Every few months Google rolls out another reminder that the internet is not the Wild West anymore. Used to be a business could toss a five-page website online, sprinkle a few keywords around like Tony Chachere’s, and magically show up when folks typed something into a search bar. Those days are long gone. Today Google wants structure, signals, identity, consistency, and something called E-A-T.
And no, this is not about jambalaya, poboys, or anything else a New Orleanian might be tempted to smother in hot sauce. E-A-T stands for Expertise, Authority, and Trustworthiness. Sounds simple, right? But Google treats these three little letters like the secret recipe to the entire internet. Understanding how it reads these signals can determine whether a business climbs to the top of search results or sinks faster than a pair of concrete fishing boots in Bayou St. John.
So let’s break down this famous framework, the way I see it… from the perspective of a guy who has been helping businesses wrestle with Google for more than two decades.
EXPERTISE: GOOGLE WANTS TO KNOW WHO ACTUALLY KNOWS WHAT THEY’RE TALKING ABOUT
Expertise is Google’s way of saying, “Show the world that somebody behind this business actually knows something.” Not in a bragging way. Not in an “I once watched a YouTube video so now I’m an expert” way. But in a steady, consistent, reliable way.
This is where content steps into the spotlight. Google doesn’t want a website that looks like it was slapped together during halftime of a Saints game. It wants depth. Context. Articles that actually explain things. Blog posts that help people make decisions. Resource pages that clear up confusion instead of creating more of it.
Think of Google like that one uncle at the crawfish boil who knows everything about everything. You don’t impress him with small talk. You impress him by actually knowing the topic and being able to explain it without falling apart.
When a website publishes helpful content regularly, Google starts to recognize that business as a source of real knowledge. It begins connecting the dots, categorizing the topics, and eventually treating that business like someone who belongs in the conversation.
AUTHORITY: GOOGLE WANTS TO KNOW WHO EVERYONE ELSE LISTENS TO
Authority is basically Google asking, “Alright, who else says this business is legit?”
In real life, this is like running into someone at Rouses who says, “Talk to Lester… Lester knows boats,” and suddenly everyone in the seafood aisle is pointing toward Lester like he’s the captain of the whole Gulf Coast.
Online, Google looks for those same signals. Mentions, references, citations, reviews, news articles, local directory listings, industry websites… all the digital fingerprints that show a business isn’t just talking to itself.
Authority builds when other people point back and say, “Yep, this one right here… this business knows what it’s doing.” Google watches for these moments the same way a bouncer watches for fake IDs on Bourbon Street — carefully, and with a surprising amount of judgment.
The more third-party acknowledgement a business gets, the louder the authority signal becomes. And when Google hears it loudly enough, the business starts climbing through search results like it found its own little digital escalator.
TRUSTWORTHINESS: GOOGLE WANTS TO KNOW A BUSINESS ISN’T A GHOST WITH A WEBSITE
Trustworthiness is Google’s favorite part of E-A-T, mostly because it weeds out the shady websites faster than a mama swatting mosquitoes in the backyard.
Google checks everything.
Is the address real?
Is the contact information consistent?
Does the business show itself, or does the website look like it was built by a vampire who only works at night?
Are policies listed?
Is the site secure?
Is the business represented the same way across the internet, or does it look like someone changed the name three times in two weeks?
Google wants stability. Predictability. Transparency. It wants to know that the people running a business are real humans and not a raccoon with Wi-Fi.
When everything lines up — listings, bios, photos, content, branding, contact info — trust signals start lighting up like a Christmas tree on Canal Street.
THE BIG PICTURE: GOOGLE USES E-A-T TO DECIDE WHO GETS TO BE SEEN
Here’s the twist most business owners don’t realize:
Google doesn’t rank websites based on who exists — it ranks websites based on who contributes.
The businesses that publish helpful information, demonstrate what they know, show their face to the community, participate in conversations, and stay consistent across all platforms… those are the ones Google pushes toward the top.
E-A-T is not a checklist. It’s more like Google standing in the corner with its arms folded, evaluating the whole room and deciding who’s actually worth introducing to the crowd.
Businesses with thin content, no public footprint, and unclear identity struggle to be found because Google isn’t sure what it’s looking at. Meanwhile, businesses that show steady signals — clear expertise, steady authority, obvious trust — are treated as safe, reliable options.
And trust me… in the age of AI-powered search, Google loves nothing more than a safe, reliable option.
THE WORLD IS CHANGING — AND GOOGLE IS GETTING PICKIER
Every year Google becomes more like a detective and less like a directory. It wants context. Behavior patterns. Consistent publishing. Real-world identity. Businesses that communicate, educate, clarify, and contribute tend to win the rankings race without even trying to sprint.
E-A-T is becoming the backbone of visibility. Not because Google is trying to be difficult, but because it wants to deliver information that people can genuinely rely on.
And that’s where opportunity lives.
The more a business shows, teaches, publishes, and clarifies, the more Google recognizes the signals… and the easier it becomes to rise above the noise.
In other words… the more a business feeds Google the signals it’s hungry for, the more the algorithm takes notice.
And unlike an actual New Orleans meal, Google never gets full.
