What is TrustRank?
TrustRank is an algorithm employed by search engines to help differentiate between high-quality sites and those considered spam.
It relies on a manual review of a collection of trusted seed sites, which then helps to evaluate the trustworthiness of other sites based on their proximity to the trusted seeds. The closer a site is to these trusted sources, the more likely it is considered trustworthy.
How Does TrustRank Work?
Understanding how TrustRank operates can help you enhance your site’s trust and authority:
- Trusted Seed Sites: Search engines start with a set of manually reviewed and highly trusted sites known as seed sites.
- Link Proximity: The algorithm evaluates the distance (in terms of link hops) between a given site and the seed sites. Sites closely linked to trusted seeds are deemed more trustworthy.
- Spam Detection: Sites that are far removed from trusted seeds or that link to known spam sites are likely to be considered untrustworthy.
Does Google Use TrustRank?
While the concept of TrustRank is widely discussed, it’s important to note:
- Algorithm Complexity: Google uses a complex and proprietary algorithm to rank websites, and while it may incorporate trust-related signals, it does not publicly confirm using TrustRank specifically.
- Trust Signals: Google relies on various trust signals, such as the quality and relevance of backlinks, user behavior metrics, and content quality, to assess a site’s trustworthiness.
