Here’s why it pays really does pay to be factual…
The traditional ranking methods which google favour may be changing and it is important that businesses are aware of this new development so they can prepare for it and more importantly take action to ensure their site is not harmed through this channel.
The change comes about as a result of a publication by google named “Knowledge-Based Trust: Estimating the Trustworthiness of Web Sources.” Please see: http://arxiv.org/pdf/1502.03519v1.pdf for the full digest.
The publication discuses that instead of the links method, websites may be ranked according to the levels of factual correctness of the source. This is what they call knowledge based trust.
For businesses the reality of this would be they would have to make sure that all their content and pages are correct otherwise questionable or incorrect data would give the website issues.
The link based rankings are becoming increasingly congested so it wouldn’t be a shock if a shift in procedure happened, as Google is already using Social signals and other factors in a move away from links since the Penguin updates.
There are potential problems with this method however and these are yet to be remedied. If your business is based on opinion rather than fact or is an upcoming and pioneering field, then how will the search engines determine what is fact and what is not? Fact may not even be proved yet in these circumstances, and it is not clear if or how websites would be penalised.
The ironic thing about all of this is the industry of SEO which this will effect, is at times largely down to opinion rather than precise science of fact. Do we need to get our own house in order first?