Trust signals

Trust signalsTrust signals are visible elements of a website that build credibility, such as an imprint, contact details, privacy information, sources, reviews, update dates and transparent company information.Open glossary entry → make clear who is responsible for a website and whether its content is credible. They operate on two levels.

At the website level they include:

• an imprint and clear provider identificationAccountability means it is clear which person or organisation is responsible for a piece of content and a website. It is a core trust signal.Open glossary entry →,
• privacy and contact pages with genuine ways to get in touch,
• about, team or author pages,
• a secure HTTPSHTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol) is the protocol through which browsers and servers exchange web content. HTTPS is the encrypted, secure variant of this protocol.Open glossary entry → connection,
• consistent company details, references and reviews.

At the content level they include a visible author, publication and update dates, cited sources, and a clear separation of opinion, advertising and information.

Which signals are needed depends on country, industry and site type: a medical portal or financial advice site needs stronger signals than a small B2B agency. Signals must be easy to find and genuine, because fabricated trust claims cause more harm than good.