E‑A‑T for Coaches: Demonstrating Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness

Coaches can demonstrate E‑A‑T (Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness — now commonly E‑E‑A‑T with Experience added) by making their credentials, real-world results, and ethical practices explicit and verifiable across their website and public channels. Below I list concrete, actionable steps organized by each E‑A‑T element, with practical examples you can implement immediately.

Essential actions (one‑sentence summary)

• Show your expertise with clear credentials, explained methodologies, and content that teaches at a professional level.
• Build authoritativeness by earning documented third‑party recognition (press, backlinks, citations, partnerships) and a visible industry footprint.
• Prove trustworthiness through transparent policies, verifiable client outcomes, secure user experiences, and honest messaging.
• Demonstrate experience (the added E) by including first‑hand case studies, session excerpts, and situational examples that show you’ve done the work.

Detailed, actionable checklist

Expertise — show you know coaching and how you help clients

• Publish an author/about page that lists credentials, certifications, training programs, years coaching, and relevant continuing education; link to verifiable certifying bodies where possible.
• Describe your coaching approach and methodology in practical terms (step‑by‑step, frameworks, tools you use) so readers can assess your skill level.
• Produce high‑quality, original content that teaches: long‑form guides, how‑to articles, video tutorials, and frameworks that solve specific client problems.
• Have subject‑matter experts (if applicable) review or co‑create content; clearly note reviewer names and qualifications.

Experience — prove you’ve directly handled the problems you write about

• Create detailed case studies that include situation, intervention, measurable outcomes (metrics, timelines), and client permission or anonymization.
• Share session excerpts, audio/video clips, or annotated coaching transcripts (with consent) that demonstrate real coaching interactions and thinking.
• Use first‑hand stories in blog posts and videos where you explain lessons learned and decisions made in real client situations.

Authoritativeness — be recognized by others

• Collect and display third‑party mentions: media features, podcast appearances, conference talks, guest posts, and industry awards.
• Encourage reputable partners or peers to link to or cite your resources (guest articles, research, collaborative content) to create external validation.
• Maintain consistent branding and professional profiles (LinkedIn, professional directories, speaker pages) so searchers and raters can confirm your reputation.

Trustworthiness — make everything verifiable and safe

• Provide clear contact details, an About page, pricing or service descriptions, and an FAQ addressing refund, privacy, and cancellation policies.
• Publish client testimonials with context (what problem, length of engagement, outcomes); when possible include photos, video testimonials, or links to verified profiles to reduce ambiguity.
• Use secure site practices (HTTPS, clear privacy policy, cookie disclosure) and ensure transactional pages are PCI/industry‑compliant if you take payments online.
• Be transparent about limitations and when coaching is not a substitute for licensed mental health or medical care; include referral pathways where appropriate.

Content‑level tactics to satisfy Google/E‑E‑A‑T guidance

• Include clear author bylines on every substantive piece and link those bylines to the coach’s full profile page detailing qualifications and contact info.
• Add reviewer or editor notes for sensitive or technical topics stating who reviewed the content and their credentials.
• Cite reputable sources (research, guidelines, industry bodies) when making claims; avoid unverified grandiose statements.
• Use structured data where appropriate (author, organization, reviews) to help search engines understand your content and people behind it.

Reputation management and proof

• Aggregate and surface independent reviews (Google Business Profile, Trustpilot, industry directories) and respond professionally to negative feedback.
• Maintain a press/media kit and a “Featured in” section for earned media; link to the original mentions.
• Ask satisfied clients for case study permission and release forms so outcomes can be publicly shown without legal risk.

Quick implementation plan (first 90 days)

• Week 1–2: Create/update an About/Author page for each coach (credentials, verifications, contact).
• Week 3–4: Publish 2–3 case studies and one deep how‑to article showing your coaching method and outcomes.
• Month 2: Request/collect third‑party mentions (guest posts, podcast appearances) and add structured data to key pages.
• Month 3: Set up review collection, add clear policies (privacy, refunds, referrals), and publish reviewer statements for sensitive content.

Measurement — how to know it’s working

• Track organic search visibility for topic keywords, referral backlinks from authoritative sites, and traffic to author/about pages.
• Monitor conversions from content pages (inquiries, discovery calls booked) and note which content drives the best leads.
• Watch reputation metrics: review ratings, sentiment in testimonials, and volume of external citations.

Pitfalls to avoid

• Don’t claim medical, legal, or clinical therapy expertise unless you hold relevant licences; always include referrals and disclaimers where topics overlap.
• Avoid thin, promotional pages with no author info or evidence—these harm perceived E‑A‑T.
• Don’t fabricate testimonials, awards, or credentials; unverifiable claims damage long‑term trust and search visibility.

If you want, I can:

• Review your current website or a sample coaching page and give a prioritized E‑E‑A‑T improvement plan.
• Draft an About/Author page template and two case‑study templates you can use to collect client signoffs.

Sources informing these recommendations: Google’s guidance on people‑first content and E‑E‑A‑T criteria, SEJ and Lily Ray summaries of how experience/expertise/authority/trust interact with quality assessments, and practical SEO guidance from E‑E‑A‑T specialists and practitioners.