Local Citations
Building local citation presence for better rankings
Local citations are online mentions of your business NAP. They signal to Google that your business is legitimate and established.
What Are Citations?
Citations are mentions of your business information online, including:
- Business directories
- Social platforms
- Industry sites
- Local websites
- Apps and maps
Types of Citations
Structured Citations
Formal business listings with consistent format:
- Google Business Profile
- Yelp
- Yellow Pages
- Facebook Business Page
- Apple Maps
Unstructured Citations
Mentions in content, articles, or blogs:
- News articles
- Blog posts
- Event listings
- Sponsor mentions
Why Citations Matter
Trust Signals
More citations = more validation that your business exists.
Ranking Factor
Citations are approximately 5% of local ranking factors, but they support other signals.
Discovery
Customers find you on various platforms, not just Google.
Link Building
Many directories provide backlinks to your website.
Major Citation Sources
Universal Directories
Every business should be listed on:
| Directory | Priority |
|---|---|
| Google Business Profile | Critical |
| Apple Maps | High |
| Bing Places | High |
| High | |
| Yelp | High |
| Yellow Pages | Medium |
| Better Business Bureau | Medium |
Data Aggregators
These feed data to many directories:
- Foursquare
- Data Axle (formerly InfoUSA)
- Localeze
- Acxiom
Industry-Specific Directories
Depends on your industry:
Healthcare:
- Healthgrades
- WebMD
- Zocdoc
- Vitals
Legal:
- Avvo
- FindLaw
- Justia
- Lawyers.com
Restaurants:
- TripAdvisor
- OpenTable
- Zomato
- Grubhub
Home Services:
- Angi (Angie's List)
- HomeAdvisor
- Houzz
- Thumbtack
Local Citations
- Chamber of Commerce
- Local newspaper websites
- City/town business directories
- Local blog mentions
Building Citations
Priority Order
- Claim GBP and ensure accuracy
- Submit to data aggregators
- Claim major directory listings
- Add industry-specific directories
- Build local citations
Claiming vs Creating
- Claiming: Taking control of existing listing
- Creating: Adding new listing where none exists
Always search first to avoid duplicates.
Quality Over Quantity
- 50 high-quality citations beat 500 low-quality ones
- Focus on relevant, authoritative sites
- Avoid spammy directories
Citation Checklist
For each citation, ensure:
- NAP matches exactly
- Category is accurate
- Hours are correct
- Website URL is correct
- Description is complete
- Photos are uploaded (where possible)
Citation Building Process
Step 1: Audit Current Citations
Know what exists before building more.
Step 2: Fix Inconsistencies
Correct any NAP issues in existing citations.
Step 3: Claim Unclaimed Listings
Take ownership of auto-created listings.
Step 4: Build New Citations
Add to priority directories you're missing.
Step 5: Maintain
Regularly check and update citations.
Citation Building Services
DIY vs Managed
DIY: Cheaper but time-consuming Managed Services: Faster but costs money
Popular Tools
- Moz Local
- BrightLocal
- Yext
- Whitespark
Considerations
- One-time build vs ongoing management
- Data ownership
- Removal fees (some services)
Citation Velocity
Don't Build Too Fast
- Sudden surge looks unnatural
- Build steadily over time
- Focus on quality first
Recommended Pace
- 10-20 citations per month for new businesses
- 5-10 per month for maintenance
Local Link Building Through Citations
Some citations provide backlinks:
- Follow links (pass SEO value)
- NoFollow links (less SEO value but still good)
Focus on authoritative sites for best link value.
Key Takeaways
- Citations validate your business exists
- Prioritize major platforms and aggregators
- Industry-specific directories matter
- Quality beats quantity
- Maintain NAP consistency across all citations