Comprehensive audit across 14 page types — with tiered Authority & Expertise signals reflecting real-world AI citation weight
Trust-First Architecture
For Educational Purposes Only
The creators assume no responsibility for business decisions or outcomes resulting from use of this tool. Signals are tailored to each content type based on documented patterns. Use "N/A" for signals that genuinely don't apply to your content — not for signals that are missing or not yet implemented.
Why This Scorecard Evaluates Trust First
"Trustworthiness is the most important member of the E-E-A-T family because untrustworthy pages have low E-E-A-T no matter how Experienced, Expert, or Authoritative they may seem."
— Google Search Quality Rater Guidelines (January 2025)
This is why we built the scorecard with Trust as the foundation. A board-certified expert with a Wikipedia page loses all credibility if they make unsubstantiated claims, hide financial relationships, or refuse to cite sources. Without Trust, Experience, Expertise, and Authority cannot stand. Your Trust Foundation status determines the maximum score you can achieve.
Publication Tier System — Authority & Expertise Signals
Within the Authority and Expertise pillars, signals are grouped by how hard they are to obtain and how durable they are once acquired. All checked signals contribute equally to your score. These tiers describe acquisition difficulty and notability value, not measured AI citation weight — large-scale citation datasets consistently show the majority of AI citations going to sources outside the top tier, so a strong profile needs signals at every level rather than Tier 1 alone.
⬛ TIER 1
Top-Tier Authority
Global recognition, government, academic, and knowledge graph signals. Hardest to obtain, longest-lasting, and the strongest support for entity notability.
Recognized vertical publications, professional associations, analyst firms, and industry awards with editorial standards.
TechCrunch, SEJ, Healthline, Investopedia, Gartner, professional bodies, trade press
▫ TIER 3
Community Authority
Niche communities, smaller publications, directories, and social proof signals. Easiest to obtain and, in aggregate, a large share of what AI systems actually cite.
Niche forums, podcasts, community platforms, directories, Product Hunt, Reddit mentions
Tiered Scoring System
Each pillar awards points based on % of applicable signals checked. Trust Foundation status caps your maximum achievable score.
Excellent80%+
Full 25 points for pillar
Good60–79%
20 points for pillar
Fair40–59%
15 points for pillar
Developing<40%
Proportional points
Editorial & Informational
Commercial & Product
Credibility & Organisational
Article / Blog Post: Emphasises author expertise, source citations, and editorial quality. Ideal for thought leadership and educational content.
Live Score
0/100
Trust ★
0/25
Experience
0/25
Expertise
0/25
Authority
0/25
1
Establish Trust Foundation
Without trustworthiness, other E-E-A-T signals cannot stand. Evaluate these signals first.
2
Build on the Foundation
With Trust established, Experience, Expertise, and Authority amplify your credibility. Tier 1 Authority and Expertise signals carry the strongest AI citation weight.
0
Poor
Major E-E-A-T deficiencies; comprehensive overhaul needed
Trust Foundation Status:Critical
Your Trust score is below 40%, which caps your maximum achievable E-E-A-T score at 50. According to Google's Search Quality Rater Guidelines, "untrustworthy pages have low E-E-A-T no matter how Experienced, Expert, or Authoritative they may seem." Address Trust signals first.
