Did you notice that some local businesses constantly appear at the top of Google Maps search results, while some others stay invisible? If you’re wondering what the reason is behind that, local citations are the answer.
Local citations or NAP data are part of a local SEO strategy that helps your business to rank for the local pack and to show at the top of Google Maps results. Here is our comprehensive guide on how to master citation building.
What Are Local Citations?
Local citations are in the core any online mention of your business’s NAP – name, address, and phone number. Such citations appear across the internet in various business directories, review platforms, social media profiles, niche websites, local chamber of commerce websites, other data collectors, and industry-specific listing sites.
Local citations are essentially only NAP mentions, meaning that they don’t have to contain any links to your website in order to count. NAPs are important because they signal trust and credibility to search engines, thus boosting your online visibility by improving your position. It is essential to have this information consistent across different directories, platforms, and websites to ensure your business is seen as trustworthy by search engines.
How Local Citations Affect Local SEO?
01. Local Rankings
The number of consistent local citations is the number one factor Google considers when ranking local businesses in local searches and the local map pack. Citations are one of the key factors Google takes into consideration when deciding who appears on top of the page in the location-based queries. The factors that are also taken into consideration are the volume, the accuracy, and the quality of the citations.
02. Trust and Credibility
When you have numerous directories online that consistently display information about your business, it sends strong trust signals to both search engines and real end users and potential customers. Users who encounter your business for the first time will develop trust faster when they see it displayed on credible platforms such as Google, Yelp, Facebook, and other industry-relevant directories.
03. Organic Traffic
Citations on high-authority tend to rank independently in organic search results. This means that having carefully written and optimized listings can help boost your reach by helping you appear on the first page of Google. This is especially important if you’re doing business in highly competitive local markets and if you’re trying to rank well in such conditions. Having citations across different directories can multiply your search presence and expand it across third-party platforms.
04. Google Verification
If you aim to verify your Google Business Profile, then you are most probably aware that the algorithm will check for the legitimacy of your business. This process also means that your NAP data will be checked across the internet for consistency. Having consistent and accurate NAP data across the internet will reinforce your online presence and help you get verified faster.
Where to Build Local Citations?
Building local citations is not about the volume – it’s also about the quality and legitimacy of the platforms where you place citations. The right platforms will give the right results, and you will not lose your time posting citations on directories that you will not benefit from. The most important channels to focus on include:
- General directories: Listings on Google Maps, Bing Places, Apple Maps, Facebook, and Yelp. These platforms are the ones with the most credibility and are most often the first point for users to check when searching.
- Industry-specific directories: Each industry has relevant directories, such as TripAdvisor, OpenTable, and Zomato for restaurants, Healthgrades and Zocdoc for health providers, FindLaw and Avvo for legal firms, etc. You need to explore the directories related to your industry, list the relevant ones, and focus on them.
- Local and regional directories: Local chamber of commerce, city business directories, regional news sites, and relevant communities portals can help build a strong citation profile with geographic relevance.
- Data aggregators: Some platforms, such as Foursquare, Neustar Localeze, and Data Axle, are used by various directories and apps as a source for finding business information. Having your business listed there is a good way to generate secondary citations.
Having a consistent approach to building local citations and covering all the aforementioned sources creates a solid base for local citation building.
How to Build Local Citations Manually?
01. Find Target Directories
Building local citations is a process that’s based on thorough research. Make sure to find all the directories that are relevant to your business and location, and make a list. A good trick to use here is to check your competitors to see all the directories they are listed in, and you can draw ideas from there. Once you have listed all the directories you’d like to target, arrange them by priority.
02. Check for Duplicate Listings
Before you go ahead and create a listing on any of the directories, make sure to double-check for existing listings for your business. This is crucial because having multiple listings on the same platform will actually send confusing signals to search engines and may cause a drop in rankings. When you search the directories, make sure to search by business name, address, and phone number.
03. Create/Claim Your Listing
Many directories may have auto-generated your listing by drawing information from a popular data aggregator. In such cases, you don’t have to create a new listing, but you can go ahead and claim your listing to gain control over it. Once you get access, you can change and modify information in the listing. On the other hand, if there is no listing, you can go ahead and create a listing for your business. Make sure to keep the data consistent across different directories.
04. Submit and Verify Your Listing
Most listings are not available immediately, nor can you make changes immediately, but only after your business gets verified. Most verification methods are fully online, but some of them may require even further verification by a postcard sent to your address or a phone call. Anyways, make sure to complete the verification process promptly, to avoid being flagged as an unconfirmed or unfinished listing.
05. Track Listing’s Progress
Manual citation building takes time because each new citation needs to be indexed. This also means that it’s going to take some time to show results on your organic traffic, reach, and new customer inquiries. To track the effects of your citations, you can create a file that tracks every platform where you have submitted the list, dates, verification status, etc. Also, make sure to keep the login credentials for each account safe and sound, so you don’t lose access to them.
How to Check and Audit Your Citations?
Regular and consistent NAP data across different online directories is the number one factor for ranking on social media, which is why it’s important to regularly check your listings and update them accordingly after your office location or phone number changes, for example. The easiest way to check them, especially if you have many, is by using a dedicated SEO tool.
Additionally, you can change them manually by searching your business name, address, or phone number in Google and checking all the results you get. Bear in mind that even the smallest differences can make a change and raise flags. Always prioritize fixing existing citations over creating new ones.
What Are Common Citation Building Mistakes?
Citation building is an ongoing process, and if it’s not done in a correct way and strategically, it can damage your rank and search position. Some of the most common mistakes during the citation building process include:
- Inconsistent NAP data: having inconsistent NAP data is the most damaging mistake you can make in local SEO. Having different versions of your name, phone number, and address across the internet is what creates conflicting signals and undermines the trust of both search engines and real customers.
- Ignoring duplicate listings: Having multiple listings for the same business can cause damage in the long run since it’s a spammy practice, so make sure to remove them before you see an impact on your business.
- Focus on quantity: It’s a mistake to focus on having numerous listings in unrelated directories, rather than focusing on having a few in high-authority ones.
- Incomplete listings: Leaving your listings unfinished will actually reduce your search visibility and may seem spammy.
- Not maintaining listings: Building a listing and forgetting about it is a mistake, since in the long run, it will create business inconsistencies. Make sure to maintain all your listings and to keep all your data consistent and accurate throughout different platforms.
Conclusion
Citation building may not be the most fun part of a local SEO strategy, but it is definitely the one that will generate the best results in terms of local visibility. Consistent citations across numerous relevant directories will signal trust, credibility, and confirm that your business is real and legit. This information will be directly fed into your local rankings, your Google Business Profile performance, and ultimately will affect the number of customers who discover your profile and business before your competitors.
