3.2 Site-level trustMediumInferred
Missing privacy policy/terms
Privacy and terms pages are expected, and in many places legally required. Their absence signals a site that has not done the basics, to users and to Google.
What it is
No legal/policy pages.
Why it matters
Trust and compliance gap.
How to fix it
Add privacy policy and terms.
How to find it on your site
- Check for accessible privacy policy and terms pages.
- Confirm they are current and relevant to the site.
- Add them if missing.
- Link to them from the footer.
Cross-reference to ranking and citation factors
Policy pages are a baseline trust and compliance signal. Missing them undermines credibility.
Impact
Low-medium. Inferred.
Evidence
Policy transparency supports trust. Google, Search Quality Rater Guidelines (PDF)