Commodity vs. Non-Commodity Content: How Google Evaluates E-E-A-T by John Heffernan, RedLive Media
Google has recently launched an algorithm update designed to prioritise high-quality human-generated content over low-quality AI-generated content.
Their definition of the good and the bad is Commodity and Non-Commodity content.
In plain English, Commodity content is GENERIC. It is content that anyone can create, restating already known information or data without leaving a unique authorial identity. Non-Commodity content is UNIQUE. Content that is based on personal experience, research or opinions that cannot be easily replicated.
This content is ideal for establishing E-E-A-T (Expertise, Experience, Authority and Trust). E-E-A-T content delivers the quality content signals that Google want to index.
Key Characteristics of Good Non-Commodity Content
Anyone can create “how-to” guides or ‘Top 10 lists” that competitors in the same business sector can easily replicate.
Non-Commodity content will move authority and visibility to content that only you and your business can produce.
What is Non-Commodity Content?
This type of content delivers unique expert insights that are not widely known. The emphasis on expertise and experience is key. Google differentiates between high-value and low-value content by identifying signals of genuine human experience.
It is both helpful and reliable because it demonstrates real experience and subject expertise, and must be created for people, not search engines.
Google has an increasing emphasis on unique content via named authors, first-hand experience, and original reporting with content that AI can’t replicate.
E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authority, and Trust) is delivering content based on experience, unique data and authority-based authors.
In addition, Google has advised that Video Content creation will remain highly valuable.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1: What is the difference between commodity and non-commodity content?
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A: Commodity content is generic, widely available information—such as basic “how-to” guides or standard lists—that anyone can replicate without leaving a unique author identity. Non-commodity content is unique, helpful, and reliable material based on personal experience, original research, or distinct opinions that cannot be easily copied by competitors or AI.
Q2: How does non-commodity content support Google’s E-E-A-T guidelines?
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A: Google differentiates between high-value and low-value content by tracking signals of genuine human experience. Non-commodity content satisfies E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authority, and Trust) because it relies on named authors, first-hand expertise, and unique data that search engines actively want to index.
Q3: What specific elements should non-commodity content include?
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A: To satisfy search engines, content must be created for people rather than algorithms. Key elements include clearly named authors, original reporting, first-hand human experience, and high-value video content creation, which Google has explicitly advised will continue to remain highly valuable.
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