Here’s a version formatted to paste directly into your forum:
🔗 Using Website Review Sites for SEO & Link Building
When you're trying to improve your website's SEO, one of the easiest opportunities people overlook is creating profiles on legitimate review and business-discovery websites.
Sites like Trustpilot, Yelp, G2, and others allow businesses to establish profiles, collect reviews, and—in many cases—include a link back to their website.
While these aren't going to replace earning high-quality editorial backlinks, they can be a useful part of building your website's overall online presence.
🔍 Why Are Review Sites Useful for SEO?
1. They Create Additional Backlinks
Many review platforms allow you to include your website URL directly on your business profile.
Depending on the platform, these links may be followed, nofollow, or tagged as user-generated/sponsored content. Don't assume every review site provides a do-follow backlink—the policies can change.
Even when the backlink is nofollow, the listing can still generate referral traffic and help people discover your website.
2. They Help Build Your Brand's Online Footprint
Search your favorite established company on Google and you'll usually find much more than its official website.
You may see:
- Review profiles
- Social media accounts
- Business directories
- News mentions
- Forum discussions
- Customer reviews
Creating legitimate profiles across established websites gives search engines and potential customers more places to encounter your brand.
3. Reviews Can Build Trust
The backlink isn't the only reason to create these profiles.
A business with dozens of genuine customer reviews across established platforms can appear much more credible than a business with virtually no presence outside its own website.
This can be especially valuable when someone Googles:
"[Your Business Name] reviews"
Instead of finding nothing, they may find established third-party profiles containing real customer feedback.
4. Review Pages Can Rank in Google
Large review websites already have substantial search visibility of their own. That means your company profile on one of these platforms may sometimes appear when someone searches for your brand.
You're essentially creating another web page associated with your company—except that page lives on an established third-party domain.
5. They Can Generate Referral Traffic
Don't become so obsessed with "do-follow" backlinks that you forget why links exist in the first place:
People click them.
A link that sends potential customers to your website can be valuable even if it doesn't directly pass traditional link equity.
🌐 Review & Discovery Sites Worth Checking Out
Here are some established platforms where eligible businesses can create or claim a presence:
⭐ Trustpilot
One of the best-known general consumer review platforms.
Businesses can claim their profiles, provide company information, collect customer reviews, and have a website associated with their profile.
Website: https://www.trustpilot.com/
Good for: E-commerce, online businesses, service companies and general businesses.
⭐ Yelp
Yelp is particularly useful for local businesses.
Businesses can claim their listing, provide their website, address, contact information, photos and other details while customers leave reviews.
Website: https://www.yelp.com/
Good for: Local businesses, contractors, restaurants, home services and professional services.
⭐ Google Business Profile
If you operate a local business, this should be one of the first profiles you create.
Your listing can include your website and appear throughout Google Search and Google Maps.
Website: https://www.google.com/business/
Good for: Virtually every legitimate local business.
⭐ Sitejabber
Sitejabber is another consumer-focused review platform where people can research and review businesses.
Website: https://www.sitejabber.com/
Good for: Online businesses, e-commerce and service companies.
⭐ G2
G2 is much more specialized than the sites above. It's primarily focused on software, SaaS and technology companies.
Companies can establish product and seller pages containing information about their products and websites.
Website: https://www.g2.com/
Good for: SaaS companies, software developers and technology businesses.
⭐ Capterra
Similar to G2, Capterra is a major software discovery and review platform.
It currently covers hundreds of software categories and allows users to compare products and visit providers' websites.
Website: https://www.capterra.com/
Good for: Software and SaaS businesses.
⭐ TrustRadius
Another established B2B technology review platform.
If you're operating a software or technology company, it's another relevant place to investigate creating a presence.
Website: https://www.trustradius.com/
Good for: B2B software and technology companies.
⚠️ Don't Spam Review Sites Just for Backlinks
There's an important distinction between building legitimate business profiles and mass-submitting your website to hundreds of low-quality directories.
Avoid services promising things like:
"5,000 high-DA backlinks for $20!"
Google is considerably more sophisticated than simply counting how many websites link to you.
Instead, concentrate on websites that:
- Have real users
- Are relevant to your industry
- Allow legitimate business profiles
- Generate actual referral traffic
- Appear in Google searches
- Provide useful information about your company
- Have a real reason to link to your website
10 legitimate business profiles are far more useful than 1,000 garbage directory submissions.
🚀 The Bigger Picture
Review websites should be one piece of a larger link-building strategy.
A healthy strategy might include:
Review Sites + Business Directories + Industry Directories + Social Profiles + Partnerships + Digital PR + Useful Content + Naturally Earned Editorial Backlinks
The goal isn't simply to accumulate as many backlinks as possible.
The goal is to establish a legitimate web presence where real websites, real businesses and real people reference your brand.
Start with the major review platforms relevant to your industry, completely fill out your profiles, add your website, and then begin collecting genuine reviews from actual customers.
Over time, those profiles become another layer of your company's presence across the web.
What other legitimate review sites or business directories have you used to build backlinks and visibility? Drop them below! 👇
