Using the Trust & Transparency Scanner

The Trust & Transparency Scanner analyzes any website for signs of fake social proof, misleading trust signals, and transparency issues. It helps agencies and business owners evaluate whether a website's claims are backed by real evidence.

How to Use It

1. Go to SEO & Audit > Trust Scanner in the sidebar.
2. Enter a website URL and click Run Trust Scan.
3. Review the results across 5 categories.

What It Checks

The scanner evaluates websites across these categories:

Reviews & Testimonials — Checks for aggregate ratings in structured data without links to real review platforms (Google, Trustpilot, Yelp). Flags testimonial sections that lack verifiable profile links.

Trust Badges & Seals — Looks for trust badge images (BBB, Norton, McAfee) that don't link to verification pages. Flags "As Seen On" claims without links to actual press articles. Detects SSL seals on non-HTTPS sites.

Transparency & Policies — Verifies the presence of essential pages: privacy policy, terms of service, refund policy, contact information, and an about page.

Scarcity & Urgency — Detects countdown timers and urgency language ("limited time", "only X left", "act now") that may be used to pressure visitors.

Third-Party Verification — Checks for links to real review platforms, active social media profiles, and domain registration age via WHOIS.

Understanding the Score

Each category receives a score from 0 to 100. The overall Trust Score is a weighted average:

• Transparency (30%) — most heavily weighted because policies are fundamental
• Reviews (25%) — fake reviews are a major red flag
• Verification (20%) — third-party proof matters
• Badges (15%) — unverified badges are misleading
• Urgency (10%) — lower weight since urgency can be legitimate

Use Cases

• Before buying from a new website — check if their reviews and trust signals are real
• Auditing your own site — make sure you're not accidentally displaying misleading signals
• Competitor research — see how competitors present their credibility
• Client pitches — show prospects where their trust signals need improvement