While tactics and tools for digital marketing are evolving to keep up with the fast-changing digital space, search engine optimisation (SEO) has remained an important consideration for any business that wants its website or blog to reach a wide audience. This is because practically everyone who gains information online does so through search engines, usually Google. SEO, which refers to the process of tweaking a blog or website to help it rank better on search engine results, should not be ignored. By following SEO goals and principles, a blog with few readers today can potentially become the number one blog on Google or any other search engine in months or even years. Several key factors determine a website’s ranking on search engines today. However, the nod goes to Google’s trust signals, which are the real game-changers. Google’s trust signals are important markers that Google uses to determine if rankings should provide users with access to credible and authoritative content, as well as bumping them up. These signals are the actual determinants of Google’s ‘algorithms’. If you intend to maximise your website or blog’s ranking on search engines such as Google, mastering these trust signals and optimising your site for them holds the key to success.
Today, as Google’s algorithms evolve, trust signals are more important than ever when it comes to SEO. Trust signals include such things as the security of the website, the quality of the content, how a user experiences your site, and backlinks to your site. In understanding how to influence these trust signals, one can not only make their site trusted by Google, but also in the eyes of their users and this article will explore how Google trust signals affect SEO and why you should take notice, as well as offer pointers on how to improve your signals and be trusted and found online.
The Role of Website Security in Google Trust Signals
Website security is the first and most prominent trust signal for Google.Google prioritises websites with strong security signals that protect user information, such as HTTPS/SSL encryption, as top ranking signals in Google ranking. The reason why is because the HTTPS encrypted signal not only protects the user’s data but is also a Google ranking signal. Google ranks websites with security certificates (https) higher than non-secure websites. A website free of malware is more likely to score high with Google In summary, the Google emphasis on secure websites has shown that owners of their websites must prioritise investment for security certificates, and update these periodically.
Trust is also affected by factors outside of HTTPS encryption – for example, secure hosting and regular security audits (using tools such as Google Search Console, Google can alert webmasters to potential security vulnerabilities that they can fix quickly, and explain how they can ensure that their site is secure). The better that a site performs in relation to security measures, the better its ranking potential will be. And, just as more secure sites are likely to rank better, they are also more likely to be clicked on by users searching for information. We all tend to visit sites we trust more often and for longer periods of time, and best practice for SEO involves optimising these important so-called user experience metrics.
Content Quality and Its Influence on Google Trust Signals
Content quality is one of the pillars of the trust signals laid out by Google, and is it any wonder? Websites with good content tend to please Google because good content helps websites provide a good experience for users. Because of this, Google has laid out expectations both Mythbustersers with must-h to avoid with regard to content. Mythbuster Myth: Building quality backlinks is the best way to increase search rankings Reality: Google wants you to create great content Mythbuster Myth: Because bots cannot evaluate your content, they cannot consider the great content you are creating Reality: After you publish great content, Google’s web crawlers will comb through it to see what it’s all about Reality: Social signals from engaged users play a role in helping Google evaluate various aspects of a website.
Also, Google’s three-part quality guidelines, commonly referred to as E-A-T (Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness), have become more important now especially for newer customers searching on Google. Websites perceived to be more authoritative, likely that expertise is there, and especially when there’s third-party trust dialled up through hard quotes and other credible sources in the copy are more likely to rank – when search engines such as Google are viewing them through the lens of quality that they’re trying to with these recent updates. That means writing solid copy, not full of jargon (it might be good for the industry you’re addressing, but jargon is still a turnoff to the vast majority of customers). Along with well-written content come industry experts writing about your site, studies, info graphics and other magical creations that draw attention to your site, work for you as indicated in the signals mentioned above, which in turn lead up the SEO mountain we all aspire to.
User Experience and Its Impact on Google Trust Signals
Another important factor that Google uses as a trust signal is called user experience (UX). A website that provides a good user experience, by being clear, intuitive and enjoyable, is more likely to rank higher in the search results. An example of this is your page speed, if a page takes too long to load, this is seen as creating a bad user experience. Or if you’re viewing your website on a mobile phone, Google also uses your mobile experience within search engine rankings. Getting your site to load fast, access on mobile enabled, easy to navigate and with low bounce rates are all good indicators for creating a positive UX. Google uses metrics such as page load time or time to first byte and mobile usability to determine how your site measures up for UX.
User experience (UX) also refers to the overall, technical nature of the website design and usability. For example, if a website is visually pleasing, easy to navigate, and has features that create interactivity – like call-to-action buttons, content placements and a page structure that makes sense and is easy to follow, easy menus to get around, and visual cues to capture attention and users – it can make a branded website pleasant for the user, therefore increasing their engagements and causing them to hang around. The resulting lower bounce rate for your website is taken as another evidence by Google that the site is one that they can trust and worth mentioning in the rankings. Therefore you need to focus on UX in order to deliver a result that gives Google what they understand as the trust signals and ultimately leads to high SEO rank.
The Importance of Backlink Profiles in Google Trust Signals
Google uses the presence of backlinks as another key indicator of authority and trust on the web. If many high-quality sites link back to a website, Google can posit that others have considered that website worth linking to, providing a vote of confidence that the site must be good. As a result, overall backlink profiles that are made up of high-quality, relevant and diverse links are critical to performance in the rankings. The websites that get backlinks from lots of authoritative domains tend to be the ones that often rank at the top of search results. Creating a strong backlink profile is an important part of link-building and can be an overall boon for long-term SEO strategies.
Additionally, Google’s algorithms are continuously looking to detect and penalise spammy link-building activities such as buying or building poor-quality links or participating in link schemes. So, organic, natural backlinks are the way to go. This can be achieved through creation of shareable content, guest blogging and entering into relationships with industry influencers. Periodic assessment of the backlink profile to disavow toxic or poor-quality links is also important to minimise the negative SEO impact. By creating an ethical and strong backlink profile, a website owner is sending out positive signals of trust to Google, translating into increased, better-quality search visibility for the site.
Social Proof and Its Role in Google Trust Signals
Social proof is also included in Google’s trust signals. User reviews have a history of being a factor in determining the ranking of a website or listing, not only because of the relevance of the review itself but also because Google takes social proof signals such as testimonials and social media activity as clear signs that your audience appreciates and finds your site valuable. Positive reviews increase SEO. Similarly, engaging with your audience on social media platforms is another trust signal Google uses. Witness how user reviews are central to Google My Business listings, which can help a local business rank higher in local results. Happy customers, asked to leave a review, will know they are being heard and will be encouraged to share that, while suggested and scheduled social media engagement can increase your site’s trustworthiness and consequently raise your SEO performance.
Also, social media presence is a form of social proof. If a brand is active on social media and has many followers, it’s an indicator for Google that it’s a real brand and people like it. Posting valuable content, responding to user enquiries and engaging with other businesses within the industry can help a company boost its social media presence. Another way to spread social proof is to include social sharing buttons on a website, encouraging users to share the content with their networks. All these techniques can be used to cultivate social proof and raise a website’s credibility in users as well as search engines which will eventually have a positive effect on SEO.
Technical SEO and Its Influence on Google Trust Signals
Technical SEO relates to metrics that influence the health of a website, thus affecting the trust signals sent to Google. Websites should have good structured data, be correctly propagated through an XML sitemap, and tag with canonical tags to be indexed correctly. A solid technical infrastructure can very quickly make a huge difference to the trust signals sent to search engines. Regular technical audits should always be carried out to find and remedy issues that could stop crawlers in their tracks.
For starters, there is technical SEO, which refers to optimising your website for mobile, loading speed, URL structure etc. Since currently more than half of the web traffic comes from mobile phones, a website that is optimised for mobile access will get prioritised for ranking by Google. Although URL structure is a small signal to search engines, it helps them to understand how your website is organised and which pages are more important and central. For example, if your web address is https://yoursite.com/women/shoes/moccasins/piel-negro, it gives more hints to search engines as to what your underlying content is about. If the content you add to your site is enhanced with structured data markup, it can result in rich snippets, which appear as additional items in search results and have been shown to increase the chance of your website getting clicked. Although rich snippets don’t exactly impact directly your ranking, they can significantly affect your click-through rates and therefore your traffic.
Conclusion
To wrap up, without this trust, your site will not rank as high as it should, and you will have difficulty establishing your brand as a credible source online: site security — Making your site secure and safe for users (www vs http)content — Producing top-quality content and targeted for your audienceUX — Creating a good experience on your site — both on the mobile and desktopbacklink profiles — Evaluating the nature of your inbound linkssocial proof — Your trust signals cannot be boosted unless if it’s recognized by your community (behaviour signals)Google updates and technical SEO = staying ahead in ranking and addressing algorithmic updates and technical SEO factors. By staying focused on these trust signals and ranking factors, you will mitigate a lot of the risks related to ranking your site on Google. SEO done the right way nowadays helps you attract the right fit users, thereby growing your loyal user base, which is essential for the long-term success of your business.