To write an about page that works, answer three visitor questions near the top: who runs this site, what do they actually do, and how can I reach them. Then back those answers with proof, keep the page current, and make sure any markup matches what is visible. Google's guidance on helpful content says trust comes from clear sourcing, evidence of expertise and background on the author or the site, and it names the author page and the About page as examples of that background. That comes down to what the page says, how it shows the team, how it connects to the rest of the site and where Organization markup fits. It promises no rankings.
Small business owners, publishers and agency leads with a thin or generic about page need a practical rewrite path. If you are also building profiles for individual writers, read the author page guide alongside it.
Who reads an about page, and what they need
People rarely visit an about page for fun. They arrive with a doubt: is this business real, can I rely on this article, is this the right partner? The page exists to resolve that doubt quickly, and the best way to plan it is to name the doubt before you write a word.
The cautious buyer
A first-time buyer wants proof that a real organization stands behind the checkout or the contact form. They look for a name, a place or a statement that the business is online only, a person to contact and some sign that questions get answered. What they do not need is a mission statement full of adjectives.
The reader checking a source
On content sites, readers who are about to rely on a fact will sometimes check who publishes it. Google's helpful content guidance asks whether content builds trust through clear sourcing, evidence of expertise and author or site background, and gives the author page and About page as examples. So an about page is part of the evidence for every article on the site.
The partner or journalist
People who may cite or work with you want short, accurate facts they can copy: official name, what you do, who to contact, a usable logo. A dedicated press or partner file covers that need in more depth, and the media kit guide explains how to build one. The about page remains the shorter public summary.
What the page does for SEO
Be realistic here. Google says E-E-A-T is not itself a specific ranking factor, and the Search Essentials page says that meeting requirements and best practices does not mean Google will crawl, index or serve a page. An about page does not push rankings by itself. Its value is indirect: it supports the trust of your content pages, gives search systems and people a consistent description of who you are, and gives you a natural place for your brand name and what you do to appear in plain language.
Four facts every about page must state
These four facts are the spine of the page. A beautiful origin story cannot stand in for a missing one.
Who is behind the site
State the organization's name, and its legal name if that differs from the brand. Name the people responsible where it makes sense, with their real roles. The helpful content guidance treats fabricated creator profiles, such as invented names, false credentials and AI-generated headshots, as a low-quality signal. The same reasoning applies to team sections: if a person is shown, the person should exist and agree to be shown.
What you do, and what you do not
Describe the work in one or two plain sentences. Then mark the edges: whom you serve, which services you decline, what a visitor should not expect. Boundaries save time for both sides. If your positioning needs more thought, the brand messaging architecture guide shows how to order claims before you write them.
Where you operate
Give a full address if you have a public one. If you work only online, say so, and name the regions or languages you serve. Whatever you publish must be identical across the site, because inconsistent details make visitors wonder which version is true.
How to reach you
List at least one channel that someone actually answers. Phone, email, form and social profiles are all acceptable; listing more than you can monitor is not. If you promise a response time, make it one you can keep. Publishers should compare their page against the publisher transparency checklist, which goes into masthead details.
| Fact | How to state it | Frequent gap |
|---|---|---|
| Organization name | Brand plus legal name when different | Different spelling on each page |
| Activity | Plain words, audience, limits | Empty praise |
| Location | Address or a clear online-only statement | Vague or missing location |
| Contact | One or more monitored channels | A form nobody reads |
| People responsible | Real names and roles | Anonymous "our team" |
Backing the team with evidence
The team section raises the most questions, and one of them is explicitly part of this brief: do you need a team photo?
Is a team photo required?
No. Google's documentation does not state that an about page must contain a team photograph; it only says that background such as an author page or About page supports trust. A photo can make real people visible, and that is its benefit. If you use photos, they should show real people, be current and be published with the person's consent. AI-generated faces fall under the fabricated profile problem. Because staff photos and names are personal data, get permission before publishing them.
Show the work, not just titles
A list of job titles proves little. Link each person to something they did: articles they wrote, projects they led, talks they gave. One of Google's self-assessment questions is whether the content is written or reviewed by someone who demonstrably knows the topic, so the people on your about page should lead to evidence of that. Give each person a short profile and link article bylines to it.
One-person businesses
If you work alone, say so. A first-person page that explains your background and how you work is more credible than a corporate "we" that implies a department. If you use contractors for accounting, design or writing, you do not have to hide it, but do not misrepresent who delivers the service.
Badges, partners and client logos
Show a certification only if you hold it, name the issuer and give a way to verify it. Show client logos only with permission. Expired or invented credentials work against you. Example scenario: a software consultancy cannot name its clients under contract, so it replaces logos with a list of industries it works in and one sentence on the kind of problem it solves in each.
Keeping the origin story useful
A founding story helps when it explains why the business exists and what it cares about. It does not help as a timeline of office moves. Keep it short, and give every paragraph a job. Avoid unprovable claims such as "the market leader" or invented milestones.
How the emphasis shifts by site type
The same outline needs different weight depending on what the site does. What a visitor wants reassurance about changes with the business model.
Publishers and editorial sites
For a publication, the about page describes the editorial machine: the purpose of the outlet, the topics it covers, how writers are chosen, how errors are corrected and how readers reach an editor. Google's helpful content guidance (Opens in a new tab) treats author and site background as a source of trust, so links from the about page to author profiles matter more here than anywhere else. If you publish a corrections policy, promise only what you will do, such as acknowledging reports and marking changes.
Online stores
Shoppers decide whether to hand over payment details, so they look for the registered business name, an address or clear online-only statement, contact options and links to delivery and return terms. If sourcing or production is a real differentiator, explain it briefly without claims you cannot demonstrate. The legal sufficiency of the policy texts is outside this topic.
Agencies and consultancies
Prospects ask whether you can do the work and how you behave during it. Describe the process, the scope you accept and the kinds of problems you solve. When you cannot name clients, name industries and problem types and add no invented outcomes. Saying what you decline to do filters out mismatched inquiries early.
Nonprofits and community projects
Supporters want to know the purpose, who governs the project and how resources are used. Tie the mission to specific activities. If you quote an impact figure, quote only something you measured and can document.
| Site type | Lead with | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Publisher | Editorial structure, authors, corrections approach | An anonymous "editorial team" with no names |
| Online store | Business identity, delivery and returns links, contact | Superlatives you cannot show |
| Agency or consultancy | Process, scope limits, problem types | Invented clients and results |
| Nonprofit | Purpose, activities, governance | Impact numbers without records |
Linking and markup: keeping the page consistent
An about page often becomes a hub that other pages point to. Links and markup should reflect the real content of the page, not replace it.
Links in and out
Link to the page from the main navigation or footer, and from author profiles. From the page, link to team profiles, the contact page, key services and policies. Make link text describe the destination, as in "our authors" or "contact us", instead of "click here". The Search Essentials page advises placing words people would use to find your content in prominent places such as titles, main headings, image alt text and link text. Do that naturally, once, and read the Search Essentials page (Opens in a new tab) for the exact wording.
Organization markup in practice
Google's Organization structured data documentation (Opens in a new tab) says the markup can go on the home page or on a single page describing the organization, such as an About page, and that it is not needed on every page. There are no required properties; Google recommends adding the recommended ones that apply. The list includes name, url, logo, address, contactPoint, description, foundingDate and sameAs, among others. For logos it asks for at least 112 by 112 pixels, a crawlable and indexable image URL and a format Google Images supports. The page says the markup can influence which logo appears in results and knowledge panels and helps tell organizations apart, and it also says Google does not guarantee structured data features will appear.
Whatever you mark up must be visible on the page. The structured data guidelines tell you not to mark up content readers cannot see. The full identity-markup topic is separate; for the about page the rule is simple, keep markup and visible text identical.
Title and description
Put the organization name and what it does in the title in plain terms. Write a meta description that summarizes what is really on the page. Google may rewrite descriptions to fit a query, so do not squeeze exaggerated claims into one line.
Gathering material before the first draft
Writing from a blank page produces generic text. Collect material first.
Facts sheet
Open a single document listing your full name, founding year, address, services, people and roles, hours and contact channels. Next to each line, note the source: a registration record, a signed agreement, the person's own confirmation. Anything without a source does not go on the page. The sheet also helps you keep markup and other pages consistent later.
Visitor questions
Look through support emails, sales calls and social comments for questions about who you are. If one question arrives three times, the page should answer it.
Short draft, then test
Write a one-sentence definition, four or five section headings and two or three facts under each. Show it to someone outside the business and ask what they think you do. If their answer is not yours, the draft is not ready.
Approvals
Give every claim an owner. The manager confirms people and roles, the sales lead confirms the service scope and the support lead confirms contact details. Unapproved lines stay in draft.
Outline, checklist and decision rule
Sample outline
- One-sentence definition. Who you are, what you do, whom you serve.
- How we work. Three or four short steps.
- People. Real names, roles and links to their work.
- What we do not do. Edges of the offer.
- Company details. Legal name, address or an online-only statement, founding year.
- Contact. Monitored channels and response expectation.
- Related links. Services, authors, policies.
Checklist before publishing
- The first screen shows who you are and what you do.
- Address, phone and email read the same on every page.
- People, photos and credentials are real, current and published with consent.
- Any markup matches the visible text exactly.
- Links work and describe their targets.
- The page is readable on a phone.
Decision rule: what belongs here?
If a fact matters to nearly every visitor, put it on the about page. If it matters to press or partners only, move it to a media kit. If it matters only to someone choosing a service, keep it on the service page. When the page begins to sprawl, cut the facts that fail all three tests.
Example scenario: a community nonprofit
Example scenario: a neighborhood tool-lending nonprofit has an about page reading "We bring people together." The rewrite names the volunteer board and its roles, explains what is lent and to whom, gives the opening hours and an email address that is checked weekly, and says the project is run by volunteers. It uses no staged photographs; the only image is the shed where tools are kept, taken by a volunteer. The page feels more trustworthy because it answers the real questions a borrower has.
Typical failures, one by one
Adjectives instead of facts
"Customer-first, innovative and passionate" appears on thousands of sites and proves nothing. Next to every general claim, add a concrete detail: how you work, what you check, how fast you answer.
Contact paths that lead nowhere
A phone number that rings out or a form that goes unread damages trust more than having no contact option. Remove channels you cannot staff.
Invented people and testimonials
Stock portraits with made-up names, fake titles and imaginary testimonials are the kind of fabrication Google's guidance singles out. It is both an ethical and a practical risk.
Stale information
A page listing people who left, an address you moved out of or services you dropped misleads visitors. Review it every quarter and whenever the team or services change.
A sales page in disguise
The page exists to build trust. Ending every paragraph with a buying prompt undermines that. One clear next step is enough.
Repeating the keyword
Saying who you are and what you do once, clearly, is better than inserting the same phrase into every sentence. Mechanical repetition reads badly and does not add a trust signal.
Maintenance: keeping the page true
Triggers for an update
Update the page when someone joins or leaves, when contact details change, when services expand or end, and when a certification is renewed or lapses. List those events somewhere the owner will see them.
Quarterly review
Every three months, click every link, test every channel, compare the people list with the current team and, if you use markup, check that it still matches the page. Google's Organization documentation suggests testing with the Rich Results Test, inspecting the page with the URL Inspection tool, and keeping a sitemap submitted; it also notes that crawling and indexing can take several days, so a change that does not appear immediately is not necessarily an error.
Bilingual sites
Both language versions should state the same facts. Names, addresses and contact channels must match, while the wording and examples should be written naturally for each reader. A phone number that differs between versions undermines the whole page.
Auditing an existing page
If a page already exists, audit before rewriting. First check accuracy: are the name, address, phone and people current? Then find the gaps: which of who, what, where and how-to-reach is unanswered? Next, strip what does not earn its place, including unsupported praise, repeated sentences and old news. Finally, align internal links and any markup with the visible facts. Many pages become convincing through completing missing facts, not through a full rewrite, and a dated record of what you changed makes later reviews easier.
Accessibility and layout
Use one main heading and ordered subheadings, short paragraphs and descriptive alt text for images that carry meaning. Leave alt text empty for purely decorative pictures. Check the page on a phone, where most visits may start, and make phone numbers tappable.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does an about page need a team photo?
No. Google's documentation does not say an about page must include team photos. If you use them, they should show real, current people who agreed to be published. AI-generated faces and invented profiles are treated as a low-quality signal in the helpful content guidance.
Does the about page affect rankings directly?
Google's documents do not say so. E-E-A-T itself is not a specific ranking factor, and meeting best practices does not guarantee crawling, indexing or serving. The page mainly supports the trust of your content and gives visitors a clear description of who you are.
Should I add Organization markup to my about page?
Google says Organization markup can go on the home page or on one page describing the organization, such as an About page. There are no required properties and it is not needed on every page. The markup must match visible content and does not guarantee any search feature.
How should a solo business write its about page?
Write it honestly in the first person, with your background, scope of work and ways to reach you. It is more credible than a corporate tone that suggests a larger team. You need not hide contractors, but do not misrepresent who delivers the service.
How long should the founding story be?
The documentation gives no length guidance. Keep it short and make each paragraph earn its place. The founding year, the first project and the current focus are enough for most pages; skip unprovable superlatives.
How is an about page different from a media kit?
An about page is a short public summary for every visitor. A media kit is a separate file for press, partners or publishers, with logos and current facts. Move information to the media kit if only those audiences need it.
How often should an about page be updated?
Whenever a fact on it changes, such as an address, a contact channel or a team member, and in a full review at regular intervals, for example quarterly. No fixed interval applies; what matters is that nothing on the page is out of date.
Related guides: E-E-A-T Implementation Checklist by Page Type, Organization Markup and sameAs for Brand Identity, Handling Negative Reviews and Complaints: A Response Framework.
Conclusion
A good about page lets a visitor see in one glance who you are, what you do and how to reach you, then supports that with team proof and, where useful, markup that mirrors the visible text. A team photo is optional; invented people are a real risk. Keep the page short, current and focused on credibility rather than selling, and treat it as support for your content, not a ranking lever.
If you want your about copy, author profiles and guides written to one consistent standard, you can look at the content writing service on Akua Adforce; scope and terms are on that page.
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