How to Make Your Website More Trustworthy to Google

Trustworthiness is the most important component of E-E-A-T. Google's quality guidelines describe it as the foundation - a site with strong Experience, Expertise, and Authority but poor trust signals still fails the overall assessment.

The good news is that most trust problems on small business websites are quick to fix. They're not technical deficiencies or content problems - they're gaps in the basic information that lets visitors and Google verify that your business is real, legitimate, and honest.

What Trustworthiness Means to Google

Google's definition of trustworthiness centres on one question: "Can I rely on this site to give me accurate, honest information from a real, legitimate source?"

A website fails this question when:

• There is no way to verify who is behind it
• The contact information is missing or incomplete
• The content makes claims that can't be verified or are demonstrably wrong
• The site has deceptive elements: misleading headlines, hidden fees, false urgency, or clickbait
• The technical security is poor (no HTTPS)
• The policies that protect users (privacy policy, terms) are absent

For most small business websites, the trust issues are simpler: a missing about page, no visible contact details, or content that makes vague claims without basis. These are fixable in an afternoon.

Step 1: Confirm Your Site Is on HTTPS

HTTPS (Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure) is the encrypted version of the web protocol that websites use to communicate with browsers. The padlock icon in your browser's address bar shows a site is on HTTPS.

An HTTP site (without the S) is flagged by Google Chrome and other browsers with a "Not Secure" warning. Google's algorithm treats HTTPS as a basic ranking requirement and a trust signal.

Do this:

1. Open your website in a browser and look at the address bar
2. The URL should start with https:// and show a padlock icon
3. If it shows http:// or a warning, contact your hosting provider to enable SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) - the technology behind HTTPS

Most modern hosting providers (including Ghost Pro) enable HTTPS automatically. If your site is on Ghost, this is already handled. If you see a warning, it's worth investigating a misconfiguration.

Step 2: Publish a Clear Contact Page

A business that can't be contacted is not a business Google or visitors can trust. Your contact page needs to answer: "How do I reach these people if something goes wrong?"

A complete contact page includes:

• Business name (matching your Google Business Profile)
• Physical address if applicable - or a clear description of your service area
• Phone number - clickable on mobile (a tel: link)
• Email address - or a working contact form
• Business hours
• An embedded Google Map if you have a physical location

The contact page should be linked from your main navigation and from your footer. A contact page buried three clicks deep, or one that requires a form submission to find out an email address, undermines trust.

Step 3: Write a Real About Page

Covered in detail in the Experience and Expertise article, but worth restating for trust specifically: an anonymous website is a less trustworthy website.

Your about page confirms that a real, named, identifiable person or organisation is behind the site. It's one of the first places Google's quality evaluators look when assessing whether a site is credible.

At minimum, your about page must have:

• Your real name or the names of the business principals
• A brief professional background that establishes credibility
• A real photo (not a stock image)
• Contact information or a link to the contact page

Step 4: Add a Privacy Policy

A privacy policy is a legal document that explains how your website collects, stores, and uses visitor information. In Australia, the Privacy Act 1988 requires businesses that collect personal information to have a compliant privacy policy.

For trust and E-E-A-T purposes, a visible privacy policy also signals that your business understands and complies with legal obligations - which is a basic trust signal.

Ghost Pro sites can use Ghost's built-in member signup features, which collect email addresses. If you collect any personal information - including newsletter sign-ups - you need a privacy policy.

Do this:

1. Create a new Ghost Page titled "Privacy Policy"
2. Use a privacy policy generator (several are available free online for Australian businesses) as a starting point
3. Review it for accuracy for your specific data collection practices
4. Add the privacy policy link to your footer

If you're unsure about your legal obligations, consult a qualified professional - this is general guidance, not legal advice.

Step 5: Be Accurate and Verifiable in Your Content

Inaccurate content is a direct trust failure. Content that makes claims it can't support - overstated statistics, misleading comparisons, results that imply typical outcomes when they're exceptional - erodes trust with both Google and readers.

Practical accuracy checks for your content:

• Statistics: Every specific number or statistic in your content should have a source you can point to. If you can't find a credible source, remove the statistic or reframe it as an observation rather than a fact.
• Claims about results: "Our clients see an average 40% increase in enquiries" is a verifiable claim - if it's accurate and you have the data to support it. "Our method guarantees results" is not verifiable and is the kind of claim that undermines trust.
• Comparative claims: Saying you're "the best" or "number one" without evidence is unsubstantiated. If you have evidence (an award, a verified review ranking, a certification), cite it. If you don't, remove the claim.
• Technical accuracy: In your specific industry, be precise. Incorrect technical information - a physio giving advice that contradicts clinical guidelines, an accountant citing outdated tax rules - is a serious E-E-A-T problem.

Step 6: Remove or Clearly Disclose Affiliate and Commercial Content

If your site contains affiliate links (links to products or services that pay you a commission if someone purchases), or sponsored content, these need to be disclosed clearly. In Australia, the ACCC requires clear disclosure of commercial relationships in content.

Undisclosed affiliate links or sponsored content are deceptive - which is a direct trust failure in Google's guidelines.

Do this:

• Add a brief disclosure at the top of any article that contains affiliate links: "This article contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you."
• Add a general affiliate disclosure page to your site if you use affiliate links regularly
• Mark sponsored content clearly as "Sponsored" or "Paid Partnership"

This is a common oversight on small business sites that have added affiliate links without considering the disclosure requirements. Fixing it is quick and the disclosure doesn't significantly affect reader behaviour.

Step 7: Check for Broken Links and Outdated Information

Trust erodes when visitors click a link that goes nowhere, or read advice that was accurate two years ago but is now outdated. Regular maintenance signals that someone is actively managing the site.

Do this (quarterly):

1. Run a free crawl of your site using Screaming Frog (free for up to 500 pages) and look for 404 errors (broken links)
2. Fix 404 errors by either restoring the missing page, redirecting to the correct page, or removing the broken link
3. Review your most-visited articles and check whether any statistics, product references, or procedural advice are outdated
4. Check that external links in your content still go to active, relevant pages

Common Mistakes

Having a contact form but no direct contact information. If the form breaks (and forms do break), visitors have no way to reach you. Always include a direct email address or phone number alongside a contact form.

Using stock photos on your about page. Stock photos on an about page are one of the most immediate trust undermines on small business websites. A real, professional photo of you - even a clear phone photo in a professional context - builds more trust than a polished stock image.

Publishing content from questionable sources. If your articles cite statistics from dubious surveys, unverified studies, or content mills, those citations undermine your credibility. Only cite authoritative sources: government bodies, established industry organisations, peer-reviewed publications, or official platform documentation.

Leaving demo or placeholder content on pages. Placeholder text, demo images, or unfinished pages signal that the site is not properly maintained. Review all pages on your site and either complete or remove anything that is not in a publishable state.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does my privacy policy need to be written by a lawyer? Not necessarily, but it must be accurate and compliant with Australian privacy law. Many small businesses use privacy policy templates as a starting point and review them for accuracy. If you collect sensitive information or run a business in a regulated industry, professional legal review is advisable.

My site is new - does trust matter yet? Yes. A new site with strong trust signals (about page, contact info, HTTPS, privacy policy) gives Google and visitors confidence from day one. A new site with missing basic trust signals starts with a credibility deficit it has to overcome.

Can I improve trust quickly? Most of the trust improvements in this article - HTTPS check, contact page, about page, privacy policy - can be completed in a few hours. They don't require redesigns or technical expertise. Start with HTTPS and contact information, then work through the rest.

What's the difference between trust for Google and trust for conversion? They largely overlap. The signals Google looks for - real contact information, genuine about page, accurate content, visible credentials - are the same signals your potential customers look for before deciding to book or buy. Improving trust for Google directly improves conversion rate.

Summary

• Trustworthiness is the foundation of E-E-A-T - strong experience and expertise don't compensate for poor trust signals
• The most common quick fixes: confirm HTTPS is active, publish a real about page, add a complete contact page, and add a privacy policy
• Accurate, verifiable content is non-negotiable - remove or reframe any claims you cannot substantiate
• Disclose affiliate and commercial content clearly - this is both a legal requirement and a trust signal
• Regular maintenance (broken link checks, outdated content reviews) signals an actively managed, reliable site

Part of the E-E-A-T for Small Business cluster. Pillar article: What is E-E-A-T and Why Google Uses It to Rank Websites

Related reading: How to Demonstrate Experience and Expertise on Your Website | How to Improve Your E-E-A-T Without a Big Budget