Beginner-Friendly E-E-A-T On-Page Step-by-Step (2025)

Introduction

You don’t need a giant team to demonstrate E-E-A-T. Follow this beginner-friendly, on-page checklist to show Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trust on every article. Use free tools from SEO Horizan to verify each step before you hit publish.

Step 1 — Add a 40–55 word snippet under the H1

Open with a short paragraph that states who it’s for, the outcome, and the proof you’ll provide. This improves extractability for search and sets reader expectations.

<p class="snippet">[Audience], [outcome], proven with [experience example] + [2–3 steps/tools].</p>

Confirm it exists and is the right length using Website Text Extractor.

Step 2 — Show real Experience with a “How we did it” block

Experience beats generic tips. Add a compact, skimmable module with your setup, inputs, and results.

• Context: product/site, timeframe, environment (tool versions).
• Inputs: data source, sample size, constraints.
• Outcome: metrics before/after, a screenshot or short clip.

<aside class="experience">
  <h3>How we tested</h3>
  <ul><li>Site: [type] • Window: [dates]</li><li>Inputs: [queries/pages/tools]</li><li>Result: [metric] ↑[delta]%</li></ul>
</aside>

Step 3 — Add an Author block with credentials (Expertise)

Tell readers who wrote and reviewed the piece. Link to a crawlable author page.

• Author: name, role, relevant years/industry.
• Reviewer (optional but strong): subject-matter expert and date reviewed.
• Contact/proof: link to author page or portfolio.

<footer class="byline">
  <img src="/media/authors/jane.webp" alt="Jane Doe">
  <div><strong>Jane Doe</strong> — Technical SEO (8 yrs) • Reviewed by: Alex Nguyen (Web Perf)</div>
  <a href="/authors/jane-doe">Author page</a>
</footer>

Step 4 — Cite sources and link out with context (Authoritativeness)

Back claims with reputable sources. Use natural anchor text and explain why the source matters.

• Prefer primary/official docs, standards, or original research.
• Place citations near the claim; avoid bare “here” links.
• Mix in neutral summaries so readers understand the takeaway.

Step 5 — Add Trust UX near friction points

Place short, plain-language answers where users hesitate (pricing, refunds, limits). Use concise FAQs instead of long policy pages.

• Returns/warranties condensed to 1–3 bullets next to checkout or CTA.
• Security/PII note if you collect forms (storage, usage, retention).
• Compliance & policies linked: Privacy, Terms, and a crawlable Sitemap.

Step 6 — Internal links with a job (not just “see also”)

Guide readers to the next helpful action and help crawlers understand relationships.

• 2–4 contextual links in the intro; descriptive anchors (no “click here”).
• Ensure links resolve to a final 200: URL Redirect Checker • HTTP Headers Lookup.
• Link up to the hub and sideways to sibling articles.

Step 7 — Keep it fast and stable (Trust + UX)

Slow, janky pages undermine trust. Hit basic performance guardrails before publish.

• TTFB < 600 ms via TTFB Checker.
• < 2 MB total weight via Page Size Checker.
• Descriptive alts and filenames for images: Image Alt Tags Checker.

Step 8 — Minimal, truthful schema (no decoration)

Add JSON-LD that mirrors visible content. Use only types you actually show.

• Article/BlogPosting for guides; FAQPage only if Q&A is visible; BreadcrumbList for hierarchy.
• Keep author/reviewer names consistent with the byline.

{
  "@context":"https://schema.org",
  "@type":"BlogPosting",
  "headline":"[Title]",
  "description":"[40–55w snippet]",
  "author":{"@type":"Person","name":"[Author]"},
  "reviewedBy":{"@type":"Person","name":"[Reviewer]"}
}

Step 9 — Add a transparent update log

Show readers (and crawlers) when facts changed. Place below the byline.

<section class="changelog">
  <h3>Updates</h3>
  <ul><li>2025-10-04 — Replaced 2023 Core Web Vitals chart with 2025 INP data.</li></ul>
</section>

Step 10 — Pre-publish QA (copy this loop)

1. Snippet present & sized: Text Extractor.
2. Meta/OG parity: Meta Tags Checker + OpenGraph Checker.
3. Links final-200 & headers sane: Redirect Checker • Headers Lookup.
4. Speed/weight: TTFB, Page Size.
5. Policies discoverable: ensure they’re in the Sitemap.

Copy-and-paste worksheet (CSV)

URL, Snippet 40–55w (Y/N), Experience Block (Y/N), Author/Reviewer (Y/N), 2–4 Contextual Links (Y/N), Links Final-200 (Y/N), Citations Present (Y/N), Schema Valid (Y/N), TTFB<600ms (Y/N), <2MB (Y/N), Policies Linked (Y/N), Owner, Live Date

Internal links you should add

• Blog hub (related guides)
• Plans (governance & automation)
• Sign-up or Login when relevant
• Keep important pages in your Sitemap

FAQs