Ever wondered why some websites consistently outrank yours despite your best SEO efforts? The answer might lie in a metric you've overlooked: Trust Flow.
Over the years, I've seen countless websites struggle to gain traction in search engine rankings despite having quality content and solid on-page optimisation. The missing piece of the puzzle is often understanding and improving your website's Trust Flow score.
In this comprehensive guide, I'll walk you through everything you need to know about Trust Flow, from its fundamental concept to actionable strategies for improvement. You'll discover how this crucial metric influences your site's authority and ultimately, your search engine rankings.
Trust Flow is a metric developed by Majestic SEO that measures the quality of links pointing to your website. Unlike raw link quantity metrics, Trust Flow evaluates the trustworthiness of your link profile by analysing how many clicks you are from trusted seed sites.
In simpler terms, it's a score between 0 and 100 that indicates how trustworthy your site appears to be based on the quality of websites linking to you. The higher your Trust Flow score, the more authoritative your website appears to search engines.
The concept was developed as part of Majestic's Flow Metrics suite, which revolutionised how we measure link quality in SEO. Trust Flow works on the principle that trustworthiness can be passed from one site to another through links, similar to how PageRank operates, but with a stronger emphasis on quality over quantity.
What makes Trust Flow particularly valuable is its focus on link quality rather than quantity. In today's SEO landscape, where quality decisively trumps quantity, understanding this metric gives you a competitive edge.
Trust Flow and Citation Flow are often mentioned together, but they measure different aspects of your link profile. Understanding the difference is crucial for a comprehensive backlink strategy.
| Aspect | Trust Flow | Citation Flow |
|---|---|---|
| What it measures | Quality of links | Quantity of links |
| Focus | Trustworthiness | Link popularity |
| Ideal scenario | High score | Balanced with Trust Flow |
| Impact of spammy links | Minimal impact if from low-trust sites | Can artificially inflate score |
| SEO value | Higher correlation with rankings | Lower correlation with rankings |
The ideal scenario is to have a balanced ratio between Trust Flow and Citation Flow, with Trust Flow being equal to or higher than Citation Flow. When Citation Flow significantly exceeds Trust Flow, it often indicates a potentially problematic link profile with quantity-focused rather than quality-focused links.
As Dixon Jones, the former marketing director at Majestic, explains: "Trust Flow is harder to manipulate and provides a more accurate picture of a site's authority in Google's eyes."
Measuring your website's Trust Flow is straightforward but requires the right tools. Here's how to check your Trust Flow score:
As the creators of Trust Flow, Majestic offers the most accurate measurement:
Majestic's free account allows a limited number of searches, while paid plans provide comprehensive analysis capabilities.
Several other SEO tools incorporate Trust Flow or similar metrics:
However, for the most accurate Trust Flow measurement, I always recommend using Majestic directly, as other tools may use approximations or similar but different metrics.
Improving your Trust Flow score requires a strategic approach focused on quality link building and proper website hygiene. Here are the strategies I've found most effective for my clients:
Begin by cleaning up your existing link profile:
Removing the negative influence of low-quality links can provide an immediate boost to your Trust Flow score.
Develop content that naturally attracts links from high-authority sites:
Content that provides unique value will naturally attract links from industry authorities.
Contribute content to high Trust Flow websites in your niche:
Guest blogging remains one of the most effective ways to build quality links when done with a focus on value rather than just link acquisition.
Network with established players in your field:
These relationships often lead to natural link opportunities from high-trust websites.
Optimise how trust flows within your own website:
While internal links don't directly impact Trust Flow from external sources, they help distribute the trust equity throughout your site.
Prioritise topical relevance in your link building:
A relevant link from a medium Trust Flow site can be more valuable than an irrelevant link from a high Trust Flow site.
Convert unlinked mentions into valuable backlinks:
This strategy leverages existing goodwill and recognition to build your link profile.
Enhance your already-linked content:
This can lead to additional links or higher-quality links from impressed referrers.
Explore legitimate opportunities for .edu and .gov links:
These domains typically have high Trust Flow and can significantly boost your score.
Implement ongoing Trust Flow monitoring:
Trust Flow improvement is a marathon, not a sprint. Consistent effort yields the best long-term results.
| Metric | Before Campaign | After 6 Months | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Flow | 12 | 31 | +158% |
| Organic Traffic | 8,500/month | 27,300/month | +221% |
| Keyword Rankings | 156 in top 10 | 487 in top 10 | +212% |
| Conversion Rate | 1.8% | 2.7% | +50% |
For this client, we implemented an aggressive toxic link disavowal strategy, removing over 2,000 spammy links. This was coupled with a content-driven approach that focused on creating comprehensive buying guides for their main product categories. The guides attracted links from industry publications and review sites with high Trust Flow scores, leading to a dramatic improvement in overall site authority.
| Metric | Before Campaign | After 3 Months | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Flow | 8 | 22 | +175% |
| Local Pack Appearances | 3 keywords | 28 keywords | +833% |
| Leads | 23/month | 87/month | +278% |
For this local plumbing company, we focused on building relationships with local news websites, business associations, and complementary services. By sponsoring local events and creating a comprehensive emergency plumbing guide that was shared by the city council website, we secured several high Trust Flow links. The improvement in Trust Flow correlated directly with better visibility in local search results.
Avoid these common pitfalls that can negatively impact your Trust Flow score:
Mass link building techniques like directory submissions, forum profile links, or low-quality guest posting can actually harm your Trust Flow. Each low-quality link dilutes your overall trust profile.
Failing to regularly audit and disavow harmful links allows their negative influence to persist. Set up quarterly backlink audits to identify and address problematic links.
Using exact-match keyword anchor text too frequently appears manipulative to search engines and can trigger penalties. Maintain a natural anchor text distribution that includes branded, naked URL, and natural language variations.
Directing all backlinks to your homepage while neglecting deep pages creates an unnatural link profile. Distribute link equity throughout your site by obtaining links to various relevant pages.
Failing to monitor changes in your Trust Flow can leave you blind to emerging problems. A sudden drop in Trust Flow can indicate a penalty or loss of valuable links that should be addressed promptly.
Trust Flow scores vary significantly by industry and site type. Here's a general benchmark guide based on my experience working across multiple sectors:
| Trust Flow Score | Interpretation | Typical Site Types |
|---|---|---|
| 0-10 | Very low trust | New sites, personal blogs, small local businesses |
| 11-20 | Beginning to establish trust | Growing blogs, established local businesses |
| 21-30 | Moderate trust | Industry blogs, regional businesses, niche authorities |
| 31-40 | Good trust | Known industry players, popular blogs, mid-size companies |
| 41-50 | High trust | Industry leaders, popular websites, national businesses |
| 51-60 | Very high trust | Major industry publications, large corporations |
| 61+ | Exceptional trust | Major news outlets, educational institutions, government sites |
Rather than fixating on absolute numbers, focus on:
A steadily increasing Trust Flow that outpaces your Citation Flow indicates healthy link profile growth.
As search engines continue to refine their algorithms, the principles behind Trust Flow will likely become even more important. Here's how I see this metric evolving:
Future trust measurements will likely incorporate user engagement signals alongside link metrics. Sites that earn links AND engage visitors meaningfully will earn higher trust.
Brand mentions, social media presence, and author authority may increasingly factor into trust calculations, creating a more holistic view of website authority.
Trust assessment will become more contextual, with different standards applied to different industries. A medical site, for instance, may be held to stricter trust standards than an entertainment blog.
Machine learning will enable more sophisticated evaluation of link context and relevance, making it harder to game the system with technically 'clean' but contextually irrelevant links.
The core principle, however, will remain unchanged: earning links from trustworthy, relevant sources will continue to be fundamental to search engine success.
Trust Flow remains one of the most valuable metrics for evaluating your website's authority in the eyes of search engines. Unlike many seo metrics that can be manipulated, Trust Flow provides a reliable indicator of your site's standing in your industry's digital ecosystem.
By focusing on building relationships with trusted websites, creating genuinely valuable content, and maintaining a clean link profile, you can steadily improve your Trust Flow score and, consequently, your search visibility.
Remember that Trust Flow improvement is a long-term strategy that requires patience and consistency. Quick-fix approaches invariably fail, while methodical, quality-focused efforts yield substantial and sustainable results.
As an experienced SEO consultant, I've seen the dramatic impact that improved Trust Flow can have on a website's performance. Start implementing these strategies today, and you'll be laying the groundwork for improved authority and visibility for years to come.
This article was written by Gaz Hall, a UK based SEO Consultant on 22nd January 2024. Gaz has over 25 years experience working on SEO projects large and small, locally and globally across a range of sectors. If you need any SEO advice or would like me to look at your next project then get in touch to arrange a free consultation.
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