How AZ Charged picks and ranks businesses
Every business on AZ Charged is reviewed by hand before it appears. A business can pay $0 to rank higher here. Paid listings buy a profile page and exposure in the directory, never a position in a “best of” list. A business first has to pass four verification checks: it is open, its phone and address or service area are real, it holds any license its trade requires, and its reviews hold up when read in context. Businesses that pass are scored out of 100 on six weighted criteria, and the score sets the order.
The criteria and weights are below, so any reader or business owner can check a ranking against them.
I started AZ Charged because I spent years inside the local advertising business, at Jobing.com, AutoTrader.com and ReachLocal, and I watched how national platforms sell local visibility. The business with the biggest budget gets the top spot, and the person searching has no way to tell. This page is the opposite of that: the exact process I use, written down, so you can hold me to it.
The zero pay-to-rank policy
AZ Charged sells listings. That is how the site pays for itself, and there is no point hiding it. What a listing does and does not buy is fixed:
| A paid listing buys | A paid listing never buys |
|---|---|
| A full business profile page in the directory, with photos, services, hours and contact details | A higher position in any “best of” list or ranking |
| Placement in the matching category and city pages | Selection itself: a business that fails verification is not listed at any price |
| Links to the business website and phone | Removal of an honest criticism or a weak score |
| Optional local SEO and content services, billed month to month | An article written about the business that it gets to approve |
Listings start at $200 a month. Businesses that appear in a ranked guide without paying anything are scored exactly the same way as businesses that do pay.
Step 1: the four verification checks
Before a business is scored, it has to pass all four of these. Fail one and it is left out, whatever its reviews say.
- It is operating. The business is open, its hours are current, and it is not flagged as closed on Google or its own site.
- Its contact details are real. The phone number connects to the business, and the street address is a real storefront or, for trades that come to you, the stated service area matches where it works.
- It holds the license its trade requires. Contractors are checked against the Arizona Registrar of Contractors (AZ ROC). Pest control is checked against the Arizona Department of Agriculture’s pest management licensing, and medical, legal, real estate and financial professionals against their state boards. A trade that needs no license skips this check.
- Its reviews survive a close read. I read the reviews, not only the star average. A wave of five-star reviews posted in the same week, reviews that read like templates, or a pattern of unresolved complaints about the same problem is a fail.
You can run the license check yourself before you hire anyone for work on your house. Search the business name on the AZ ROC contractor search at roc.az.gov. It shows whether the license is active, what classification it covers, and any complaints on file. If a contractor’s quote is suspiciously low and they have no ROC number, that is usually why.
Step 2: the scoring rubric
Businesses that pass verification are scored out of 100. The score sets the order in every AZ Charged “best of” guide. The six criteria and their weights:
| Criterion | Points | What earns them |
|---|---|---|
| Reputation and track record | 25 | Review volume and rating across Google, Yelp, BBB and trade sites, weighted toward the last 24 months and read in context |
| Credentials and licensing | 20 | Active license in good standing, the right classification for the work, insurance, and certifications or training beyond the minimum |
| Customer handling | 15 | How the business answers complaints and negative reviews, whether problems get fixed, and how fast it responds |
| Pricing transparency | 15 | Published prices or clear written estimates, no bait pricing, and fees that are disclosed up front |
| Arizona roots and longevity | 15 | Years operating in Arizona, local ownership, and a physical presence in the area it serves |
| Arizona-specific expertise | 10 | Know-how that matters here: summer heat, monsoon season, hard water, scorpions, caliche, local codes and HOAs |
| Total | 100 | Ties go to the business with more years in Arizona |
For categories where some criteria do not apply, such as attractions, parks or venues, guides say so and explain what they were judged on instead. A restaurant does not need an ROC license, and a hiking trail does not have a pricing policy.
What does not count
- Whether the business pays for a listing
- Whether it advertises anywhere else, or how much
- Whether the business owner asked to be included or knows me
- Whether the business offers a referral fee or commission
Step 3: keeping rankings current
Every ranked guide shows the date it was last updated. When a guide is refreshed, every business in it goes back through the four verification checks. Businesses that close, lose a license or pick up a pattern of unresolved complaints come off the list, and paying for a listing does not change that.
If something on AZ Charged is wrong, such as a closed business, a changed phone number, an outdated price or a ranking you think misses a fact, tell me through the contact page or call (888) 863-7421. I check every report against the source. When it is confirmed, the page is corrected and its updated date changes. Business owners can ask for a factual correction, but not for a better score.
How to get a business reviewed
Any Arizona business can ask to be reviewed. Submitting is free and does not guarantee a listing. If the business passes the verification checks, it can be included in the matching category and in ranked guides on its score alone. If the owner also wants a full paid profile, the options are on the advertise page. More about who runs the site is on the about page.
How We Rank FAQ
Can a business pay to rank higher on AZ Charged?
No. Paid listings buy a directory profile and category placement. Position in a ranked guide comes only from the 100-point score, and the score does not consider payment.
How are businesses on AZ Charged verified?
Each business must be operating, have a working phone and a real address or service area, hold any license its trade requires (such as an active AZ ROC license for contractors), and have reviews that hold up when read in context.
What criteria does AZ Charged use to rank businesses?
Six weighted criteria totaling 100 points: reputation and track record (25), credentials and licensing (20), customer handling (15), pricing transparency (15), Arizona roots and longevity (15) and Arizona-specific expertise (10).
How much does an AZ Charged listing cost?
Listings start at $200 a month and are billed month to month. Being reviewed and included in a ranked guide is free.
How do I report a mistake on AZ Charged?
Use the contact page or call (888) 863-7421. Every report is checked against the source, and confirmed errors are fixed with the page’s updated date changed.
Run an Arizona business that holds up?
Submit it for review. If it passes the four checks, it gets judged on the same 100 points as everyone else.
Featured photo: DPPed, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
📞 Got a business to recommend or list? Call (888) 863-7421 — serving all of Arizona