What is E-E-A-T and does it matter for a small business?

E-E-A-T stands for Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness and Trustworthiness - the qualities Google’s human quality raters use to judge whether content deserves to rank, and yes, it matters for a small business:

• Experience - show you have actually done the thing: real photos of your work, specifics only a practitioner would know.
• Expertise - name the author and their qualifications rather than publishing anonymous content.
• Authoritativeness - earn mentions and links from other credible sites in your field and area.
• Trustworthiness - the heaviest factor: clear contact details, real reviews, accurate information and a secure site.

E-E-A-T is not a setting you switch on - it is the accumulated evidence that a real, competent business stands behind the page, which is exactly what a genuine small business can demonstrate.