In local SEO, local citations are the unsung hero. Important but often overlooked, today we’re going to break down what local citations are, why they matter and the basics of building local citations.
Ready to get visible where it counts? Let’s get started.
What You’ll Learn in This Article📋
|
What Are Local Citations?📍
Local citation sources.
Local citations are online mentions of your business name, address, and phone number (NAP) that increase your visibility in local searches. They appear on business directories, review sites, and social platforms.
Local citations help customers find your business online and increase your visibility in local search results.
Importance of updating your local citation for local searches.
Citations aren’t limited to directories. Any mention of your business, like in a blog post, counts as a citation if it includes your business name and contact details.
If you don’t manage these citations, your business information might be different on different sites, which could confuse customers and potentially hurt your SEO.
Local citation building ensures your business details are consistent across different platforms so customers can find you online.
Why is Local Citation Building Important for SEO?
Local citations help you boost your location-based SEO by getting your business found online and ranking higher for local searches related to your niche. Accurate and consistent citations are crucial for building trust with potential customers and increasing your business’s credibility.
Let’s dive in to understand the benefits of local citations.
Verify Your Brand✅
Local citations help search engines confirm your business is real, trustworthy and legit. When your business details appear on multiple reputable sites, search engines know your business is active and reliable and increases its confidence in your online presence and credibility.
Local SEO Rankings📈
When search engines find the same information about your business on multiple sources (citations), they will rank your business higher in local search results pages (SERPs).
Competitive Advantage🏆
Effective citation building means your business will stand out in local search compared to competitors who have inconsistent or outdated information online.
Benefits of local citations.
Customer Trust and Confidence🤝
Accurate and easily findable business information builds trust with customers. Auditing your business data in various directories ensures that customers find accurate information, which builds trust. They will contact or visit a business they can find online.
Local Pack and Maps Listings🗺️
Citations are important for appearing in local pack listings and Google Maps results, which are shown for local queries.
Google local pack.
With that being said, while citations were once a major ranking factor, over time search algorithms have become more advanced and now consider many other signals beyond just citations.
For example, today, Google considers many factors, such as website quality, backlinks, content relevance, user experience, and social signals, along with citations. These factors work together to determine search rankings, and citations play a supporting role in establishing local relevance.
Get Found in Local Queries🔍
When people search for local businesses, they don’t always search on Google alone; they often check directory listings on sites like Yelp, Yellow Pages, or specialized directories. That’s why it’s good to have your business listed on these platforms.
Another reason is these directories often appear in search results for local queries.
For example, when you search for a service in a specific area, these directories will show up. Since Google shows these results for local searches, being listed in these directories increases the chances of customers finding your business.
Since Google shows these results for local searches, being listed in these directories increases the chances of customers finding your business.
Types of Local Citations
There are 2 main types of citations for your business.
Structured Citations📒
Local citations happen when your business’s name, address, and phone number are listed on websites and directories like Yelp or Yellow Pages. Search engines trust these sites because they have large databases of verified information.
Having your business listed in relevant directories helps Google understand what services you offer. This connection makes it easier for people searching for those services to find you online.
For example, if you have a boutique fitness studio that specializes in yoga, listing your studio’s name, address, and phone number on a popular yoga directory like YogaFinder or YogaTrail will help Google associate your business with yoga-related searches like “yoga classes near me” or “yoga studios in [your city”].”
Finding yoga classes in your city through yoga directories like YogaTrail.
This will increase the chances of local yoga enthusiasts searching for classes to find your studio online.
Unstructured Citations📰
Unstructured citations are mentions of your business’s NAP information in non-directory sources like blog posts, news articles, social media posts or even comments on websites.
Mentions of your business in a local news article, a blog post about local businesses or a social media post recommending your services without a structured directory format can be considered as an unstructured citation.
For example, this article on the top places to eat in Dallas that mentions restaurants that are not part of a formal business directory list still contribute to online visibility and reputation.
Example of unstructured citation.
How to Build Local Citations for SEO
Local businesses can have a mix of both. But not every site where a business can be listed is equal. The quality of citations matters more than quantity.
Here’s the steps to get citations for local search rankings.
Use the Big 3 Data Aggregators
It’s not realistic for business owners to manually submit their business to thousands of directories.
Data aggregators are companies that gather, verify, and share business information with online directories, search engines, and other platforms. They are important for local SEO because they ensure a business’s Name, Address, and Phone Number (NAP) are consistent and accurate across the web.
The three main data aggregators are Neustar Localeze, Factual, and Express Update by Infogroup.
You can claim, submit, and manage business listings for free with Infogroup (Express Update) and Neustar Localeze. Just search for your business and claim it if you find it. If you don’t see it, you can add a new listing.
Claiming your business listing on Express Update.
Note: Make sure to search thoroughly for your business and claim any existing listings before creating new ones. Check for duplicates and ensure all information is accurate.
Since aggregators can’t guarantee that your information will update everywhere instantly, I recommend using Yext along with it.
Yext is a local citation finder that allows businesses to manage their information from one platform. This means you can update your name, address, phone number, and other details in one place, and Yext will push those updates to all connected directories and platforms, saving you time and energy.
The main con is that while aggregators are free, Yext requires an ongoing yearly subscription.
Using Yext and data aggregators gives you the best coverage and accuracy for your local citations. While Yext costs more, its real-time updates and partnerships make it a great tool for your online presence.
Since this is a costly affair, if using Yext is too much for you, I recommend taking the time to manually submit to the top, most important sites and use your money on something else.
Submit NAP to Other Core Sites
Even if you are submitting your data to the main aggregators, they won’t distribute your info to all the core sites in your country. So, it’s not a bad idea to submit your NAP to these countries directly.
Submitting NAP to core sites.
In the US, some of the important sites for local citations are:
- Apple Maps
- Yelp
- Bing Places
- YellowPages
- BBB
- Foursquare
Remember, the top local citation sources vary by country. There are many lists like this out there, and while they often have a lot of the same sites, they’re not exactly the same.
Tip: Submitting to every single site in your country may not be worth it. If you haven’t heard of it, then there’s a good chance that others haven’t either, and it isn’t worth submitting to them.
Another way to check quality is to Google “[your industry] in [location]” and see if they show up in the top 100 search results.
For example, if we search for “mechanic in New York,” Yelp appears in the results.
Finding directories from a Google search.
So, Yelp is a good platform to submit your NAP if you are a mechanic in New York.
Manual Submission
Manual submission involves searching for the sites manually and verifying your business information to make sure it’s accurate. If you find any discrepancies, you can claim the directory listing and then fix the errors.
Since these tasks are boring and time-consuming, it’s always a good idea to use a service like Yext to make them easier.
Submit your NAP to Industry-Specific and Local Sites.
Now that you’ve covered the core citations, it’s time to look for industry-specific and local sites.
For example, if you are a restaurant, you’ll want to make sure you’re on Yelp. If you are a doctor, then you’ll want to make sure you’re on Healthgrades. If you are a contractor, then you should be on Angie’s List. You get the idea. These are industry-specific citations.
Your business’s physical location opens up more opportunities for citations. So you should also get listed with your local Chamber of Commerce and other local business associations.
Here’s how to find these:
Do a simple Google search. Type in the following.
[location] chamber of commerce
[location] business directory
[industry] business directory
[industry] business listings
You can also use citation lists to find industry-specific directories that cater to your type of business. These lists will help you identify more platforms where you can list your business to improve your local online presence.
Unstructured Citations
Unstructured citations are underutilized. They can be used to boost your local SEO rankings without having a structured format like traditional directories.
While it’s harder to get unstructured citations, there are tools to make it easier.
Qwoted
Qwoted is a platform that connects journalists with expert sources for their stories. Journalists can ask for expert commentary, data, or interviews on a certain topic, and experts can respond with their insights.
What I like about Qwoted is its user-friendly interface and how it filters out AI-generated and ghostwritten content.
Qwoted’s policy.
If a journalist uses your response in their article, they might mention your website, which will boost your online presence.
Another reason to focus on unstructured citations is you have a chance to get a backlink from these mentions.
Ahrefs’ Site Explorer
If you are a coffee shop in New York, you can find citation opportunities by checking where your competitors are mentioned online. Most of these mentions include a link to the business’s website.
For example, using Ahrefs’ Site Explorer, you can enter a competitor’s website. By selecting URL mode and looking at the Backlinks report, you can filter for “Dofollow” links to find places where your coffee shop could also be listed.
This article by Eater New York lists the best coffee shops in New York city.
If your coffee shop isn’t mentioned, it’s probably because they haven’t been to your shop yet or maybe they didn’t have the chance to try it.
Sending a friendly email and inviting them to visit could be a gentle nudge. If they accept, they might include your shop in their post or even write a separate review.
Consistency is Key
Accuracy and consistency are key for both structured and unstructured citations. That means using the same phone number and business information across all platforms. This boosts your local SEO and builds trust with your customers.
Source: Faster Capital.
Research shows that 80% of consumers lose trust in local businesses when they see incorrect or inconsistent contact details or business names online. So, being accurate can make a big impact on how customers perceive your business.
If businesses ignore their online presence, customers will think they’re closed or not reliable.
Do Local Citations Still Matter?
Once an important part of local SEO strategies, local citations have become less effective over time as Google has gotten smarter. Today, search algorithms prioritize proximity, prominence, and relevance over citation volume.
Many popular directory sites and review platforms now use nofollow links, meaning they don’t pass SEO benefits to your website. This has reduced the direct SEO impact of citations.
While consistency of NAP (name, address, phone) data across citations is still important, the emphasis has shifted. Quality and relevance now trump quantity when it comes to local search engine rankings for SEO.
Local citation tips for SEO.
Website content quality, customer reviews, and social media signals now carry more weight in local SEO strategies. Simply having numerous citations is no longer enough to get high rankings.
For a better idea, check out this insightful comment from Reddit that perfectly captures the essence of local SEO:
Hence, focusing on a few high-quality and relevant citations along with comprehensive SEO practices will yield better results. Having a solid online presence across multiple channels is now the key to success in local search.
Conclusion
In local SEO, local citations are the magic. They help customers find your business online by listing your name, address, and phone number (NAP) on directories, review sites, and social platforms.
Citations were once the way to go for local search rankings, but today’s SEO landscape is more complex. Google now considers factors like website quality, customer reviews, and social media presence along with citations.
So whether you’re a local business owner or a digital marketer, mastering local citations as part of a broader SEO strategy will help you get seen where it matters most—right in your backyard!
FAQs
- Why do local citations matter for me?
Local citations will make your business appear in local search results by listing your name, address, and phone number (NAP) on websites like directories and review platforms. This increases your online visibility and makes it easier for potential customers to find you when they search for products or services in your area.
- How do I make my local citations work for me?
Focus on quality over quantity to ensure your local citations work for your business. Ensure your NAP is consistent across all platforms. Consistency builds trust with search engines and customers alike, so you’ll have a better chance of ranking higher in local searches.
- Do local citations still matter for SEO?
Yes, but the impact has changed. Citations were once a big deal; search engines now consider a lot more signals like website quality, customer reviews, and social media presence. Quality citations on reputable sites are still part of your local SEO strategy but should be part of a broader approach that includes other SEO practices.
