Every piece of content that validates your business as a “real” business help Google know that you’re taking this entrepreneurial thing seriously. Something that every site owner should have posted is a Term of Use (also called Terms of Service or Terms and Conditions) agreement.
Please note I can’t give and am not giving legal advice.
You can find samples of them on just about every large business’s site in the footer section. Here are some examples:
Target: https://www.target.com/c/terms-conditions/-/N-4sr7l
Intuit: https://accounts.intuit.com/terms-of-service
Deloitte: https://www2.deloitte.com/us/en/legal/terms-of-use.html
K Coe – Isom : https://www.kcoe.com/legal/
Dallas firm : https://gurianco.com/disclaimer/
AICPA: https://www.aicpa.org/privacyandterms/website-terms-conditions.html
A Terms document is a legal document and you should consult an attorney before using one. The scope of this document can vary and includes one or more of the following:
- Rules about the limits of using the information on the website
- Rules about doing business with the organization that the site represents
- Rules about the limits of the services or products consumed on the site or purchased by the site user / customer
Not only is it good for SEO, a well-written Terms document can protect you legally. A couple things your terms document should address:
- Limitations of liability
- A disclaimer that content on the site does not create an advisory relationship
- People who abuse your site and your right to terminate them
- Protection of your content and what happens if someone copies your content
Certain types of companies (example – retail) might also want to include:
- A description of products and services
- Payment terms
- Guarantees and warranties
- Shipping policies (this can be separate)
- Refund policy (this is often separate)
- Privacy (this is often separate)
The above items may also be covered in a separate customized engagement letter with the client.
Should your website have a Terms of Service? I say yes. Unfortunately we cannot provide one for you since we can’t give legal advice. Once you get one written for your business, let us know and we’ll get it posted to your site right away.