Check a Website's Trust Score to Know if It's Legitimate

check website trust score

The internet has opened up a world of boundless information, but how can you tell whether a website's information is credible or not? In today's age of misinformation and disinformation, it's crucial to be able to evaluate the reliability of online sources.

When you land on a website you're unfamiliar with, how do you know you can trust what you're reading? Any site can look professional, but appearance alone doesn't determine legitimacy or truthfulness.

Many sites promote biased, false, or misleading content, intentionally or not. Others may seem reliable but contain hidden malware that can infect your device.

That's why checking a website's trust score has become an essential first step before believing or using any information you find online. Website trust scores provide an objective metric to judge a site's accuracy and safety.

In this article, we'll examine what exactly a website trust score is, why it's important, and how you can easily check the scores of websites using free online tools. Read on to learn how to stay safe and avoid misinformation by verifying website trustworthiness.

What is a Website Trust Score?

A website trust score rates the reliability and safety of a website based on multiple factors:

Website Trust Score

Domain History: How long has the domain been registered and active? Older domains tend to be more trusted.
Traffic Numbers: How many visitors does the site get? More traffic indicates a popular and trusted site.
Security: Does the site use HTTPS encryption? What is the malware scan rating? Secure sites are seen as more trustworthy.
Reputation: What do other experts and users say about the website? Positive reviews improve trust scores.
References: Does the site properly source information using reputable, verified sources? Cited sources increase credibility.
Bias: Does the site present information in a neutral, non-biased way? Lack of obvious bias improves trust.
Design: Is the website well-designed, functional, and free of ads? A professional appearance improves perceptions of trust.

Trust Score

The trust score is calculated from these factors, generating a rating typically between 0 and 100. The higher the score, the more trustworthy the website. Scores above 70 generally indicate a website that contains accurate information and is safe to browse.

Why Check a Website's Trust Score?

There are several important reasons to evaluate a website's trust score before using it:

Trust Score Meaning

Avoid Misinformation: Checking the trust score helps filter out sites that promote falsehoods, propaganda, or "fake news." Only use information from highly trustworthy sources.
Prevent Malware: Disreputable sites are more likely to host malware that can infect your device. Consult trust ratings to stay safe.
Find High-Quality Content: Trust scores help surface sites with the most accurate, well-researched information that is worth your time.
Get Truthful Reviews: For sites that provide reviews or ratings, high trust scores mean the opinions presented are genuine and unbiased.
Determine Site Legitimacy: Trust scores help reveal which sites are scams, especially for those requesting sensitive personal or financial data. Only provide info to high-trust sites.

How to Check a Website's Trust Score

Here are some options to easily check the assigned trust rating for any website:

Trust Score Checker

SiteTrust: SiteTrust provides a free trust rating and report on domains based on their malware scan results and community reputation.
Norton Safe Web: Norton's tool also delivers a site safety report along with an overall trust score. Sign up for a free Norton account to access it.
McAfee WebAdvisor: Input a domain on McAfee's site to see its trust score and scan for threats like malware, phishing attempts, and spam.
Sucuri SiteCheck: Sucuri's website checker provides a trust ranking and details any blacklisting, malware, or other suspicious activity.
Chrome Web Store Extensions: Browser extensions like Web of Trust and Trustpilot display site trust ratings directly in your address bar while browsing.

Strategies to Improve Website Trust Score

check website trust score

If your site has a low trust score, here are some strategies you can implement to improve it:

Install an SSL certificate and switch to HTTPS - This encrypts data and shows visitors your site is secure.
Undergo regular malware scans and address any issues immediately - Fix infected pages and scan again until you get a clean bill of health.
Get positive mentions and backlinks from trusted sources - Reach out to industry websites and blogs to earn credible vouching.
Refresh content regularly and remove outdated pages - Search engines favour active sites with recent, useful info.
Speed up load times by optimizing images and caching - Faster performance indicates a well-run, responsive site.
Limit ads and popups - Too many annoyances make a site seem spammy and untrustworthy.
Add author bios and an About page - Helps establish expertise and transparency.
Eliminate bias, check facts, and properly cite sources - Shows you value accuracy and neutrality.

With diligence across factors like security, design, content, and reputation, your website trust score can incrementally improve over time.

How is Website Trust Score Calculated?

While the exact algorithms used by search engines to calculate trust scores are proprietary, several factors commonly influence this metric.

Some key elements that contribute to a website's trust score include:

Domain Age: Older domains tend to have higher trust scores as they have had more time to establish credibility and authority.
Backlink Profile: Quality backlinks from reputable websites signal to search engines that your site is trustworthy and authoritative.
Content Quality: Well-researched, original content that provides value to users can boost trust scores.
Security Features: Websites with secure HTTPS protocols and SSL certificates are deemed more trustworthy.
User Experience: Factors like site speed, mobile responsiveness, and low bounce rates contribute to a positive user experience, enhancing trustworthiness.

Build Website Trust with Best Practices

For website owners and publishers looking to improve their site's trust score, here are some tips:

Obtain an SSL certificate and use HTTPS across your site
Regularly scan for and remove any malware
Gather positive reviews and testimonials from authoritative sources
Properly attribute or link to all sources used as references
Design for professionalism - avoid excessive ads and popups
Create author bios and About pages to establish expertise
Publish factual information written in a neutral tone
Cultivate an active community of engaged visitors and commenters

Building legitimacy and a high trust ranking takes time. But the long-term rewards of credibility, safety, and user confidence are well worth the investment for any quality website.

FAQs on Website Trust Scores

Q1: What is a good trust score for a website?

A: Websites with scores of 70 or higher are generally considered trustworthy. Top sites often have scores over 90. Be wary of any site with a score under 50.

Q2: How can I check the trust score in my browser?

A: Install browser extensions like Web of Trust or Norton Safe Web to see a site's trust rating displayed directly in your address bar.

Q3: Do website trust scores go to 100?

A: Yes, trust scores typically range from 0 to 100. A site with a 100 rating has earned perfect scores for security, credibility, and safety from multiple scanners.

Q4: Can you pay to increase your trust score?

A: There is no legitimate way to pay to boost trust scores. Ratings are objectively calculated based on security criteria, time online, and reputation.

Q5: Should I only visit high-trust score websites?

A: In general, stick to well-established sites with scores of at least 70. However, newer or less-known sites can still be safe and credible despite a lower score. Use your best judgment.

Conclusion

Evaluating website trust scores is a simple yet effective way to identify misinformation and protect yourself online. Consult tools like Norton Safe Web and SiteTrust to check ratings before sharing or using content from unfamiliar sites.

Make informed decisions to avoid malware and fakes. With a bit of research, you can easily find reputable, high-quality websites you can trust.