Experience
Direct proof that the author has lived, used or handled what they are talking about.
The second “E” in E-E-A-T, for Experience, was added by Google to reward lived proof. On any topic, content written by someone who has actually used, visited or owned what they describe is worth more than a synthesis, however well-documented.
It is also the pillar that most clearly separates authentic content from a generated or aggregated page: original photos, first-person accounts, dates and context are signals that are hard to fake, and especially scrutinized on YMYL topics.
Adopting a purely institutional, third-person tone with no personal voice.
Illustrating with stock images instead of visuals taken in the field.
Claiming experience without proving it: no story, no date, no concrete context.
Forgetting to timestamp and situate the experience (when, where, under what conditions).