A Few Thoughts Re: Google Quality Content (Part 2)…

A few days ago, I began an editorial with respect to Google Quality Filters and what questions Google asks to assess the quality of a page or an article.  I have been addressing a few questions at a time, providing some insight and explanation as appropriate.  In this post, I will address the areas of the confidence of using credit card on a site; spelling/grammatical errors; and site content as it relates to search engine ranking.

Would you be comfortable giving your credit card information to this site?

Before using a credit card online, make sure the Webpage address uses an “https” rather than an“http” address.  HTTPS stands for Hyper Text Transfer Protocol with Secure Sockets Layer (SSL).  This is another protocol developed with secure, safe internet transactions in mind.

Also, verify that the browser displays the secure lock – this is usually in the bottom right hand corner or toward the top of the page on other browsers.  Moreover, the Webpage should display a Certification from a trusted site, such as VeriSign.

Does this article have spelling, grammatical, and/or factual errors?

Spelling is important to the credibility of an article and/or Webpage.  Visitors observing an article and/or Webpage with language errors do not inspire trust in our visitors.  They may think if we cannot spell and/or compose sentences correctly, how could anyone trust us to keep their information private and secure?  It would be wise to hire an editor to proofread. 

Are the article/page topics driven by genuine interests of readers of the site, or does the site generate content by attempting to guess what might rank well in search engines?

Authentic, credible content matters to search engines.  Individuals respond emotionally to information, and a user’s online experience factors into their decision making – those factors being habit, memory, trust, consistency, credibility, expertise, accuracy just to name a few.

With all the individuals claiming their expertise, how do they validate their claims?  The decision to decide accurate content and credibility lies with the user – they are hoping to trust the author, and point in fact; many individuals marketing online ignore the value of providing substantive information to their target markets.  In forums, blogs with active user comments, LinkedIn group discussions and article-driven web sites, certain cues help determine trust in information: Accuracy, authority, and objectivity (to name a few) are cues that can help a user trust our information.  Sites that are moderated do well because they demand quality discussions by well-intentioned members willing to share expertise and knowledge.

Successful search and social marketing strategies must include understanding how to create and deliver information that is judged to be accurate, trustworthy and authentic. Understanding user intent helps marketers and search engines present relevant information.