Why algorithms favor trustworthy businesses

Think about how you discover products. You ask ChatGPT for recommendations, scroll through Reddit threads, check industry forums. Maybe even ask a trusted friend or peer. Online, doesn't matter so much if a site links to your brand, merely that you're mentioned favorably by a trustworthy source (ideally, many many sources). This shift mirrors how we naturally make decisions. When everyone at the cocktail party mentions the same book, you read it. When multiple trusted sources cite the same tool, you try it. LLMs are simply automating this human behavior at scale. The opportunity is clear: instead of chasing backlinks, earn brand mentions. Get included in the listicles, reviews, and discussions that feed these AI models. Build what we're calling "brand gravity"—the natural pull that makes you the obvious choice when someone searches for solutions in your category. The companies winning in AI search aren't gaming algorithms. They're earning genuine recommendations across the web. Because if people don't recommend you, no model will either.

Google's AI systems need consensus from multiple sources to recommend your business. Your Google Business Profile alone isn't enough. Google's MUM system "understands consensus when multiple high-quality sources agree on the same fact." That's why we got our client listed on platforms AI trusts: • Yelp (frequently cited for local services) • TripAdvisor (strong for experience-based businesses)   • Facebook Business (indexed and integrated into Meta AI) • Bing Places (used in Bing Copilot) • Industry-specific directories Each listing reinforced their credibility signals. The key? Maintain consistent NAP (Name, Address, Phone) everywhere. Even tiny differences like "High Street" vs "High St." create uncertainty for AI systems. Result: They're now appearing for 155 keywords in UK AI Overviews. Building this web of consensus takes time, but it's what separates businesses that get featured from those that remain invisible. How many trusted platforms is your business listed on?

Why Authenticity in Search Matters More Than Ever 📈 With AI-generated content flooding the internet, authenticity and expertise have never been more important. Anyone can generate an article in seconds, but that doesn’t mean it’s valuable or trustworthy 🧠 Google knows this, so E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness) plays a bigger role in SEO than ever before. If your website doesn’t demonstrate real expertise or first-hand experience, you’ll struggle to stand out – both to Google and to your audience 💯 This is especially true in finance, legal, and healthcare industries, where trust and credibility are non-negotiable. So, what does E-E-A-T actually mean? 💭 Ask yourself these questions: → Experience – Does the content creator have real, first-hand knowledge of the topic? → Expertise – Is the information written by someone who genuinely knows their stuff? → Authoritativeness – Is your brand recognised as a trusted name in its field? → Trustworthiness – Is your website credible, transparent, and reliable? Google’s quality raters use these factors when assessing search results. While their evaluations don’t directly impact rankings, they help shape the algorithm updates that do 🔎 Here are some ways you can improve your trust with the search engines: ✅ Show real-world experience – Case studies, testimonials, and expert commentary prove your knowledge isn’t just theoretical. ✅ Make trust a priority – Clear contact details, transparent policies, and secure browsing reinforce credibility. ✅ Build your personal brand – When someone Googles your name, they should see a strong author SERP that backs up your authority. ✅ Use structured data – Schema markup helps Google understand who you are and what you do. ✅ Refine your ‘About Us’ page – Showcase your team’s expertise, credentials, and business history to establish credibility. In my opinion, search engines are going to continue to push authenticity and strong personal brands over the course of the year. AI can generate content but can’t replicate authentic experience, human expertise, or real trustworthiness 👊 #seo #marketing #search

Want "insane progress" for your local business? It's not magic. It's about feeding search engines and AI the precise data they need to confidently recommend you every time a local customer searches. If Google and AI truly understand you, you win. So, how do they get that understanding? It starts with answering some fundamental questions. When a new client comes on board, these are the top 3 categories of information we meticulously gather. Consider them your DIY audit for local online visibility: 1. Your Business's EXACT Identity (No Ambiguity Allowed): Google and AI crave certainty. They want to know your official name, exact address, public phone number, and hours. This seems simple, but inconsistencies here are a top reason businesses get overlooked. Why it's crucial: This data powers your Google Business Profile, local map results, and is the core of your digital "fingerprint." Consistent data across the web builds massive trust signals. We use this for powerful citations and links. 2. Your Target Customers & Niche Focus (Who Are You Truly For?): Being "for everyone" means you're for no one online. AI and search engines are getting incredibly good at matching specific user intent with precise solutions. Why it's crucial: Define your ideal customer and your top 1-2 priority services. This allows us to craft content and optimize your presence to attract high-intent leads who are actually looking for what you offer, rather than just generating clicks. It's about quality over quantity. 3. Your Local Story & Unique Authority (Why You, Why Here?): Beyond services, Google and AI want to understand your expertise and your connection to your community. This includes your mission, what makes you unique against competitors, and high-quality visuals. Why it's crucial: Your mission, your local context, and authentic photos (which easily become videos for AI models) tell a compelling story. This humanizes your brand and signals to algorithms that you're a real, trustworthy, and valuable local resource. These aren't just questions for our onboarding form. These are the fundamental pillars of clarity that transform your business into a go-to recommendation for Google, AI, and ultimately, your local customers. Are you giving Google and AI this level of clarity about your business? If you aren't sure, I am offering free audits to show you if you have these assets working for you. Just comment "I'd like an audit."

Yesterday I was asked on LinkedIn a very good question which is relevant to all: ‘In the AI era, how do we sell and how do we buy?’ It’s a powerful question because the rules are shifting under our feet. I've been deep in this space, watching AI agents increasingly step into the decision-making role that was once purely human territory. And here's what's becoming clearer by the day: while technology advances, trust isn't becoming less important, it's becoming everything. The more I work in this space, the more I see a fundamental shift. We're no longer just building trust with human buyers. We're building it with AI systems that influence or make purchasing decisions. Businesses now have two audiences to convince: the humans buying the product and the algorithms that rank, recommend, and decide. And here's what makes this fascinating: both need to trust you, but for entirely different reasons. This means: → Transparency has to be non-negotiable, your data, your messaging, and your practices need to align perfectly with what you promise. → Human connection matters more than ever. In a world of algorithmic decisions, authentic relationships become your strongest differentiator. → Personal branding and credibility matters, because even in the AI era, people invest in people. → Ethics aren't just for your "About Us" page or a PR campaign, they need to be coded into your algorithms and embedded in every business decision. We’re in uncharted territory. Businesses need to stop thinking of trust as a soft concept and start treating it like the backbone of every system they build. So, how are you ensuring trust is at the core of your business in this AI-driven landscape? The "trust recession" people talk about isn't just a catchy phrase. It's a wake-up call. In an AI-driven landscape, trust isn't a nice-to-have currency, it's the only currency that matters. What's your take? How are you building trust in a world where both humans and AI systems need to believe in your business? #AI #FutureOfBusiness #Leadership #Trust #DigitalTransformation ♻️ → Repost if you found this useful! ______________ 𝗙𝗼𝗿 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗶𝗽𝘀, 𝗳𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄 me: @𝗻𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗮𝘀𝗸𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗮𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶