Local SEO Citations For Small Businesses

Local SEO Citations For Your Small Business

If you are curious about doing local SEO for your business there is a good chance you have come across the term “Local SEO Citations”. In this article we will discuss what local citations are and how they can help your small business rank on search engines like Google. 

Before we speak specifically about local SEO citations let’s address what a citation is. A citation is a mention of your business on any platform that is not yours without you making any effort directly. Automated aggregators have your business information which they make available to online directories and search engines. The problem comes if some of the information they have is wrong. They will pass on inaccurate information to the other platforms. Till such time that someone identifies and corrects the mistake, it will have negative consequences such as:

  • Customers are upset and lose trust in your business
  • Loss of client, revenue, and reputation for your business.
  • Google may take action and impact search engine rankings. 

What Are Local SEO Citations

Local SEO citations are a partial or complete reference to your business online. It can be a brand name, address, or phone number (commonly known as NAP) on any platform, including social media, business directories, websites, or apps. If correctly mentioned, these citations help people learn about your business and improve your local SEO rankings. 

You must actively manage, monitor, and maintain local citations across the various platforms to ensure data accuracy. It is essential to monitor because the topography is constantly changing. Brands are merging and rebranding, and new directories are emerging, so it will become challenging to ensure data accuracy if you do not have control of your citations. 

The Main Objective Of Citations

Your ultimate goal when creating citations is to ensure that your consumers and search engines get the correct information about your business whenever and wherever they publish it on the web. Many search engines, local business directories, and apps offer a specific format for building listings, allowing all local businesses to list their brand.

Why Do Citations Matter?

Citations also enable Google to verify your location where your website says you are. As it crawls across the internet, Google finds several reputable sites listing the exact details, and it will accept you as a legitimate local business. It increases the probability of ranking well in the local SERPs because Google algorithms find your name, address and phone number (NAP) details in more local sites. 

With Citations, your business will be visible on the platforms your audience uses, and if the information is correct, they can instantly connect. 

Where To Create & Maintain Citations

There is no definitive list of business Citation sources that you must list. The important Citation sites will differ per city. However, consider including accurate structured Citations on major platforms like Facebook, Yelp, Infogroup, Acxiom, Yellow Pages, Apple Maps, and Foursquare. Don’t forget to also consider your local chamber of commerce. 

As mentioned above, citations require monitoring search engines, local business directories, apps, and more. Below are a few things to keep in mind when adding and monitoring your local citations to ensure your business information is accurate and consistent.

Check Search Engines

Search engines get information from numerous sources, including primary data aggregators. They then deliver your business information via search results. The key players are Google, Bing, and Apple.

Ensure your Google Business Profile (previously Google My Business) listing is up to date and that you manage it well. 

You can find a detailed list of local Citations here.

Use One Of These Three Ways To List Your Citations

Many authoritative local directories or sites accept data feeds from others during listings, so your information will automatically flow downstream. If you’ve expanded or got a new business and need to get your business listing on citation sites, you can use the following ways for citation opportunities:

  1. Manual submission (do it yourself): Your team can manually enter the data into the listing sites. It’s time-consuming, but you can ensure that your info is correct on every site.
  2. Manual submission (pay someone): Several third-party service providers are available who handle the manual submission or NAP data for you. If you don’t have the resources to add your information to citation sites, you can pay them to complete the process.
  3. Aggregator submission: Work with local SEO and citation building services to submit your NAP data to the primary data aggregators. The aggregators will, in turn, feed your details to hundreds of other sites.

Be As Elaborate As Possible

When you provide the essential NAP (Name, Address, Phone) information, you can also give other details about your business. Where possible, give your company operating hours, a thorough description of your business, your logo, and a business email address that people can use to contact you.

Conclusion

You must have understood how crucial it is to maintain consistency in your information to ensure citations can provide the foundation for your SEO. Ensure the name of your business is always spelled correctly and your physical address and phone number are similar across all sites. 

If you have problems with the consistency of your NAP data because of moving to a new location or changing your call tracking provider, you should contact a professional SEO company like Black Kite Marketing. 

You can reach us at (516) 259-1813 or fill out the form on our contact us page.