Explainable AI techniques (e.g., SHAP, LIME) applied to ranking models. Useful for SEO research to understand why Google ranks a page higher/lower.
Do you sometimes feel like Google’s ranking decisions are a complete mystery, like a giant black box that you can never truly understand? It is frustrating to spend hours on SEO only to guess why some pages rank and others do not.
I know a concept that helps lift the lid on that black box, letting you see the reasons behind the search engine’s choices.
I am going to explain What is XAI (Explainable AI in SEO/IR)? and give you simple tips to write content that satisfies Google’s desire for clear, high-quality answers.
What is XAI (Explainable AI in SEO/IR)?
What is XAI (Explainable AI in SEO/IR)? is the idea of making complex AI decisions understandable to humans, including why an AI model ranked one page over another.
While Google does not show us the exact inner workings, their efforts to reward E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness) are a public form of XAI.
I use the principles of XAI by making my content’s quality and author credibility impossible for a search engine to ignore.
Applying XAI Principles on CMS Platforms
Even though we do not control Google’s AI, we can use our CMS features to signal quality and trustworthiness to any AI model.
WordPress
In WordPress, I use plugins and theme features to prominently display author bios and links to their credentials.
I ensure that the date of content publication and the date of its last update are clearly visible to signal freshness and review.
This provides clear, easy-to-read signals of expertise that the XAI model can value.
Shopify
For Shopify, I focus on signals of Trustworthiness (the ‘T’ in E-E-A-T) by showcasing transparent business information.
I make sure the customer reviews are properly marked up with schema and clearly visible on all product pages.
The clear display of contact info, return policies, and secure checkout is my version of explaining trustworthiness.
Wix and Webflow
These builders allow for creative ways to display authority, such as adding a dedicated “Our Experts” or “Certifications” section.
I use the flexibility to embed awards, press mentions, or external links to academic research that supports my claims.
This clear evidence of authority makes it easy for the AI model to explain why my page is a good source.
Custom CMS
With a custom system, I can build an author profile system that automatically links every article to the author’s social media and professional bio.
I also implement custom schema markup to explicitly tag the author’s role and expertise for the search engine.
This provides the most direct, technical way to communicate clear E-E-A-T signals to the AI.
XAI in Various Industries
The type of authority I need to explain to the AI model depends on the industry’s focus.
Ecommerce
For an online store, I use XAI principles to explain why a customer should trust my products and service.
I emphasize genuine product reviews, clear guarantees, and easy-to-understand shipping information.
The AI wants to see that the business is legitimate and provides a good experience (Experience and Trust).
Local Businesses
I focus on explaining the local expertise and real-world results of the business to the AI.
I display customer testimonials, licensing numbers, and “before & after” images of local jobs.
This provides clear, tangible evidence that the business is authoritative and trustworthy in its service area.
SaaS (Software as a Service)
For SaaS, I need to explain the expertise behind the software and the results it delivers.
I feature case studies with real data, quotes from high-profile users, and the technical team’s credentials.
This proves to the AI that the solution is built by experts and provides verifiable value (Expertise and Authority).
Blogs
I use XAI to clearly explain the author’s background and experience related to the article topic.
I only let qualified authors write on specific topics and ensure their qualifications are shown next to their name.
This makes the authority signal strong and helps the AI model justify ranking my content as highly credible.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is XAI just a fancy name for E-E-A-T?
XAI is the technical concept of making AI transparent; E-E-A-T is Google’s public way of showing XAI principles at work in search.
E-E-A-T is what you, the content creator, must focus on to satisfy the AI’s need for explainable quality.
By making your quality clear, you are doing the SEO part of XAI.
How can I make my content more ‘Explainable’ to the AI?
You make it explainable by providing clear, verifiable proof of your quality and expertise.
Always cite your sources, link to your credentials, and make sure your company’s contact info is easy to find.
If a human can easily tell you are an expert, the AI can too.
Does XAI mean I should stop using keywords?
No, you still need keywords, but they are only the starting point.
The AI first looks for keywords to match the topic, but then it uses XAI principles to decide which of those pages is the best answer.
You need keywords for relevance and XAI principles for ranking.
