Healthcare E-E-A-T checklist

Publish case studies (HIPAA-compliant) that demonstrate real clinical outcomes. First-hand experience treating patients is the strongest experience signal for a healthcare provider.^[1]

Include "years in practice" and patient volume indicators on provider pages. A surgeon who has performed 500+ hip replacements has demonstrable experience that generic content cannot replicate.

Add original clinical photos (with patient consent) of your facility, procedures, and results. Stock photography signals that no real experience underpins the content.

Document your clinical approach on treatment pages – not just what a procedure is, but how your team specifically performs it and what patients can expect during recovery.

Every medical content page must have a named author with verifiable credentials. Google's Quality Rater Guidelines specify that YMYL content should be created by people with appropriate expertise.^[1]

Create comprehensive provider bio pages with: full name, credentials (MD, DO, DPT), board certifications, fellowship training, medical school, residency, hospital affiliations, professional memberships, and publications.

If content is written by marketing staff, add a "Medically reviewed by" attribution with the clinician's name and credentials. Link to their bio page for verifiability.^[2]

Link to or cite peer-reviewed research, clinical guidelines, and professional association standards in your medical content. Inline citations demonstrate that your expertise is grounded in established medical knowledge.

Earn backlinks from authoritative healthcare sources: hospital networks you're affiliated with, medical associations, local health departments, and university programs. These validate your authority in Google's link graph.

Maintain complete, accurate profiles on healthcare directories – Healthgrades, Vitals, Doximity, and specialty-specific platforms. Consistent presence across authoritative platforms reinforces your entity authority.^[3]

Publish original research, clinical insights, or commentary that gets referenced by others. Being a cited source – not just citing others – is the strongest authority signal.

Engage in professional communities: present at conferences, contribute to medical journals, participate in professional associations. Google can detect authority signals beyond just links.

Display clear contact information on every page: phone number, address, email. Google's quality raters check whether YMYL sites provide easy access to customer service and contact details.^[1]

Maintain a comprehensive About page explaining your practice's mission, history, and team. Include your founding year, accreditations, and any awards or recognitions.

Use HTTPS across your entire site – Google treats this as a basic trust signal. Ensure your SSL certificate is current and there are no mixed-content warnings.^[2]

Include clear privacy policies, terms of service, and HIPAA compliance notices. Transparency about data handling is both a regulatory requirement and a trust signal for search engines.