Personal experience as a ranking signal

Your personal experience is one of the factors Google wants to incorporate into its algorithm—how does that work? Well… not perfectly, to be honest. Let me explain why.

Google has long aimed to deliver the most relevant and trustworthy content possible to its users. With the introduction of “Experience” in the E-E-A-T model (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness), personal experience has become a factor the search engine wants to consider in its algorithms. But how does it actually work?

Personal experience gives content an authentic and unique dimension that automatically generated or generic material often lacks. Google wants to be able to identify when an author truly knows what they’re talking about, not just when they’re repeating commonly known facts. It’s about showing that you’ve been there, done that, and can share insights that only come from firsthand experience.

A bit of a patchwork

Since Google can’t measure actual experience, it has to rely on what can be found on a webpage. A detailed author profile with background information can help boost credibility. Texts written in the first person, using “I” or “we,” signal personal presence and authenticity. In addition, the algorithms look for specific details and concrete examples that show the author has genuinely been involved in the topic. Visual evidence such as images and videos can also play a role in verifying experience.

Despite these techniques, it’s still not easy for Google to determine whether a text is truly based on personal experience. Algorithms can analyze structure and word choice, but they can still be fooled by well-written yet shallow content.

Show your experience

Det är JAG som är viktig

Om du vill att Google ska uppmärksamma din erfarenhet bör du vara tydlig med att visa upp den. Använd storytelling-tekniker för att göra dina texter levande och engagerande. Publicera detaljerade fallstudier som visar hur du hanterat specifika utmaningar. Tydliggör din expertis genom att inkludera en författarsignatur och en kort biografi som beskriver din bakgrund. Inkludera också användarberättelser och feedback från personer som kan bekräfta din erfarenhet. Använd strukturerad data, exempelvis ”author”, för att tydligare kommunicera din erfarenhet till sökmotorer. Länka till relaterade artiklar eller resurser som visar på din expertis hjälper också till att stärka din auktoritet.

Let’s be real

Google is eager to include personal experience in its algorithm, but it’s not an exact science.
It takes a combination of technical adjustments, authentic content, and a clear author presence to truly gain the trust of both search engines and readers.

The particularly annoying part?
If you write your text in the first person, it’s more likely to get better visibility.