Page 2 - What Builds Trust with Google?

Right, TrustRank is exchanged through links like the PR model. G engineers pick some seed sites to apply a fixed TR score which is then transfered through links. When bad neighborhoods are hit, the TR score drops - even if it is a reffering link. This may explain some wierdness where a good site gets hurt for "unknown" reasons and where it is real difficult to reproduce the problem. The bad neighborhood could be 3 or more links away and still have an effect. And of course linking to an untrusted site hurts more than getting a link from one, and the distance from untrusted sites also has an effect. With this model you are the company you keep. Maybe you're a great guy, maybe a little slimey, maybe a horrific little toad!

But the other part is the "trust factor" as you put it. I think it's these two things that determine a site's ability to get out of the sandbox. It isn't "high PR" sites that help you out, its high TR. And using above board onpage factors that comply with G's guidelines. Plus the less tangible factors like who built your site, where its hosted, how old it is, etc...

Are these trust factors verified? Where can we find additional information on this?

Show we no check our "resources" pages or at least stop building them? Or would that be throwing out the baby with the bathwater?

You can look up "trustrank" on Google. You can also visit Cutts blog. As far as what's verified, if I asked a question its not. If I didn't then its veryfied through documented sources (usually posted the URL) or personal experience.

Will that page be of service to your viewers? If not, you may consider ditching it. I'm not saying you should, just that if it isn't serving your viewers you may want to look at what it is really there for and if it is serving that purpose.