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A Google Webmaster Help thread has one webmaster asking if adding trust seals will help with rankings.
The webmaster links to this Google post about Panda where it reads "Would you be comfortable giving your credit card information to this site?" The webmaster then asks:
This refers to site trust and i'm wondering if Google now takes into consideration trust seals when it comes to ranking? If so, are some trust seals be better than others?
Truth is, I am not sure but I doubt it.
Having an SSL enabled site for sites that accept credit cards is probably a no brainer. Do you need a HackerSafe logo or BBB Online seal to rank higher? I doubt it.
One user pointed out:
If I remember correctly, both Goldman-Sachs and Bernie Maddof had trust seals on their websites... and Wachovia, even as most of their C-level managers were under Federal indictment for complicity in a telemarketing scheme that was ripping off millions from the bank's senior citizen depositors. How did they know they were senior citizens? Social Security Direct Deposit. Doesn't get much more "eTrust" or "Verisign" than that does it?
It is just too easy to add a trust seal so I doubt there is a ranking boost.
FYI, this is not a new topic, we covered it hear about 8 years ago.
Forum discussion at Google Webmaster Help.
Comments:
Alistair Lattimore
07/03/2012 01:08 pm
I could imagine that sites that carry recognisable trust seals might have an ever so slightly higher natural growth rate of organic links. If you were doing product research and trust seals are important to you, then during your product research you'd be more likely to share a site that has a trust seal that you're familiar with than one that doesn't have one at all.
Anti-SEO
07/03/2012 01:40 pm
BBB is a funny company. I had some cases with them. They consider online absolutely the same as offline. For ex., if you're the website owner and you're dealing with private persons, you will be considered as a service provider no matter what. Even, if you're buying something as a website from the private seller. Doesn't matter - you're service provider and he/she is a consumer. Furthermore, you can't make a complaint against such sellers, because BBB doesn't consider them as a business (service provider). I never saw any evidence, that Google is taking BBB seriously.
Patrick Hare
07/03/2012 02:51 pm
Some of these trust seal companies may still link back to you from their own sites or through their exclusive directories of "trusted" members. The seal itself may not improve rankings, but the backlink might add some PR. There is also a small amount of traffic that comes from these sites, especially the BBB.
Yw
07/03/2012 02:59 pm
Hmm.. come to think of it, perhaps these companies selling trust seal can start positioning themselves as the *panda killer*... Who knows, we might even start seeing articles and case studies citing sites recovering from panda updates after getting the trust seals... There are definitely people who will buy these stories...
ScottyMack
07/03/2012 03:07 pm
Unfortunately, this seems to be another case of people taking their eyes off the prize. Although it is doubtful that it would have any major impact on ranking, it certainly should help with conversions. That IS why we most of us build websites, isn't it?
Angie Zack
07/03/2012 05:36 pm
We recently had this discussion in a grad level security class. Basically most of these "trust" seals verify you are who you say you are, but that doesn't mean you are still not a scum bag.
Oleg Korneitchouk
07/03/2012 10:32 pm
1) As Scott McKirahan mentioned, they improve conversions - tested and proven, again and again. 2) Trust seals give you a link back from their site.. which tend to carry a very high authority and trust. That being said, this is something that can be tested.
Greg smith
07/05/2012 12:57 am
I better get mine added. LOL
Gregory Lancaster
07/08/2012 03:15 am
McAfee gives you a solid link for their seal rental. But they arent cheap. Link is worth it though.