/seo-aeo-best-practices

EEAT Principles

Google's EEAT framework (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness) guides how content quality is evaluated. This applies to both SEO rankings and AI answer selection.

The Four Pillars

Experience

First-hand or life experience with the topic.

Signals:

• Personal anecdotes and case studies
• "I tested this" content
• Real-world results and screenshots
• User-generated reviews

Implementation:

• Include author bios with relevant experience
• Add "About the Author" sections
• Feature customer testimonials
• Show real examples, not just theory

Expertise

Knowledge and skill in the subject area.

Signals:

• Credentials and qualifications
• Depth of content coverage
• Technical accuracy
• Citations to authoritative sources

Implementation:

• Display author credentials
• Link to primary sources
• Cover topics comprehensively
• Keep content technically accurate and updated

Authoritativeness

Recognition as a go-to source in the field.

Signals:

• Backlinks from respected sites
• Mentions in industry publications
• Social proof and follower counts
• Brand recognition

Implementation:

• Build thought leadership content
• Contribute to industry publications
• Maintain consistent publishing
• Develop recognizable brand voice

Trustworthiness

Accuracy, transparency, and legitimacy.

Signals:

• Clear authorship and contact info
• Accurate, fact-checked content
• Secure website (HTTPS)
• Privacy policy and terms

Implementation:

• Display clear author attribution
• Include publication and update dates
• Provide contact information
• Use HTTPS and maintain security

Sanity Implementation

// Author schema with EEAT signals
defineType({
  name: 'author',
  type: 'document',
  fields: [
    defineField({ name: 'name', type: 'string' }),
    defineField({ name: 'role', type: 'string' }),
    defineField({ name: 'bio', type: 'text' }),
    defineField({ name: 'credentials', type: 'array', of: [{ type: 'string' }] }),
    defineField({ name: 'image', type: 'image' }),
    // sameAs: used for schema.org Person structured data output
    defineField({ name: 'sameAs', type: 'array', of: [{ type: 'url' }],
      description: 'Canonical profile URLs (LinkedIn, Twitter, etc.) for schema.org Person'
    }),
    // socialLinks: used for display purposes (platform icons, labels)
    defineField({
      name: 'socialLinks',
      type: 'array',
      of: [{ type: 'object', fields: [
        defineField({ name: 'platform', type: 'string' }),
        defineField({ name: 'url', type: 'url' })
      ]}],
      description: 'Social links for display in the UI. Use sameAs for structured data output.'
    }),
  ]
})

// Content with EEAT metadata
defineType({
  name: 'post',
  fields: [
    defineField({ name: 'author', type: 'reference', to: [{ type: 'author' }] }),
    defineField({ name: 'publishedAt', type: 'datetime' }),
    defineField({ name: 'updatedAt', type: 'datetime' }),
    defineField({ 
      name: 'reviewedBy', 
      type: 'reference', 
      to: [{ type: 'author' }],
      description: 'Expert reviewer for fact-checking'
    }),
    defineField({
      name: 'sources',
      type: 'array',
      of: [{ type: 'url' }],
      description: 'Citations and references'
    }),
  ]
})

YMYL Considerations

"Your Money or Your Life" topics (health, finance, legal, safety) require extra EEAT rigor:

• Medical content reviewed by healthcare professionals
• Financial advice from certified experts
• Legal content reviewed by attorneys
• Clear disclaimers where appropriate