Earn your authority through real, human expertise

Isa says: “Authority should be built on earned expertise.

What I mean by that is real experience and credible voices that can’t be easily replicated or automated. In the age of AI, the most humanised content is what’s going to give you competitive edge”

How does a person earn that expertise?

“As marketers, we all use experts. We use people who are either the face of the brand, founders, product leads, or sector specific specialists – from scientists to nutritionists.

Credible experts are always going to be better equipped to help answer the search queries people are looking for. This goes beyond standard EEAT practice because, when AI can produce technically sound content on any topic, expert-attributed content becomes your primary differentiator. Not just expert-reviewed or expert-informed, but expert-led and authored. They need to be front and centre of your content strategy.”

How do you know who your experts are, and should they be in-house experts or out-of-house experts?

“I say work with the best experts you have access to, whether they’re in-house or external. If you’re a sports brand for example, your in-house experts might know the product inside out, but trusted specialists (be it a fitness expert or a physio) can offer validation and real-world application.

For smaller businesses, identify the one or two people in your business with deep product knowledge and hands-on experience, then build your content around them. If you’re selling a particular product category or service, chances are that the founder or product lead will be the person who knows the business inside out.

Of course, you need to think about budget and scale, but the key is consistency and authenticity. For example, if you’re sick and want to know what’s wrong, are you likely to trust a doctor with 20 years’ experience or ChatGPT? Whether in-house or external, your experts need to be genuinely qualified, willing to put their name and face to the content, and involved enough to provide real insight.”

If you are choosing between different experts, what metrics would you look at to determine who to go for?

“I’d say years of experience, qualifications, relevant research, and published work (e.g. white papers, books, or reports) are key. From a PR lens, media coverage also helps with validation, but it isn’t essential. Credibility needs to come from proof that they know their subject insight out.”

Do social media followers not matter as much now?

“Social media is powerful, but a huge following and engaging content doesn’t always equal expertise. There are many ‘experts’ on social media giving out advice they have no business giving.

Take, for example, the story of a ‘doctor’ with over 2 million followers on TikTok giving out medical advice, who in fact turned out not to be a doctor at all. Social media platforms still have a job to do when it comes to authenticating the professional identities of qualified experts – from doctors and dentists to therapists. Misinformation is a huge problem, so having a following shouldn’t be the main or only metric to go by.

The ideal scenario is having both the credible expertise and a platform to amplify it with.”

What content formats or tactics best showcase real expertise in a way that audiences (and search engines) trust?

“In a world obsessed with instant answers, content often gets created faster than it can be fact-checked. The best formats to showcase real expertise are the ones that slow things down and make proof visible. The most effective tactic right now is to lead with rich content formats like videos, authored research, or white papers that show depth and authority.

Think authored articles, co-created videos, in-depth explainers, and long-form podcasts. These formats show not just what the expert thinks, but how they think, and that is what builds trust, both with audiences and search engines.

I work with a gut health specialist who's partnered with a weight loss clinic. She’s been in practice for 15 years, and journalists consistently seek her out for comment on medical trends like weight loss injections.

Why? Because she has a documented track record. Not just letters after her name, but real-world experience and visible work. Now, if she creates a video or publishes a piece of research, it carries weight because you can see the expertise behind it.

That’s why many journalists are now looking to co-create content with credible experts – be it videos, podcasts, or in-depth features. The trust gap is real, and audiences are questioning what they read, hear, and watch. When someone’s experience is visible and verifiable (i.e. a video interview with ‘Dr. X who has worked in seven hospitals over 15 years,’) it lands differently.”

Do reviews result in more trust?

“Yes, reviews do result in more trust, but how much depends on the industry. If you're working with a fashion or beauty brand, for example, customer reviews are often enough. People want to know how it fits, feels, or performs in real life.

In categories like health or wellness – or anything where the product makes bigger claims – reviews matter, but they carry more weight when backed by credible information. If a thousand people say a supplement helped them sleep, that’s powerful.

However, it’s even more convincing when those reviews are supported by clear, verifiable reasons why it works. That’s where expert input can play a supporting role, but the trust often starts with real people sharing real outcomes.”

Does ‘humanised’ only mean created by humans, or could it be produced by AI, but tweaked to sound more human-like?

“If you're thinking about search queries where people are looking for an expert answer, like whether or not their child has ADHD, they want an actual, human doctor to answer that question.

You can go and read an article about it, but if you want your child to be diagnosed, the end goal is to talk to a professional to get that diagnosis. For certain queries and questions, the highest-quality answer is going to come from a human.

So no, ‘humanised’ doesn’t just mean content that sounds human. It’s about where it’s coming from. AI can help shape content, but if there’s no real person behind it (i.e. someone with lived experience and credentials), it’s not truly humanised.

For certain types of queries, especially those with emotional weight or personal impact, the highest-quality content still needs a human at the core. I know there are many studies of people using AI for therapy, symptom checking, and even companionship but for trust to land, both ethically and as best practice, there should be a real person behind it.”

Is that type of content more likely to rank higher in search engines and AI search?

“Even if it doesn't now, it will. As AI becomes more clever and more advanced, it is going to be really difficult for us to differentiate between what's being done by a human and what's being generated by AI.

This is why marketers and brands need to be thinking about how we can be on the front foot, be ahead of time, and produce content that has been created by our human experts who have been in the business for a long time, know what they're talking about, and can prove that they know what they're talking about.

That's why it's super important to be doing this now.”

Is the value of community that you can also use them to enhance what the experts are delivering?

“Absolutely. Trust comes from people. Audiences are more likely to trust content when they can see and interact with the real people. If you're hosting a Q&A or webinar, and your experts are responding directly to questions, that kind of two-way interaction brings the community in and shows the expert is genuinely engaged in the topic.

It’s also important to nurture your advocates. Happy clients or peers can become vocal supporters. When you build community around your content and bring people into the conversation, that interaction becomes part of the trust signal.

As I said, trust comes from people. If a community is actively engaging with and backing what you’re saying, it drives authenticity and builds credibility.”

Can communities be faked?

“Of course, communities can be faked, but there’s only so far that kind of engagement can go. People notice when comments are generic, when replies feel automated, or when it’s clearly a chatbot. You can fake numbers, but you can’t fake genuine interest.

Highly engaged communities are what actually build traction. If people are passionate about what you're talking about, genuinely interested, and invested in the topic, that shows. It’s that kind of engagement that drives credibility.

So yes, you can fake a community, but people are quick to spot it.”

Isa, what's the key takeaway from the tip you shared today?

“Put experts at the front and centre of your content and your campaigns. Make them famous. Feature their faces, their stories, and their lived experiences.

People and search engines want credible voices and that’s exactly what your experts represent.”

Isa Lavahun is a Search Strategist. Find out more over at Digiprcomms.com.