A business has the potential to get more exposure in Google if they are BBB Accredited. Sometimes an accredited business’s BBB profile on bbb.org will show up in the search results of Google, which increases the likeliness that a visitor will find the accredited business. However, it must be noted that the BBB listing will more likely appear for keywords that involve the company’s name (like, ‘ACME Building Company’, than it will for keywords related to the company’s services (like ‘Home Builder in Milwaukee’).
The reason we want to clarify when and where BBB Accreditation does and doesn’t help is so you might have a better understanding of the benefits it can bring to a business on the Internet.
The BBB listings that appear in the Google search results are more optimized for and relevant to visitors searching for a company name in Google. It is not geared toward visitors searching for general products and services.
What does all this mean and why should I care?
In the recent past, a BBB rep told me that “the hyperlink (seal of trust) BBB logo will benefit your search in Google“. I was interested in clarifying this statement, because there is more ambiguity and potential for misunderstanding that the untrained eye might see.
There are three parts to this statement that need to be broken down:
- the hyperlink
- the seal of trust
- the benefit
Here’s an example, so you can put it in context before I explain in more detail:
When some people do a search on Google, they don’t know which company they are looking for… let’s use the phrase “home builders in Milwaukee” as an example again. When someone does a Google search for “home builders in Milwaukee”, it usually means they have not yet decided which home builder they want to use. They most likely have already done Google searches for “what is the home building process like” or “how to find a reliable home builder”. Those kinds of searches represent someone who is researching or dreaming about the possibility of building a home.
However, the search for “home builders in Milwaukee” usually represents a person who is deeper in the buying process. An accredited company’s BBB listing is not likely to show up in the Google search results for the phrase “home builder in Milwaukee”. It is more likely that the BBB listing will show up when a person already knows the name of the home builder they are looking for. The person might do a Google search for ‘ACME Building Company’. When that type of a ‘branded search’ is made, the BBB listing of ACME Building Company is likely to show up in the search results.
Now, to explain “the hyperlink”, the “seal of trust”, and “the benefit”…
The Hyperlink
When reputable websites link to your website, Google counts it as a vote of sorts. The more reputable website that link to your website, the more likely Google will rank your website higher in the search engine, which means a possibility of receiving more visitors. The higher a website is found in Google, the more visitors it is likely to receive. However, “the hyperlink” should now be confused with using the seal of trust on your website. These are two completely different things. It is possible, that when you place the BBB logo on your website, you can link it to the BBB website so your visitors can click on the logo and review your BBB credentials on bbb.org.
When a website links to “good neighbors”, like the BBB, it’s a good thing. Google likes when websites link to other reputable websites. Google does not like it when websites link to “bad neighbors” — for example, spam sites, and websites that contain viruses. When bbb.org links to you, it has the potential to count as a strong “vote” when Google is considering whether or not to rank your website higher. However, one more clarification should be made.
The BBB claims that their website has a PageRank of 8. In reality, their homepage has a PageRank of 8. PageRank is Google way of weighing various web pages on the Internet and assigning a relative value to it. PageRank works on a page-to-page basis. It does not apply to an entire website. While the homepage of bbb.org might have a PageRank of 8, the hyperlink from bbb.org to your website might only have a PageRank of 1 or 2. In this case, the value that link passes to your website is much less than what the BBB might advertise. Getting a link from bbb.org to your website can “benefit your search in Google”, but not in the way that the BBB claims when they say “the hyperlink (seal of trust) BBB logo will benefit your search in Google”.
The Seal of Trust
As I clarified earlier, the hyperlink and the seal of trust do not have not much to do with each other. the hyperlink refers to the link from the BBB website to your website. The seal of trust refers to the actual logo that you would place on your website to show your visitors that you are a BBB accredited company.
The BBB would have you believe that using the seal of trust logo on your website will help your website show up higher in the search result and bring your website more visibility in the search engines. The truth is that simply placing a logo on your website will not help your rankings. It might help bring credibility to your company when visitors see the logo on your website, but it doesn’t actually benefit your Google rankings in itself.
The Benefit
Myth: Using the BBB logo will get your more visitors. (This is just not true in an of itself, alone.)
Myth: When you link to the BBB, it will directly increase your Google rankings. (it is possible that Google might see that the BBB is linking to you, and it might throw that into the mix of 200 other ranking signals that make up the ranking algorithm, but it does not directly impact your rankings to the degree that the BBB might insinuate.)
Myth: When the BBB links to you, it will increase your Google rankings. (it is possible that Google might see that the BBB is linking to you, and it might throw that into the mix of 200 other ranking signals that make up the ranking algorithm, but it does not directly impact your rankings to the degree that the BBB might insinuate.)
Fact: Using the BBB logo on your website can increase your level of credibility.
Fact: Getting a link from the BBB website can increase the number of visitors your website receives.
In conclusion, a business does have the potential to get more exposure in Google if they are BBB Accredited. The BBB is a great resource that both protects the consumer and serves the business owner. When talking to a BBB rep or if you are considering accreditation for your own company, keep in mind what the real benefits are, and don’t just blindy accept what the BBB tells you during their sales presentation.
