Recently, New Scientist reported that Google is creating a new ranking tool called Knowledge Based Trust (KBT). The goal of Knowledge Based Trust is to take the next step in ranking websites based on the quality of their content. Specifically, KBT will determine whether or not the information contained within certain webpages is factual. Factual validity as a ranking factor would be a major change from the current way in which Google ranks the world’s websites. In theory, it could take a significant amount of emphasis off of link building, which would be a welcome change for many companies. After all, it’s much easier to ensure you have a lot of factual information on your website than it is to acquire a large number of links in a Google-friendly manner.

While the KBT is not in use quite yet, it is important for businesses and those in control of their website to understand the impact this could have. Google is planning on using an “extraction” process to compare the content that is stated as factual information on various websites against the information in a knowledge base that they have been compiling for years. Thus far, Google and its team of research scientists have measured the trustworthiness of over 5.6 million websites and 119 million pages. The company also explained that knowledge based trust will be used with a variety of other ranking factors to ensure web users have access to the best content possible.

What this Means for You:

While Google isn’t immediately implementing knowledge based trust into their search algorithm, the news of their latest tool is a hint at where Google is likely headed in the future. Creating web content that is factual, helpful, and detailed will only lead to better search rankings for your business down the road. It doesn’t matter what industry you are in, taking the time to create factual new content while checking the accuracy of the content that currently resides on your website will only benefit you in the future. View this potential change as a great opportunity for your business and take advantage of it. If your business is proactive, you could see a drastic increase in Google search rankings which will result in more leads!