I’ve had trouble with this in the past; You just purchased a new SSL certificate. And not just the cheapest “quick” SSL out there, you opted for either a Premium SSL Certificate which validates that your company or organization exists, or better yet, an EV SSL (Extended Validation Certificate) which displays a green padlock icon in the address bar with your company name. During the next step, the issuing SSL Certificate company sends you several emails asking you to verify the existence of your company because its not listed in any government database or the Dun & Bradstreet database, a.k.a DUNS Number – what now?

Government Business Database? DUNS Number? Whether you’re a new company or a well-established company in the US or Canada, trying to show the SSL issuing company is time consuming. And if you’re not interested or never been interested in paying Dun & Bradstreet money just to have your business listed in their database, there is a slim chance you’re gonna get closer to finishing your SSL Certificate setup for your website. That is, unless you’ve successfully listed your company on a free business directory website called, Manta.

Manta is a free business directory that differentiates itself from other business directories such as the YellowPages, by actually requiring you to validate your business via phone. One of the reasons why I appreciate their business listings is they actually give you the ability to put in a handful of links back to your website!

Here’s what a typical listing looks like

To successfully list your company/organization on Manta, you will need to be able to accept a phone call that provides you with a reference code you’ll need to type in later in the process.

What’s next? Well, if the issuing SSL Certificate company was waiting on you to show them some proof your company is legitimate, call them back and let them know you’re on Manta.com. If you’re already listed in Manta.com, call them back and let them know. Sometimes when you call, they’ll actually tell you, “everythings fine because I found your business on Manta”.

If you’re not sure you’re already listed on Manta.com, go to their website and search for your company or google, “your company name manta”. If you’re not listed, add your business today.