The importance of trust signals in SEO

Would you buy a product without checking out the customer reviews before? Or choose a professional service that shows no sign of accreditation on its website? Probably not.

That’s exactly why trust signals matter; they reassure potential customers that your business is legitimate and worth their time.

What are trust signals?

Put simply, a trust signal is something that proves to customers that your brand is reliable and credible. These signals can take many forms, including:

• Customer reviews
• Accreditations
• Awards
• Case studies
• Client/partner logos

In recent years, Google’s algorithm has placed more emphasis on E-E-A-T: Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness and Trustworthiness. This means Google isn’t just looking at keywords anymore – it also wants to know that your content can be trusted by users.

At the end of the day, people feel more comfortable engaging with businesses that others already trust. Strong trust signals help create that sense of reassurance. With online scams on the rise, users want clear proof that a business is legitimate before they commit to buying or making an enquiry.

9 examples of trust signals

There are many ways to demonstrate credibility on your website. Here are some of the most effective trust signals businesses use.

1. Testimonials and reviews

Customer testimonials are one of the most powerful forms of social proof. Real feedback shows potential customers that others have had success with the brand’s service or product.

Displaying a live stream of Trustpilot or Google reviews can give real-time reassurance for visitors.

2. Success stories

Success stories showcase your expertise in action, demonstrating the results you’ve achieved for real clients. Seeing these results can help prospective customers envision what working with your business might look like.

Users may think, ‘if this is what they achieved for a company similar to mine, they should be able to do the same for me.’ These case studies can be linked anywhere within your site, including the homepage, sector pages and service pages, and should tell a structured, engaging story, along with tangible results and metrics.

3. Certificates and accreditations

Accreditations are particularly important for B2B companies, as they show that their service is backed up by certification bodies that meet specific standards. For example:

• Hygiene providers may highlight food safety certifications or COSHH compliance
• Education providers can display recognised qualifications in childcare or training
• IT companies can show security badges like Norton or cyber security certificates

If your company has worked hard to earn an industry recognition, or your team has completed additional training, don’t hide it – shout about it instead.

4. Company awards

Awards are equally valuable, whether you’re in the B2B or B2C space. They signal that your business is respected within its industry and has been rewarded for standing out from the crowd.

Awards can help your company be seen as a serious player in your field and could be just the thing that sets you apart from competitors.

5. Client and partner logos

If you’ve worked with recognised brands, show them. Displaying logos of well-known clients or partners can instantly boost credibility and add more weight to your brand. Visitors often assume that if reputable organisations trust your business, they can too.

A simple logo carousel on your homepage or service pages can go a long way in building confidence. If you’ve worked with big national or global names, it can serve as a strong trust signal that users can rely on your services.

6. News mentions and PR coverage

Brand mentions in credible news sources also serve as strong trust signals. PR mentions could be added to your website as a ‘featured in’ section, including features in local or national newspapers, magazines, TV or podcast appearances.

If your business is featured in a reputable source, your brand will look more credible and trustworthy to users.

7. Social media mentions

Your social media profiles give users a better idea of who you are as a business. Including links to your profiles on your website, whether that’s LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook or X, can strengthen authority.

User-generated content (UGC) is also a powerful trust signal, particularly for ecommerce brands. Customers often want to see what a product looks like in real life before they purchase, so linking to customer imagery can be a great way to showcase this.

Even if you don’t have many social media mentions or tags, simply linking to your social platforms through icons or widgets can show visitors that your brand is active, legitimate and not a scam.

8. Stats and figures

Numbers and stats can speak loudly within your content and quickly show your brand’s experience. Stats you can include on your website include:

• Number of customers you’ve helped
• Years of industry experience
• Number of completed projects
• Client retention rate
• Number of brand partnerships
• Locations you cover

Not only do stats look powerful and impactful on your website, but they also help visitors understand the scale of your business at a glance.

9. Add contact details

Sometimes, building trust can be as simple as adding contact details to your website. When users have an easy way to contact you, they’re more likely to buy from you or choose your service.

A great contact page has the following elements:

• Email
• Phone number
• Company address
• Contact form
• Interactive map

At Sherbet Donkey, we ensure all of these elements are included on new websites we build for clients. In many cases, improved content and links on content pages have led to measurable improvements in enquiries – just check out our powerful website case studies to see how.

How trust signals improve SEO

In short, Google rewards websites that users trust. This trust comes from more than just technical SEO; it also comes from the signals your website sends out about who you are and how you connect to the wider industry.

To perform well in search results, your website should demonstrate:

• Accurate and up-to-date information
• Transparent authorship and sources for content
• Positive reviews and brand reputation
• Consistency across digital platforms such as your website, social media and Google Business Profile

Together, this helps search engines understand that your website provides reliable, trustworthy information.

Building trust for ecommerce websites

If you’re running an ecommerce website, trust signals are even more important if customers are completing a purchase online. Additional trust signals for ecommerce sites are:

• Delivery and returns information
• Guarantees and warranties
• User-generated content
• Secure checkout indicators (e.g. payment security badges)

These elements not only help to improve user experience but also help customers feel more confident about completing a purchase.

Where to put trust signals on your website

These signals can be featured throughout your website, including the homepage, service and sector pages and company pages like your about us or history page.

Ecommerce sites can see improved conversion rates by including trust signals on product and checkout pages, helping turn browsers into buyers in that final stage of the buying process.

How to know if the trust signals are working

It can be tricky to test how well trust signals work, as there may not be a direct correlation to leads. However, strong signals often lead to improved user engagement, and you may see an increased engagement rate, time on site and more interactions with case studies.

User tracking software and heatmaps can help you see whether visitors are interacting with these sections of your website. But if you really wanted to test their impact specifically, you could run an A/B test to compare a page with trust signals on to one without them.

Trust signals = brand credibility

Ultimately, trust signals help your website do two important things: build credibility with users and demonstrate reliability to search engines. When potential customers feel confident in your brand, they’re far more likely to engage with your business.

At Sherbet Donkey, we help businesses build SEO strategies that not only improve rankings but also build trust with real people. If you’re looking for straight-talking SEO strategies that deliver measurable results, get in touch with our team today and get your free SEO audit.