Introduction
The previous installment summarized all SEO (Search Engine Optimization) newsletter content covered in the year 2023 and provided a series of action steps to complete from each 2023 newsletter. This installment covers how brand trust feeds directly into the Google algorithm and impacts your rankings.
Trust is the Most Powerful SEO Tool
Trustworthiness is directly incorporated into Google’s algorithm. In other words, Google uses brand trust to rank websites. This is because customers (students in the case of university brands) are more likely to engage with and purchase from brands they trust. A student who trusts a university brand may even remember that brand and return for future purchases.
Google uses “trust signals” to determine whether a brand is trustworthy. Among these signals is brand coherence. Brand coherence refers to the consistency of your brand’s messaging and image across all platforms, including your website, social media, and Google profiles. A Google My Business profile and Knowledge Panel are two steps you can take to establish brand coherence, which was covered in previous installments of the SEO series. However, where you host your course pages can also make or break your brand cohesion.
Certain types of websites, such as university websites, carry more authority than others naturally. Universities are typically accredited, and their publications are held to rigorous academic standards. Your university brand website (your-brand.edu) is one of the most powerful SEO tools you have. Posting course pages on your brand website ensures that they have the best chance of ranking in Google search results by building trust in your brand overall. By hosting course pages on your university domain, you are maximizing the potential of your university brand.
Stay tuned for more of our upcoming SEO tips and best practices to maximize your success in 2024!