If you have ever been frustrated by websites that outrank your website without having factual web content, a 2015 Google update could be a golden opportunity for SEO strategies. According to a New Scientist report, Google research scientists are working to give higher ranking to websites with factual content using a “Knowledge-Based Trust” score. This “Knowledge-Based Trust” (KBT) score will determine the value of a web page based on the accuracy of facts presented within it. The new approach could mean less weight for websites that have all the right SEO tactics without attention to content accuracy.
How KBT Analyzes Web Content
The Google research paper explains that Google could apply the KBT process by comparing factual claims made on a website to facts stored within its information database. This system would assess even web pages with small amounts of factual information by pulling information from other pages on the domain to determine how likely the web pages information is accurate.
The 2012 unveiling of Knowledge Graph, Google’s expansive online database of factual information on nearly every subject imaginable, has already changed the way you experience the web. Whenever you search for a well-known person, place or thing, an information sidebar usually pops up alongside the search results. The Knowledge Graph database powers this sidebar intended to feed users reliable information as soon as they make a search.
Promising Results For SEO Strategies
Early experiments with the KBT have shown promising results, according to researchers. One trial allowed researchers to predict how trustworthy 119 million different web pages across 5.6 million websites were with a high degree of reliability. The KBT examines bits of factual information known as triples that are referenced across the internet as well as with Google’s Knowledge Graph database.
Cautions and Expectations
While Google researchers have expressed high expectations for the KBT concept and its ability to improve the accuracy of information on the internet, they have also warned that the concept is not yet perfect. KBT is not yet ready to work the same across the web since many web pages do not always rely on factual information. Researchers also explain that the benefit of KBT is limited to the information present in the Knowledge Graph database. For example, a video-based website or a personal blog would be difficult to assess according to KBT standards.
Researchers have encouraged users to see KBT as another measure to improve the accuracy of information they find in search results. Along with other tools such as PageRank, KBT will helps check the quality of each website and web page to give you a more informed picture of the information you come across.
Implications For Small Business Owners
The KBT update can hold plenty of potential for business owners looking to get ahead of their online competition. Yet, like any Google update, KBT can harm your search rankings without proper strategies in place. Google is focused primarily on improving user access to high-quality and accurate information. Ensuring the quality and accuracy of the content on your website is more important now than ever before. If your website has a large amount of facts and reliable information, you could position your website as an expert resource in your field that drives more traffic and potential customers to you.
Click here to talk to us or call (817) 642-9686 to see how effective your content is for your Google rankings.
