Trustworthiness

Google put Trust at the center of E-E-A-T when it added a second “E” (Experience) to its guidelines in December 2022. The other three signals feed into Trust, but Trust is the gate. A page can show real experience, deep expertise, and wide authority and still fail if it is inaccurate, deceptive, or unsafe.

What raters actually check

Google’s quality raters look for concrete proof, not vibes. On a store, that means secure checkout, real contact details, and honest return policies. On an informational page, it means factual accuracy, clear sourcing, and a visible author or organization behind the claims. Google frames the check with three questions: Who created the content, How was it made, and Why does it exist. Answer those on the page itself.

Trust is not a single tag you drop in. It is the sum of small signals: correct facts, cited sources, an About page, author bios, HTTPS, consistent contact and business details, real reviews, and no bait-and-switch between the title and the content. YMYL topics (money, health, safety, civic) are held to the highest bar, because bad information there can cause real harm.

The same logic increasingly drives AI search. ChatGPT, Perplexity, and AI Overviews cite pages they can verify, so weak trust signals keep you out of the answer box, not just the blue links.