Is "Author Experience" more important than Backlinks in 2026?

Hi everyone,

I’ve been reading a lot about the recent algorithm updates and it seems like Google is pushing the "Experience" part of E-E-A-T more than ever.

On my latest project, I focused heavily on adding personal case studies and unique photos to my articles, and I saw a better ranking boost than when I was just focusing on building guest posts.

Do you guys think we are reaching a point where "on-page authority" and "real human experience" can actually outperform a strong backlink profile? Or are backlinks still the #1 king that we can't ignore?

Would love to hear your recent observations!

Yes, author experience is a critical tie-breaker, but backlinks remain the primary ranking signal. A page with strong EEAT but no links won't outrank a linked page with weak EEAT. The winning combination is authoritative content written by a credible expert, supported by relevant, high-quality backlinks. Google uses experience to validate and weight the links.