January 20264 min read

Core Updates & E-E-A-T

Understand Google algorithm updates and the E-E-A-T quality framework for sustainable rankings.

Understanding Core Updates

Google releases broad core updates several times per year. These updates reassess how content is evaluated and can significantly impact rankings.

Important: Core updates are not penalties. They represent improvements to how Google evaluates content quality and relevance.

How Core Updates Work

code

Content Assessment → Quality Signals → Ranking Adjustment → SERP Changes

Key Characteristics:

Roll out over 2-4 weeks
Affect all languages and regions
Focus on content quality signals
No specific "fix"—improve overall quality

Recent Updates (2024-2025)

| Update | Date | Focus | |--------|------|-------| | December 2025 Core | Dec 2025 | Content quality, E-E-A-T | | November 2025 Core | Nov 2025 | Helpful content refinements | | August 2025 Core | Aug 2025 | User experience signals | | March 2025 Core | Mar 2025 | AI content evaluation | | December 2024 Core | Dec 2024 | Spam and quality signals |

December 2025 Core Update

The most recent core update emphasized:

First-Hand Experience — Content from people who've actually done/used things
Unique Insights — Original analysis, not rehashed information
Clear Authorship — Transparent about who created content
User-First Design — Sites built for users, not search engines
Comprehensive Coverage — Thorough treatment of topics

Recovery Insights from December 2025:

code

Sites that recovered focused on:
✓ Adding author bios with credentials
✓ Including first-person experience details
✓ Removing thin, auto-generated content
✓ Improving page speed and Core Web Vitals
✓ Building topical authority in specific niches

E-E-A-T Framework

E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness) is Google's quality framework for evaluating content.

Experience

The newest addition to E-A-T. Does the creator have first-hand experience with the topic?

Demonstrating Experience:

First-person narratives ("I tested this...")
Original photos and videos
Specific details only someone with experience would know
Dated experiences with timestamps
Before/after results

code

<!-- Example: Product review with experience -->
<article>
  <p>After using this software daily for 6 months, here's what I discovered...</p>
  <img src="my-dashboard-screenshot.jpg" alt="My actual dashboard after 6 months">
</article>

Expertise

Does the creator have the knowledge or skills for this topic?

Types of Expertise:

Formal: Degrees, certifications, professional credentials
Practical: Years of hands-on experience
Recognized: Industry awards, publications, speaking

Demonstrating Expertise:

code

{
  "@type": "Person",
  "name": "Dr. Sarah Johnson",
  "jobTitle": "SEO Director",
  "alumniOf": "Stanford University",
  "hasCredential": {
    "@type": "EducationalOccupationalCredential",
    "credentialCategory": "degree",
    "name": "Ph.D. in Computer Science"
  }
}

Authoritativeness

Is the creator or website a recognized authority on the topic?

Authority Signals:

Backlinks from authoritative sources
Citations by other experts
Consistent topic coverage
Industry recognition
Media mentions

Trustworthiness

The most important E-E-A-T factor. Can users trust this content?

Trust Signals: | Signal | Implementation | |--------|----------------| | Secure site | HTTPS everywhere | | Contact info | Clear contact page, physical address | | Privacy policy | Transparent data practices | | About page | Company/author information | | References | Cited sources and links | | Reviews | Genuine user testimonials |

Recovery Strategies

If your site was negatively impacted by a core update:

Immediate Actions

Don't panic — Wait for the update to complete
Analyze changes — Which pages/sections were affected?
Compare with winners — What do ranking competitors do better?
Check Search Console — Look for indexing issues or manual actions

Long-Term Improvements

code

## Content Audit Checklist

□ Remove or consolidate thin content
□ Update outdated information
□ Add author bios and credentials
□ Include first-hand experience
□ Improve depth and comprehensiveness
□ Add original images and media
□ Check for grammatical errors
□ Verify all facts and statistics
□ Add expert quotes and citations
□ Improve internal linking

Technical Audit

code

// Key metrics to check
const technicalChecklist = {
  coreWebVitals: {
    LCP: 'Under 2.5s',
    INP: 'Under 200ms',
    CLS: 'Under 0.1'
  },
  mobile: 'Fully responsive',
  https: 'All pages secure',
  speed: 'TTFB under 200ms',
  crawlability: 'No blocked resources'
};

YMYL Content

"Your Money or Your Life" content requires the highest E-E-A-T standards.

YMYL Categories

| Category | Examples | |----------|----------| | Financial | Banking, investing, taxes | | Medical | Health conditions, treatments | | Legal | Laws, custody, immigration | | Safety | Product safety, emergency info | | News | Current events, politics | | Shopping | Large purchases |

YMYL Requirements

For YMYL content, you must have:

Verified expertise — Real credentials in the field
Up-to-date information — Regularly reviewed and updated
Clear sourcing — All claims supported by authoritative sources
Transparent authorship — Who wrote this and why they're qualified
Professional presentation — No errors, high-quality design

January 20264 min read

Core Updates & E-E-A-T

Understand Google algorithm updates and the E-E-A-T quality framework for sustainable rankings.

Understanding Core Updates

Google releases broad core updates several times per year. These updates reassess how content is evaluated and can significantly impact rankings.

Important: Core updates are not penalties. They represent improvements to how Google evaluates content quality and relevance.

How Core Updates Work

code

Content Assessment → Quality Signals → Ranking Adjustment → SERP Changes

Key Characteristics:

Roll out over 2-4 weeks
Affect all languages and regions
Focus on content quality signals
No specific "fix"—improve overall quality

Recent Updates (2024-2025)

December 2025 Core Update

The most recent core update emphasized:

First-Hand Experience — Content from people who've actually done/used things
Unique Insights — Original analysis, not rehashed information
Clear Authorship — Transparent about who created content
User-First Design — Sites built for users, not search engines
Comprehensive Coverage — Thorough treatment of topics

Recovery Insights from December 2025:

code

Sites that recovered focused on:
✓ Adding author bios with credentials
✓ Including first-person experience details
✓ Removing thin, auto-generated content
✓ Improving page speed and Core Web Vitals
✓ Building topical authority in specific niches

E-E-A-T Framework

E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness) is Google's quality framework for evaluating content.

Experience

The newest addition to E-A-T. Does the creator have first-hand experience with the topic?

Demonstrating Experience:

First-person narratives ("I tested this...")
Original photos and videos
Specific details only someone with experience would know
Dated experiences with timestamps
Before/after results

code

<!-- Example: Product review with experience -->
<article>
  <p>After using this software daily for 6 months, here's what I discovered...</p>
  <img src="my-dashboard-screenshot.jpg" alt="My actual dashboard after 6 months">
</article>

Expertise

Does the creator have the knowledge or skills for this topic?

Types of Expertise:

Formal: Degrees, certifications, professional credentials
Practical: Years of hands-on experience
Recognized: Industry awards, publications, speaking

Demonstrating Expertise:

code

{
  "@type": "Person",
  "name": "Dr. Sarah Johnson",
  "jobTitle": "SEO Director",
  "alumniOf": "Stanford University",
  "hasCredential": {
    "@type": "EducationalOccupationalCredential",
    "credentialCategory": "degree",
    "name": "Ph.D. in Computer Science"
  }
}

Authoritativeness

Is the creator or website a recognized authority on the topic?

Authority Signals:

Backlinks from authoritative sources
Citations by other experts
Consistent topic coverage
Industry recognition
Media mentions

Trustworthiness

The most important E-E-A-T factor. Can users trust this content?

Recovery Strategies

If your site was negatively impacted by a core update:

Immediate Actions

Don't panic — Wait for the update to complete
Analyze changes — Which pages/sections were affected?
Compare with winners — What do ranking competitors do better?
Check Search Console — Look for indexing issues or manual actions

Long-Term Improvements

code

## Content Audit Checklist

□ Remove or consolidate thin content
□ Update outdated information
□ Add author bios and credentials
□ Include first-hand experience
□ Improve depth and comprehensiveness
□ Add original images and media
□ Check for grammatical errors
□ Verify all facts and statistics
□ Add expert quotes and citations
□ Improve internal linking

Technical Audit

code

// Key metrics to check
const technicalChecklist = {
  coreWebVitals: {
    LCP: 'Under 2.5s',
    INP: 'Under 200ms',
    CLS: 'Under 0.1'
  },
  mobile: 'Fully responsive',
  https: 'All pages secure',
  speed: 'TTFB under 200ms',
  crawlability: 'No blocked resources'
};

YMYL Content

"Your Money or Your Life" content requires the highest E-E-A-T standards.

YMYL Categories

YMYL Requirements

For YMYL content, you must have:

Verified expertise — Real credentials in the field
Up-to-date information — Regularly reviewed and updated
Clear sourcing — All claims supported by authoritative sources
Transparent authorship — Who wrote this and why they're qualified
Professional presentation — No errors, high-quality design