Google E-E-A-T: Why Every Web Design Agency Should Care About It
Written by W&P Web Designers
Date: 13 December 2024
Introduction: What on Earth is Google E-E-A-T?
If you spend any time in the world of SEO or content strategy, you’ll have come across the acronym E-E-A-T. It stands for:
Experience – showing you’ve actually done the thing you’re talking about.
Expertise – proving you really know your subject.
Authoritativeness – recognition from peers, the industry, and other credible sources.
Trustworthiness – the foundation that ties it all together, based on transparency, reliability, and evidence.
Google didn’t create E-E-A-T as a direct ranking factor. Instead, it’s part of the Quality Rater Guidelines—the framework used by Google’s human evaluators to judge the quality of search results. But while it’s not a “switch” inside Google’s algorithm, it heavily influences what gets surfaced at the top of the search results.
And for web design agencies, this matters—a lot. Because no matter how slick your site design is, if your content doesn’t demonstrate E-E-A-T, it’s going to struggle in search.
Clearing Up the Confusion: What E-E-A-T Isn’t
Let’s kill a common myth right away: E-E-A-T is not a direct ranking factor.
It’s not like backlinks or mobile-friendliness where you can point to a measurable signal.
Instead, think of it as Google’s way of setting the standard. It’s the difference between a random blog spouting generic advice versus a qualified professional sharing first-hand insight.
In short:
E-E-A-T is a set of expectations, not an algorithmic trigger.
It guides Google toward rewarding helpful, high-quality, trustworthy content.
It raises the bar for businesses and agencies who want to win in organic search.
The Evolution of E-E-A-T
Google first rolled out E-A-T in 2014. But it wasn’t until December 2022 that the extra “E” was added for Experience.
Why the change? Because Google realised that expertise alone wasn’t enough. Users value authors who’ve actually been there and done it. For example:
A plumber writing about bleeding a radiator is instantly more credible than a generic writer summarising a “how-to” from other blogs.
A web designer explaining accessibility best practices with real client examples will outshine a vague, surface-level article.
It’s all about showing the fingerprints of lived experience.
Why Web Design Agencies Should Care
At this point, you might be wondering: “We build websites. Why should we care about content guidelines?”
The answer is simple: a beautiful website without quality content is like a Ferrari with no engine. It looks great but doesn’t get you anywhere.
If your client’s site doesn’t demonstrate strong E-E-A-T signals, it won’t perform in search. That means fewer visitors, less visibility, and ultimately a site that underdelivers.
As a web design agency, you’re not just building a visual identity—you’re shaping the foundation of your client’s digital marketing. And that foundation has to be built with content that Google trusts.
How to Demonstrate Experience
So how do agencies (and their clients) prove they’ve got real-world know-how? A few practical tips:
Employee bios: Create individual profile pages highlighting team members’ backgrounds, projects, and qualifications. Link to LinkedIn profiles for extra credibility.
Case studies: Show detailed examples of past projects, challenges faced, and results achieved.
Behind-the-scenes content: Share photos, videos, or process breakdowns to highlight first-hand involvement.
Googlebot crawls all of this. And when it sees consistent, verifiable evidence of experience, it strengthens your site’s perceived value.
How to Demonstrate Expertise
Expertise goes beyond “I’ve done this before.” It’s about proving deep knowledge and competence.
Ways to highlight expertise:
Add mini-bios at the top or bottom of articles showing the author’s credentials.
Write content that’s fact-rich: use statistics, references, and technical detail.
Focus on depth over fluff. Thin, vague content signals inexperience.
Combine written articles with tutorials, webinars, or video walk-throughs.
Remember: expertise is useless if it’s boring. Google wants helpful content, but users want engaging content. If your article reads like a textbook, visitors will bounce—and that signals to Google that your content isn’t satisfying.
How to Demonstrate Authoritativeness
Authority is what happens when the rest of the internet recognises your expertise. It’s external validation.
Here’s how agencies (and their clients) can build it:
Backlinks: Earn links from respected sites in your industry. Focus on quality, not quantity.
Reviews: Encourage happy clients to leave detailed reviews on Google Business Profile, copyright, or industry directories.
Thought leadership: Publish insights on LinkedIn, guest post on relevant blogs, or speak at events.
The more you’re cited, referenced, or recommended by others, the more weight your content carries.
How to Demonstrate Trustworthiness
Trust is the glue that binds E-E-A-T together. Without it, everything else falls apart.
Here’s how to show you’re credible and reliable:
Cite reputable sources: If you use facts, back them up with links to respected publications, universities, or government sites.
Be transparent: Make it clear who wrote the content. Include names, photos, and contact details.
Secure your site: An SSL certificate is a non-negotiable. Users (and Google) expect the padlock in the address bar.
Consistent editorial standards: No sloppy typos or contradictory information. Professionalism builds confidence.
Trust also comes from reputation signals: good reviews, mentions in the press, and positive engagement from users.
Content That Holds Attention
One area web design agencies often overlook is user behaviour signals. Google’s algorithms look at metrics like:
Bounce rate: Do visitors leave after just one page?
Dwell time: Do they actually stay and read?
Engagement: Do they click, scroll, or watch videos?
Poorly written, unhelpful content leads to quick exits. And no amount of design polish can fix that.
Agencies should encourage clients to invest in content that informs and entertains. Use images, break up text with subheadings, and inject some personality. The aim is to keep people reading longer, signalling to Google that your site satisfies intent.
Why Split Testing Matters
The best agencies don’t just publish and hope. They test and refine.
A/B testing (or split testing) allows you to compare different versions of a page to see which performs better. For example:
Does a new headline reduce bounce rate?
Does a bigger call-to-action button improve conversions?
Does reorganising navigation keep people exploring longer?
By continuously testing, agencies can fine-tune both design and content to maximise engagement—and, by extension, strengthen E-E-A-T signals.
The Bigger Picture
When you put it all together, E-E-A-T isn’t just a content marketing checklist. It’s a mindset.
For web design agencies, it means building sites that:
Look professional and are easy to use.
Contain content written by people who actually know their stuff.
Showcase real experience and evidence.
Earn recognition and trust from external sources.
The end result? Websites that don’t just look good but perform well in search and deliver long-term value for clients.
Conclusion
Google’s E-E-A-T framework is here to stay. It’s not a direct ranking factor, but it underpins how Google evaluates quality.
For web design agencies, the message is clear: design and content go hand in hand. You can’t have one without the other. If your client’s site looks amazing but has thin, untrustworthy content, it won’t rank. And if the content is strong but poorly presented, visitors won’t stick around.
So, invest in both. Show experience. Prove expertise. Build authority. Earn trust. That’s how you future-proof websites for success in Google’s ever-evolving search landscape.