The About page is one of the most visited and least edited pages on most business websites. It often gets written once at launch, filled with phrases like "passionate team" and "customer-focused solutions", and never touched again. Yet when a potential customer is deciding whether to trust you, it is frequently the page they open next.
It matters to search engines in a quieter way. Google's guidance on helpful content suggests that trustworthy sites make it easy to learn who is behind them, mentioning links to an author page or a site's About page. Google's Search Quality Rater Guidelines ask raters to look for "About us" and contact information when judging who is responsible for a site. And the About page is a natural home for Organization structured data.
This guide explains what a trustworthy About page includes, how to write one that sounds human, how to optimise it for search without turning it into a sales page, and the mistakes that make visitors leave.
Key Takeaways
- An About page answers three questions: who you are, why you do what you do, and why a visitor should trust you.
- Google's guidelines treat clear information about who is responsible for a site as a trust signal, especially for YMYL topics.
- Specific facts (founding year, location, real people, credentials, numbers you can prove) beat generic adjectives.
- The About page is a good place for Organization structured data, which Google says can sit on the home page or a page describing your organisation.
- Include a clear next step: contact, book, view services or meet the team.
Why About Pages Matter for Trust and SEO
Google's Search Quality Rater Guidelines (version dated September 2025) ask raters to identify who owns a website and who created its content, starting from the homepage and looking for About, contact and customer service information.
“Websites are usually very clear about who is responsible for the website and who created the content on the page.”
— Google Search Quality Rater Guidelines, Section 2.5.2
The guidelines go further for sensitive topics. YMYL pages or sites that handle sensitive data with no information about the website or content creator can be rated Lowest. Raters do not decide rankings directly, but their guidelines describe the kind of results Google's systems aim to show. For online stores, raters are also asked to check payment, exchange and returns information, so ecommerce About pages should link to those policies.
From a search perspective, an About page also ranks for branded queries such as "[brand] owner" or "who runs [brand]", supplies facts that help Google understand your organisation as an entity, and supports your knowledge panel.
What to Include on an About Page
| Section | What it answers | Trust value |
|---|---|---|
| Who you are | Business name, what you do, who you serve, where you are | High |
| Your story | Why you started, what problem you solve | Medium |
| The people | Founders and key staff with photos, roles and credentials | High |
| Proof | Years in business, clients, certifications, awards, memberships, case studies | High |
| How you work | Process, values in practice, guarantees, editorial policy | Medium |
| Contact details | Address, phone, email, company registration where relevant | High |
| Next step | Call to action to contact, book or browse services | Conversion |
For a publisher or content-led site, add an editorial policy, how you fact-check and correct errors, how you make money (advertising, affiliate links) and links to author pages.
How to Write an About Page: Step by Step
- Define the reader. Is the page for customers, partners, journalists or job seekers? Lead with what the main audience needs.
- Write a one-sentence summary. "We are a family-run roofing company serving Leeds since 2009" beats a paragraph of slogans. Our guide to writing a value proposition helps here.
- Tell the story briefly. Why does the business exist? What changed for customers because of it? See our tips on brand storytelling.
- Introduce real people. Add names, photos, roles and relevant credentials. Link to fuller profiles where they exist.
- Add verifiable proof. Certifications, memberships, awards, notable clients, review ratings, years trading. Only include claims you can back up.
- Explain how you work. Your process, guarantees or editorial standards, in plain language.
- Add contact and business details. Make them consistent with your Google Business Profile and local citations.
- Finish with a call to action. Point visitors to the next sensible step.
- Add structured data and optimise metadata. See the next section.
- Review it every year. Update team changes, numbers and achievements.
On-Page SEO for About Pages
- Title tag: something like "About [Brand] | [What you do] in [Location]". Clear and unique, not keyword-stuffed.
- H1: "About [Brand]" or a short statement of who you are.
- URL: a simple
/about/or/about-us/. - Internal links: link from the main navigation or footer, and link out to services, team and contact pages.
- Images: real team and premises photos with descriptive alt text.
- Organization structured data: Google says Organization markup can go on the home page or on a single page describing the organisation, such as an About page. It helps Google understand details like your logo, address, contact information and identifiers.
“You don't need to include it on every page of your site.”
— Google Search Central (on Organization markup), Organization structured data
A simple example:
{
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "Organization",
"name": "Example Roofing Ltd",
"url": "https://www.example.com/",
"logo": "https://www.example.com/logo.png",
"foundingDate": "2009",
"telephone": "+44-113-000-0000",
"sameAs": ["https://www.linkedin.com/company/example-roofing"]
}If the page is mainly about one person, such as a consultant's "About me" page, Google's ProfilePage markup is a better fit.
Generic vs Trust-Building Copy
| Generic | Trust-building |
|---|---|
| "We are a passionate team of experts." | "Our six-person team includes two chartered accountants and a former HMRC inspector." |
| "Quality is our top priority." | "Every job is signed off by a supervisor and covered by a written ten-year guarantee." |
| "Trusted by many clients." | "Rated 4.8 from 312 Google reviews" (only if true and current) |
| "Founded with a vision." | "Started in 2015 when our founder couldn't find a vet open on Sundays." |
The examples on the right are illustrations of style, not real businesses. Use your own verifiable facts, and match the tone to your brand voice.
About Pages for Different Types of Sites
The core questions stay the same, but the emphasis shifts with the business model:
- Local service businesses: lead with location, licences, insurance, years trading and the people who will turn up at the door.
- Online stores: explain who runs the shop, where orders ship from, and link clearly to delivery, returns and payment policies.
- Publishers and blogs: describe the editorial team, how content is researched and corrected, and how the site makes money.
- Healthcare, legal and financial firms: show qualifications and regulatory registrations prominently, and keep claims factual. Health providers should also avoid sharing any patient details or testimonials that breach privacy rules such as HIPAA in the US.
Common Mistakes
- Writing only about yourself. Connect your story to what customers get.
- No real people. Stock photos and anonymous "teams" undermine trust.
- Unverifiable claims. "Best in the industry" means nothing without proof.
- Missing contact details. Especially damaging for YMYL services and online stores.
- Hiding the page. If visitors cannot find it from the homepage, it cannot build trust. Our guide to homepage SEO covers navigation that surfaces it.
- Stuffing it with keywords. The About page is not your main ranking page for services; link to those instead.
- Letting it go stale. Departed staff and old numbers suggest a neglected business.
Related Guides
- Blog SEO: How to Optimize Every Post
- How to Write Listicles That Rank
- Comparison Pages: “X vs Y” Content That Converts
- Homepage SEO: How to Optimize Your Most Important Page
Frequently Asked Questions
Does an About page help SEO?
Indirectly. It supports trust, ranks for branded queries, and is a good place for Organization structured data that helps Google understand your business.
How long should an About page be?
Long enough to answer who you are, why you exist and why to trust you. For most small businesses that is a few hundred words plus photos and proof.
Should I put Organization schema on my About page?
You can. Google says Organization markup can go on the home page or on a single page describing your organisation, such as an About page.
What is the difference between an About page and a team page?
The About page explains the business; a team page profiles individual people. Many small sites combine them.
Should the About page include a call to action?
Yes. Visitors reading it are often close to deciding, so link to contact, booking or services.
Conclusion
A good About page is specific, human and verifiable. It tells visitors who you are, proves you are who you say you are, and makes the next step obvious. You can see how we approach it on our own About Us page and why trust us page. If you would like help writing trust-building pages that also support your SEO, our content writing service can help, or you can get a quote.
References
- Google: Search Quality Rater Guidelines (PDF)
- Google Search Central: Creating helpful, reliable, people-first content
- Google Search Central: Organization structured data
- Google Search Central: ProfilePage structured data
- Google Search Central: SEO Starter Guide
- Semrush: Google E-E-A-T: What it is & how it affects SEO
