Security

Trustworthiness · Trust

SEO impact Medium

Effort Medium

Estimated ROI Good

Definition

A site free of malware, security alerts, fake content.

Why it matters for Google

Safe Browsing signals; a single incident can destroy trust.

Context within the E-E-A-T framework

Trustworthiness

Transparency, security, compliance, the non-negotiable foundation.

Official reference

Google Quality Rater Guidelines (Sept. 2025) ↗

Section 3.2 · 2.5.3

Standard requirement

Full guide coming soon

Actions to implement

01
Regular audit
02
WAF active
03
CMS updates

Combine with

Bg Personal bio Mq Update Eq Online reputation Hs HTTPS

Check off your progress, saved in your browser.

Regular auditWAF activeCMS updatesMeasure impact 30 days after implementation (GSC)Compare results at D+90 with a control pageAdd this element to the quarterly E-E-A-T auditDocument the implementation in the editorial logbook

Priority levelMedium

Implementation difficultyMedium

Time to result1 – 3 months

Pillar reinforcedTrustworthiness

YMYL requirementStandard

QRG section3.2 · 2.5.3

How to measure success

Audit the page before / after implementation (Screaming Frog + GSC)
Track the average position on targeted queries in Google Search Console
Watch organic CTR at D+30 and D+90
Compare with a control page that did not get the signal
Add this element to a quarterly E-E-A-T audit grid