How we rank
Payment never changes the order of results on ESGListings. Paid companies get a clearly labelled placement and tools. This page lists every input that orders results, and we log every change below.
What decides the order
| Where | How it is ordered | Does payment affect it? |
|---|---|---|
| Category and marketplace lists | Random order, so every company gets a turn at the top. Your order stays the same while you browse and reshuffles every six hours. You can also sort by rating, by recently updated or A to Z. | No |
| Search | How well the company’s name, summary, description, categories and frameworks match your words. Ties are shuffled at random. | No |
| Sort by rating | Average of published review scores. A company needs at least 3 reviews to rank above unrated ones. | No |
| Similar providers, alternatives and compare | Shared categories (weighted three times) and shared frameworks and filters. Ties are shuffled at random. | No |
| Home page: top rated and most viewed | Top rated uses average rating and number of reviews. Most viewed uses profile page views. | No |
| Verified badge and filter | Shows only companies whose details passed our check. It is a filter and a label, not an ordering input. | No |
| Get matched shortlists | Ordered by fit to the buyer’s answers, then verified reviews. If the buyer agrees to share their request, up to three matched companies receive it; companies on a paid plan get the buyer’s contact details, others a locked teaser. | No for the order. Yes for who receives the buyer’s contact details |
| Sponsored and Spotlight slots | A separate block labelled “Sponsored”. Companies in it rotate at random, with Spotlight companies filling the slots first. | Yes: this is the placement paid plans buy |
What paying companies get
- A labelled Sponsored block above the results (Sponsored), and home page and newsletter slots (Spotlight).
- Our check of their details, with the Verified badge if it passes. The fee covers the check, not the outcome.
- Tools: an enquiry form, screenshots, product and case study cards, more categories, statistics, widgets and job posts.
What payment never buys
- A higher place in the ordered results, search, similar providers or comparisons.
- Changes to ratings, or removal or hiding of reviews. Companies can reply publicly and report a review, and we decide.
- A guaranteed Verified badge.
- Influence over what we write about them in news or guides.
Reviews
Every reviewer confirms a work email, the provider’s own domain is blocked, and invited or incentivised reviews are labelled. See how reviews work.
Changelog
Any change to how results are ordered, labelled or sold is recorded here, newest first.
- 13 Oct 2026: Default order is now random, not A to Z
Category and marketplace lists used to start at A, so companies late in the alphabet were rarely seen. They are now shuffled for each visitor. The order stays the same while you browse and reshuffles every six hours. Ties in search and in similar providers are shuffled too. Rating, recently updated and A to Z remain as sort options. - 12 Oct 2026: Buyer briefs and Founding member label
When a buyer asks us to share their Get matched request, up to three matched companies receive it. Companies on a plan with Buyer briefs get the buyer’s name and email; others see a locked teaser. The shortlist itself is still ordered by fit and reviews. A “Founding member” label marks the first paying companies and does not affect ranking. - 12 Oct 2026: Verified is no longer used to order results
Default and search ordering no longer put verified listings first. Verified remains a badge and an optional filter. - 12 Oct 2026: Sponsored slots rotate at random
Sponsored and Spotlight slots used to favour the most recently edited listing. They now rotate at random between paying companies, with Spotlight companies filling the labelled slots first. - 12 Oct 2026: Methodology published
This page lists every input that affects ordering, what payment does and does not change, and the rules for reviews.
Think something is wrong?
If you believe a result is out of order or a label is unfair, email list@esglistings.com. We will look and, if we are wrong, fix it and log it above.