When someone searches for a service in your area, thousands of pages could answer, but only a few make it to the first page of Google. That choice isn’t random, and understanding how it works helps any business position its website better.
On 27 September, Google turned 28. Over that time its criteria have kept changing, but one has gained more and more weight: the trust a website conveys.
This is called authority. It’s one of the things that help a website reach the first page of Google organically, without ads, and it’s built through consistent work on your website and social media.
We’ve gathered five ways to work on it, some inside your website and others outside it.
What it takes to reach the first page of Google
One of the core concepts Google uses to define page quality is E-E-A-T: experience, expertise, authoritativeness and trustworthiness. It isn’t a score given to each website, but it sums up what Google’s systems aim to reward, as Google’s official documentation explains. In practice, Google tries to answer four questions. Does the person who wrote this know what they’re talking about? Have they done it? Do others recognise them? Can they be trusted?
The better a website answers these questions, the more easily Google recognises it as a reliable source.
1. Say a lot about a little
A website that covers many different topics has a harder time being recognised as an expert in any of them. Google recognises expertise through depth: several pieces of content on the same subject, linked to one another.
A seafood restaurant in Portimão that writes about the season for each fish, where its produce comes from and its signature dishes is telling Google, article by article, what it’s about.
2. Show who’s behind it
Google gives more and more weight to real experience. An “About us” page with names, photos and the team’s background, client case studies with concrete results and an up-to-date portfolio all work as evidence. Showing the people behind the business builds trust, with Google and with the people who visit your site.
3. Link your pages together
Internal links show Google how your knowledge is organised. Each article should lead to a related article and to the relevant service page. This article, for example, links to our piece on when is the right time to update your website. It’s simple and free, and it’s often overlooked.
4. Get others talking about you
This is one of the oldest signals Google uses. When a credible website links to yours, whether it’s a partner, an association, a regional newspaper or a supplier, Google reads it as a vote of confidence.
It’s not about quantity. A link from a website in your field or your region is worth more than dozens of unrelated ones. The most solid way to earn them is to create content others want to cite and to keep your partnerships active.
5. Use social media as an amplifier
One point is worth clarifying: likes and shares don’t directly push your website up in Google. Google itself has said so several times. But social media does everything around it. It takes your content to people who might cite it, increases how often people search for you by name and makes your brand recognisable. And what’s recognisable gets searched for.
Authority can’t be bought, it’s built
Ads put you at the top for as long as you pay. Authority helps you reach the first page of Google and keep a more stable position. It takes longer, but every article, every partnership and every post adds up, and none of it disappears when the budget runs out.
At HUB Ativo, in Portimão, we offer website design built to develop authority from day one, with the right structure, content and links, and social media management that gives your brand consistency. If you want Google to start recognising your business, get in touch.