When I check backlinks, I don’t just look at the number. I care about quality. That’s where Trust Flow comes in.
Trust Flow is a metric by Majestic. It shows how trustworthy a page is based on the quality of sites linking to it. Higher Trust Flow means stronger, more reliable links.
As you know, not all backlinks are equal. A link from a shady blog isn’t the same as one from a top news site. Trust Flow helps spot the difference.
SEOs use it to filter good links from bad ones. Marketers use it to measure domain strength before buying links or guest posts.
So, what’s a “good” Trust Flow score?
It depends on your niche. But in general:
- 0–10 is poor
- 11–30 is average
- 31–50 is solid
- 51+ is strong
If your site is stuck under 20, you’re probably dealing with weak links.
In this blog, I’ll show you what Trust Flow really means, what score you should aim for, and how to improve it with the right kind of backlinks.
What Is Trust Flow?
Trust Flow is a metric that shows how trustworthy a website is, based on its backlinks.
It was created by Majestic, a popular SEO tool. The idea is simple: sites that get links from other trusted sites are more reliable.
Most backlink tools count how many links a site has. But Trust Flow goes deeper. It checks the quality and relevance of those links. One solid link from a respected site can do more than 50 low-quality ones.
As you know, Google looks at trust. Trust Flow helps measure it.
How Trust Flow Is Calculated?
Majestic starts with a list of trusted websites. These are called seed sites. Think big names like BBC, NASA, or The Guardian.
Then they check which sites those trusted pages link to. And from there, how far your site is from that trusted group.
Each step away lowers your Trust Flow.
Your score runs from 0 to 100. The closer your links are to trusted sources, the higher your score.
Also, it’s not just about getting a link. It’s about who that link is coming from. A backlink from a trusted page can push your score up fast.
More trust = better score. Simple.
Trust Flow vs. Citation Flow
Trust Flow looks at link quality & Citation Flow looks at link quantity.
That’s the main difference.
A site with 500 backlinks might have a high Citation Flow. But if those links come from weak or shady sites, the Trust Flow will stay low.
As you know, that’s a red flag.
A high CF but low TF usually means the site has a lot of backlinks, but they’re not from trusted sources. That’s not good for SEO.
This is where the TF/CF ratio comes in.
Here’s a quick rule:
- If your TF is at least half of your CF, you’re in good shape.
- If TF is way lower than CF, your link profile may look spammy.
For example:
- TF 30 / CF 60 = solid
- TF 10 / CF 50 = weak
This ratio helps me judge if a site is worth getting a link from.
What’s Considered a “Good” Trust Flow Score?
When I check Trust Flow, I break it down into four clear ranges:
- 0–10 = poor (usually spammy or brand-new sites)
- 11–30 = average (some trust, but not strong)
- 31–50 = good (solid backlink profile)
- 51+ = very strong (trusted authority)
These scores aren’t random. They reflect the quality of links pointing to your site.
For example:
- A small blog with weak links might sit at 8.
- A local business with some decent backlinks could be around 25.
- A solid niche site might hit 40–45.
- Big names like bbc.com or wikipedia.org often go over 60+.
As you know, your goal depends on your niche. But if you’re building links and your score’s still under 20, you’ve got work to do.
What Is Topical Trust Flow?
Topical Trust Flow breaks things down by niche.
Instead of just showing your overall score, it tells you which topics your site is trusted for. Majestic does this by grouping backlinks into categories like Health, Tech, News, or Finance.
Let’s say I run a fitness blog. If most of my strong backlinks come from health or wellness sites, I’ll have high Trust Flow in that category.
That’s a good thing.
As you know, Google cares about relevance. A backlink from a top fashion blog won’t help a plumbing site much. But a link from a top home repair site? That makes sense and it builds trust.
Topical Trust Flow helps spot mismatched links and focus on the right ones.
If you want to rank higher, you need trust in your own niche.
How to Improve Your Trust Flow Score
If your Trust Flow is low, you’re not alone. I’ve seen plenty of sites stuck at 10 or below. But the fix is clear.
1. Get Links From Trusted Sites
Find sites with solid Trust Flow in your niche. A single link from a strong, relevant site is worth more than 20 random ones.
2. Focus on Niche Authority
Stick to your topic. If you run a finance blog, get links from finance-related domains. That builds Topical Trust Flow, which boosts rankings too.
3. Avoid Spammy Backlinks
Low-quality links from shady or unrelated pages will drag your score down. Don’t waste time chasing volume.
4. Audit Your Link Profile
Use tools like Majestic or Ahrefs. Spot junk links, especially those from unrelated or foreign-language sites.
5. Disavow Harmful Links
As you know, not every link helps. Some hurt. Use Google’s Disavow Tool to cut ties with toxic backlinks.
Improving Trust Flow takes time, but it’s simple: focus on quality over quantity.
Why Your Trust Flow Score Might Change
Your Trust Flow score isn’t fixed. It can go up or down based on a few things. One common reason is that the quality of your backlinks changes. If a site linking to you loses trust, that weakens your score too.
You might also lose backlinks either the linking page is removed, the link is taken down, or the entire site goes offline. That’s a quick way to see your score drop.
Another reason is Majestic updates. As you know, SEO tools refresh their data often. When Majestic crawls new links or drops old ones, it adjusts your score to reflect the latest backlink profile.
So don’t panic over small changes. Focus on building consistent, high-quality links from trusted, relevant sources.
Final Thoughts
Trust Flow is useful but it’s not everything.
I don’t chase scores just to make a metric look good. I use Trust Flow to spot solid backlinks and avoid junk. That’s it.
As you know, real SEO wins come from building actual authority in your niche. That means helpful content, relevant backlinks, and a clean site.
So yes, track your Trust Flow. But don’t obsess over it. Use it as one signal in a bigger SEO plan. Keep things real, and the rankings will follow.
