You've probably noticed that the internet feels a bit different lately. One day you’re searching for "how to fix a leaky faucet" and getting a helpful video from a guy in overalls, and the next, your Google Discover feed is suspiciously full of hyper-specific articles about the exact hobby you took up last week. It isn't magic. It’s a very specific, high-stakes evaluation system that Google uses to separate the signal from the noise.
So, what rating is it that actually moves the needle?
It’s called E-E-A-T. If you’re in the digital space, you’ve likely heard the acronym whispered like a mantra. It stands for Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness. But here’s the kicker: it isn't a single numerical score tucked away in a dashboard. You won't find a "7.4/10" rating in your Google Search Console. Instead, it’s a framework—a set of human-centric benchmarks that Google’s 16,000+ Search Quality Raters use to tell the algorithm whether you’re a real human who knows their stuff or just another bot churning out word salad.
The Secret Scale: From "Lowest" to "Highest"
When those human raters land on your page, they aren't just looking at keywords. They are literally grading you on a sliding scale. This is the "rating" that actually matters. They use a Page Quality (PQ) rating scale that ranges from Lowest to Highest.
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If you want to land in Google Discover—which is basically the VIP lounge of the internet—you have to hit that "High" or "Highest" tier.
Honestly, the difference between a page that ranks on page one and a page that vanishes is often just one "E." For years, we just had E-A-T. Then, in late 2022, Google tacked on Experience. This changed everything. Now, the algorithm wants to see that you’ve actually done the thing you’re writing about.
Think about it this way. If I’m looking for a review of the latest iPhone, I don’t want a spec sheet. I want to hear from the person who actually dropped it in a puddle and can tell me if the screen really survived. That is "Experience." Without it, your "Expertise" feels a bit hollow.
Why Discover is Pickier Than Search
Google Discover is a different beast. While Search is reactive (you ask, Google answers), Discover is proactive. It’s a "push" service. Because Google is essentially recommending content to you without you asking for it, the bar for quality is astronomical.
To show up there, your E-E-A-T rating needs to be through the roof.
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Google’s own documentation is pretty blunt about this. They mention that for Discover, the content needs to be "timely for current interests" and "demonstrate E-E-A-T." If your site has a history of clickbait or "Lowest" quality ratings from those human evaluators, you’re basically blacklisted from the feed. It’s a trust thing. Google isn't going to risk their reputation by pushing a "fake news" health article into your morning feed.
The YMYL Factor: Where Ratings Get Brutal
If you write about "Your Money or Your Life" (YMYL) topics—think finance, health, or legal advice—the rating system becomes a brick wall.
Google isn't playing games here. If you’re giving medical advice, you better have a medical degree or be citing a peer-reviewed study. A "Medium" quality rating might get a blog post about "how to knit a sweater" onto page two. But a "Medium" rating on "how to treat a heart attack" will get you buried in the digital equivalent of the Mariana Trench.
For YMYL content, Trust is the center of the E-E-A-T universe.
You can have all the experience in the world, but if your site looks sketchy, doesn't have an "About Us" page, or hides its physical address, the rater will slap you with a "Low" rating. Trust is the foundation. Without it, Experience and Expertise are irrelevant.
Reality Check: The 2026 Shift
By now, in 2026, the game has shifted toward Entity-First SEO. Google doesn't just see words anymore; it sees "entities"—real people, brands, and organizations.
The rating isn't just about the article; it’s about the Author.
If your name is attached to ten high-quality articles about rock climbing across five different reputable sites, Google starts to "rate" you as an authority in that niche. This is often called Topical Authority. When you publish something new, you start with a head start because the system already trusts your "entity."
Conversely, if you're using a fake persona or a generic "Admin" byline, you're fighting an uphill battle. The human raters are literally instructed to "research the reputation of the creator." They’ll go to LinkedIn, check your Twitter (or whatever we’re calling it now), and see if anyone else in your industry actually takes you seriously.
How to Actually Get the "Highest" Rating
It’s not about checking boxes. It’s about being a real person who provides real value.
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- Ditch the stock photos. If you’re reviewing a product, show your own hands holding it. Google’s Vision AI can tell the difference between a unique photo and a stock image you bought for five bucks.
- Be transparent. Put your bio at the bottom. Link to your socials. Explain why you are qualified to talk about this. If you’re a hobbyist, lean into that "Experience" angle.
- Cite like a scientist. Don't just say "studies show." Link to the study. Mention the lead researcher. This builds that "Authoritativeness" pillar.
- Fix the fluff. If a paragraph doesn't add new information, kill it. The human raters are trained to spot "filler" meant to inflate word count. They hate it.
Actionable Next Steps
If you want to see where you stand, go to your top-performing page and read it through the lens of a "Search Quality Rater." Ask yourself: if I followed this advice and it went wrong, would I sue the author? If the answer is "maybe," you need to beef up your E-E-A-T.
Start by auditing your author bios. Ensure every writer on your site has a "digital footprint" that proves they exist. Next, go through your YMYL pages and add "Reviewed By" badges if you have a subject matter expert who can vet the facts.
Finally, stop writing for the "algorithm." The algorithm is now specifically designed to find and reward people who write for other people. Focus on being the "Source" rather than the "Summary." Provide the data, the unique perspective, or the lived experience that an AI simply cannot replicate. That’s how you secure the "Highest" rating and stay in the good graces of both Search and Discover.