Local citations are online mentions of your business name, address, and phone number (NAP). They can occur anywhere across the web, including on business directories, review sites, industry-specific publications, local media outlets, social media pages, Google My Business, and apps.
The most important what are local citations are on major directory websites and review sites such as Yelp, Yellow Pages, and Thompson Local. These citations are often the first point of contact for consumers when they’re searching for a business in your area, so it’s essential to have them accurate and consistent.
Citations are also a great way to boost your search engine rankings. When Google crawls a citation, it checks the accuracy of information and then makes a ranking decision based on that data. If there’s enough citation data to support the legitimacy of your business, it can improve your rankings and increase your local traffic.
Building citations is not easy, but it’s worth it. Fortunately, there are services available to help you get started and manage your citations.
Start by creating a list of the most popular business directories and aggregators that share your business’s NAP. Then, decide which ones are most relevant to your industry and city. Once you’ve determined which sites to focus on, submit your NAP to them using a data aggregator.
Make sure your NAP information is consistent on each site, so customers and search engines can trust it. For example, if your business is listed on the local Chamber of Commerce website, it’s important to also have your NAP on Yelp and other directories.
Create a list of influential local citations for your business, including popular directories and review sites that have a good reputation within your industry. Having your NAP on these citations is a powerful signal to Google and other search engines, which can help you rank higher in local searches.
Incorporate your NAP into your website
Having your NAP on your website is one of the best ways to encourage customers to share their experiences with you. A survey shows that 80% of purchases are made based on word of mouth and reviews, so it’s important to ensure your NAP is consistently visible and up-to-date on your website.
Claim your listings and add your NAP to them
Adding your NAP to popular directories can be time-consuming, so it’s best to do this as part of your overall local marketing strategy. Once you’ve created and claimed your listings, make sure to update them with new address information and add any special offers or discounts that you’re running.
Clean up the bad stuff
When you build a list of citations for your business, it’s important to keep them clean and consistent. If the information is incorrect or inconsistent, it can hurt your rankings and drive away potential customers.
Use a data aggregator
A data aggregator is a website that automatically submits your business’s NAP to multiple local citation sites. This saves you from having to manually submit your business’s NAP to each of these sites, and can speed up the process a lot!