PILLAR 3, TRUST SIGNALS · 3.1 Authorship & E-E-A-THighVerified
No expertise signals on YMYL
For your-money-or-your-life topics, health, finance, safety, Google holds expertise to a high bar. Content in these areas without clear expert credentials struggles and arguably should.
What it is
Money/health content without expert backing.
Why it matters
YMYL demands higher E-E-A-T; absence risks heavy quality demotion.
How to fix it
Use qualified authors/reviewers; cite authorities.
How to find it on your site
- Identify YMYL pages on the site.
- Check whether genuine subject-matter expertise is shown, in the author and the content.
- Add expert authorship, review and credentials.
- Cite authoritative sources throughout.
Cross-reference to ranking and citation factors
Expertise is weighted heavily for YMYL queries. Without it, these pages are unlikely to rank or be trusted.
Impact
High for YMYL. Direct.
Evidence
YMYL requires strong E-E-A-T. Google, Search Quality Rater Guidelines (PDF); Google Search Central, Creating helpful, reliable, people-first content
Sources