Learn How to Get Your Free BBB Business Listing
NOTE: I actually used this resource for the info because the one provided was from 2014 and the BBB website is now set up differently.
If you’ve ever wondered if the time it takes to register with the Better Business Bureau is worth it, the answer is yes, absolutely. The BBB is a highly trusted source that can give your website authority and help with local SEO. This guide will walk you through the steps to get your business listed on the BBB for free.
There are two types of listings: accredited (paid) and free. But you don’t have to get an accredited listing to reap the benefits. Simply registering for free will get you:
- A link to your site. This link will be a “nofollow” link, but it can still drive traffic to your site when customers are on the BBB page looking for businesses.
- A citation from a trusted website that can boost local relevance.
- A boost in Google search results for your business name.
- Trustworthy reviews that are manually read by BBB staff before going live. Not only will your potential customers be able to trust these reviews, you can as well.
How to Submit Your Business to the Better Business Bureau
1. Find Your Local BBB Chapter
Depending on where you live, submitting your business can involve a few different steps. Before starting, verify that you’re submitting to the correct chapter.
Visit BBB.org and find the globe icon in the top right of the homepage.
Click the globe icon and then type in your city and state or zip code (if you have auto-location turned on in your browser, your city may already populate). Click “Set Location.” The BBB website will now only show data from your area.
To further verify that you have the correct chapter, scroll down the page until you see a map on the bottom right. You should see the name and contact info for your local BBB office.
2. Search for Your Business
Search for your business name on the homepage to make sure you don’t already have a listing. You will either see your business name auto-populate as you type, or you’ll click search and be directed to a page with no results.
If your business is listed, you can click the “claim your listing” link and log into your BBB account (or reset your password if you forgot your info). Follow the prompts to claim the listing.
For the purposes of this guide, we’ll assume your business was not found and you need to add it. Continue to step 3.
3. Add Your Business to the BBB
On the “No Results Available” page you’ll see a few different options to add your business:
- In the Search Tips box, click on “Submit a request to add it to our directory”
- On the lower right, click on the big blue button called “Add My Business”
- At the top of the page, to the left of the globe icon, click “Join/Apply”
Not all chapters have the Join/Apply link. If your chapter does, however, this is the best option for submitting your business because the form is more robust and will ask for more detailed information. This helps with setup later on.
If you don’t have a Join/Apply link, the other two options will direct you to a simple form where you can input your business information.
Once you submit the form you’ll be contacted by a BBB representative from your local chapter (through email) within a few days.
If you don’t see any of the above options to submit your business, your chapter may have a different process. Simply return to the homepage and scroll down to the map to find contact information for your local chapter (if you don’t see it, follow step one again to make sure you’re on your local chapter’s page).
4. Check Your Email and Login
After following the steps above to submit your business, you’ll receive an email from the BBB with a userID and passcode. You may not get it immediately, so give it at least two business days to arrive.
Once you receive the email, follow the directions provided to login to your new account.
5. Update and Verify Your Business Info
After logging in, you should be prompted to verify your business information before submitting it to be listed. The required information may vary based on area and business type.
Once you complete all required sections, you’ll arrive on a page to confirm your information one last time. Look over this page carefully to make sure everything is accurate. You cannot change your business information again online after submitting it. If you submit the form and something ends up being incorrect, you will have to call or email the BBB to make changes.
6. Wait for Your Listing to Appear
After submitting your business, all that’s left to do is wait. It can take a week or longer for your business to appear on the BBB website, so be patient. Set a reminder on your calendar to check the homepage every few days. Once live, you’ll be able to search for your business on the BBB homepage just like you did in step 2.
After following this guide, you will have successfully listed your business for free with the Better Business Bureau. If a customer submits a review or complaint, you’ll receive an email from the BBB with an opportunity to respond.
Beyond your free listing, you can pay to become accredited and place the coveted BBB logo on your website. A free listing, though, is certainly enough and worth the time spent setting it up.
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