August 27th, 2010 by Phil

Let’s face it, the web features a lot of content that we’d all do well as users to mistrust. As people with an interest in using the internet to shop for goods and services, we know what we like to see and what we don’t. Trust is probably one of the most important SEO tools at your disposal.
Trust is really at the heart of our endeavors on the internet. We all know that since there’s no face-to-face communication we are, to a greater or lesser extent, at the mercy of unscrupulous users. So, having said that trust is vitally important, what are some things you look for in a site. What are the things that make a site ‘trustworthy’ and how can you translate these factors into good SEO?

The most basic thing to consider might be that although people are by nature more or less trusting than others, we all generally trust the big name search engines to deliver some good results when we conduct a search. These days it would be both disappointing and surprising to click on any of the top ten results and find a poor and irrelevant site. Having asserted this, good SEO can be seen in context as absolutely crucial.

In order to maintain a good client base, search engines work hard to maintain high standards when it comes to rankings for their results pages. With this in mind, gaining their trust and in turn that of users involves understanding the methods they use to determine your popularity and relevance. Learn the ways in which so-called robots sent to probe sites relay information and what precisely they look for. Learn how you can include text files which talk directly to them, and be sure to make the most of the opportunity. With trust in mind, choose a good and reliable search engine optimisation company. If you can’t trust them to give you the best advice about good practice, you can’t trust them to create a site that’s optimal in the long term.

Earning general trust among users should be a higher priority than learning about the specifics of search engine algorithms. Good ranking is based largely on popularity, and it’s through gaining the trust of users and providing a good service that popularity can be attained.

It’s not only malware that revolts users. Unacceptable sites can simply be boring or insubstantial. It takes a while to earn a reputation as trustworthy in terms of good content, quality links and a high level of service, but it takes only a second to lose it. SEO services will tell you that every aspect of SEO is ongoing. High standards need to be achieved and also maintained of your users are going to trust you.

A basic guide to ways in which trust can be cultivated among users would probably highlight the following factors:

Users Trust Sites On Which They Can Participate in Active Discussion

Feeling involved nurtures a sense of trust, and website can get users involves by leaving ample room for comments and feedback. Such feedback can be useful on many levels and these days a site that doesn’t allow for user participation can be seen as lacking something essential.

Users Trust Sites They Use to Get Information for Personal Use.

If you think about the type of information on a site, there are varying degrees to which the information can be said to be useful on a personal level. Information which is used and talked about and valued is what should be present if users are to trust a site fundamentally.

Users Trust Sites Where They Purchase Goods or Services

The interaction involved in transactions is likely to encourage trust among users. One the transaction has been completed the user can feel a connection to a site that extends beyond the purely commercial.

Users Trust Sites they Visit Often

Regularly visiting a site and finding high standards and reliable information maintained leads users to trust sites as dependable. The personal touch is usually attained through hard work in that it’s only constant attention that will allow you to be thorough. Think about social media sites such as Facebook, and how effective it’s been in getting users to trust its pages. Think of how you might employ social media marketing to benefit from the success of sites such as that one.

In conclusion, as far as trust is concerned, it’s wise to go with your instincts.

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