SealCOS filters search results using certified brand sites

SealCOS is announcing today that it is launching a certification process to ensure that consumers are visiting an authentic site belonging to a well-known brand. The Seal of a Certified Site is meant to sift officials sites from the pretenders.
New York-based SealCOS’s recognition is like the Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval and will be used to identify official web sites for all sorts of brands. That’s necessary because some of the imposters can often engineer web sites so that their results appear higher than official sites in typical search results.
Brands can apply for the SealCOS certification, and upon approval they can put the SealCOS mark on their sites.
The SealCOS mark appears in web site titles that are returned from search queries. Consumers can also filter search results by putting “SealCOS” into a search query to get only official sites. You could search for “leather luggage SealCOS” to get the results of legitimate brands that sell luggage, said Charles Cheheber, founder and chief executive of the company.
The aim is to help consumers deal with the mounting number of fake sites, which can cause customer frustration and lost business for the brand owners. It also helps cut on online advertising, since it lets brands stand out more easily next to third party and other sites.
SealCOS says it will investigate applicants to ensure they’re qualified. Web sites have to sell or service consumers directly and offer only the brand’s product or service. Nike.com could get a certification, but FootLocker, which sells many brands, could not get a Nike SealCOS.
Businesses can visit the SealCOS website to apply for certification. Following a thorough review of qualifications, SealCOS will certify the applicant and license them the use of the SealCOS mark. SealCOS has applied for patents and trademarks for its SealCOS mark. If someone fakes the SealCOS mark, the company plans to take legal action.
SealCOS has five employees and was founded this year. It has raised $50,000 in funding from two individual investors. The company says it has no direct competitors.