone number to take calls, a big sign over your door so your eatery could be found on the street, hours painted on your front window, a clean establishment, and someone to greet and seat your guests. You’d hand them a clear and comprehensive menu of your dishes, and you’d direct them to amenities like your patio, your bathrooms, or your booster seats. Your walls might be decorated with testimonials from famous customers, or just from regulars, and you might hang some photos about the history of the business to make the dining experience more enjoyable. You’d display certificates of having passed inspection by regulatory agencies, and if a customer wasn’t happy with a meal, you’d be there to try to make it right. You’d do all you could to provide a great meal, and you might even surprise a guest by serving their cherry pie à la mode so that they’d tell their friends about your restaurant, building up your great reputation.

All of this translates to what you can do online to develop your E-E-A-T factors over time, so top your own slice with a scoop of vanilla, because the work ethic you’ve put into running a great local business offline is going to serve you well as you step onto the web to help people discover, trust, cite, and choose you. You’ve got this!