Local SEO citations must be a familiar term if you are a business owner. These local listings have your business name, address and phone number, making it easier for customers to find your product or service online.
Over time, this easy connection with your loyal or potential clients helps establish trust and website authority. It’s an excellent edge if you are in a highly competitive industry.
And if you haven’t started building citations yet or aren’t executing them properly, you are likely delaying your business success.
So, here’s a short guide of essentials you need to know. Find out how you can make the most of this vital puzzle piece to start growing your business online.
What are Local Citations, and Why are They Important for Local SEO?
Let’s understand this vital local SEO concept by starting with the basics: what local citations are all about and how they work.
The local SEO citation examples that follow should give you concrete ideas on how you can apply them to your business.
Definition of local citations
Local SEO citations are online mentions that appear as a business or online directory listing. These include your business name, address and phone number (NAP).
In a way, these take the place of the old, dusty phonebooks we used to have at home. And if you have these citations, search engines and online users will have an easier time locating or contacting you.
For example, if someone types “plumbing service + location” on Google, the search engine can quickly provide relevant results using your NAP details.
How local citations affect local search rankings
According to a consumer review survey in 2022, 78% of consumers look for local businesses online multiple times a week. In 2020, 69% of consumers agreed with the same survey category.
These findings show how dependent customers are now on finding businesses through online searches. It’s also a clear indicator that local citations can boost business revenue.
Aside from that, citations have a direct impact on your search rankings. If you provide accurate and consistent NAP details online, search engines use this as a signal that you are a trustworthy business owner.
Search engines reward online credibility with better rankings in the local SERPs. In turn, your business presence goes up. Your products or service becomes more visible to potential buyers, too.
However, keep in mind that the effect of local SEO citation is two-way, depending on how you use it.
The objective of using local citations is to have as many websites sharing or showing your business details. The more online mentions you have, the higher your online presence.
But it only works if you link to relevant and credible website owners. Businesses that want instant results sometimes resort to spammy web directories or sites with low domain authority.
This poor practice will only mislead your potential customers and affect your online reputation.
Examples of local citation sources
There are two primary sources of local citations. They can be structured or unstructured.
Structured types are citations of your complete NAP details in a relevant business directory or a third-party site like Yellowpages, Foursquare and TrueLocal.
These websites typically have large databases, making them a reliable source of information. And since search engines trust them, it’s recommended for website owners to have their businesses listed here.
Some directories are highly extensive, though. So, make sure to enter your listing in the proper business category to help search engines locate you more easily.
If you need an example of a structured citation, try searching for “interior designer” on Google. Your results should show a Google Map of your area plus a list of interior design agencies near you.
Each structured citation should have the agency name and pertinent business details like address, contact info and operation hours.
Unstructured types do not look like this, though. They still contain vital business info, but the details are not in one group or section.
That’s because these citation types are not in online directories. Instead, you’ll see them in blog posts, magazine sites or review articles.
One example is a compilation-type article where the writer features relevant businesses in your locale, with mentions of their website links, social media pages, etc.
How to Get More Local Citations for Local SEO
Now that you understand the role and value of local SEO citations to your business, the next phase is to learn how to build them.
Here are some helpful methods to get you started.
1. Claim and optimise your Google Business Profile listing
Enlisting your business on Google is a must because 46% of searches on Google are local-related, and it’s free! You can even update your Google Business Profile (GBP) whenever necessary.
You can check this step-by-step guide to claim your GBP. But remember, the process does not stop with profile creation. You need to optimise and manage it, too.
You can do this by:
- providing all relevant business information, including your website and operating hours
- using high-quality videos and the best (or most recent) photos of your business
- adding location-specific keywords in your profile to boost searchability
- updating your business details based on temporary changes, special events or holiday demands
- checking Google’s latest features to attract more traffic and customers
- responding to customer reviews and enquiries on your profile
- applying ways to gain more Google reviews
GBP optimisation is crucial in maintaining your online presence. It also keeps customers engaged, and this is an essential search engine ranking factor.
2. Get listed in online directories and review sites
After creating your GBP, you can submit your NAP details to other sites or directories to get more local SEO citations. Submitting to general business sites like Yelp, Yellowpages, Facebook, and Foursquare is a good start.
These directories have extensive databases and are users’ go-to for local searches. But don’t stop here. You can also send your NAP to some industry and location-specific platforms.
For instance, if you have a chiropractic clinic, look for credible directories listing health-related businesses in the country or your state and city. There are also platforms for individuals providing professional services.
You’ll be surprised at the sheer number of online directories available. But before you sign up for any of them, do your research first and check what kind of businesses are on these sites.
Also, choose directories that will significantly help your business and customers. Ideally, start with a short list of directories, then add more every month.
3. Partner with local organisations and businesses for backlinks
Another way to gain more local SEO citations is by contacting relevant groups or individuals to help you. If successful, you can get mentions in the form of blog posts, reviews and write-ups.
Compared with structured ones, unstructured citations are more challenging to gain, though. That’s because you need to find organisations or people who care enough about your business to cite or write about it.
Still, it is not impossible to do with a little effort. Moreover, there are many ways to do it. Here are some examples.
a. Guest blogging
Are you a nutritionist in touch with some fitness centre staff in your area? Or do you know doctors specialising in heart health or weight management?
You can probably contact them and submit a guest post for their website. Getting published in authoritative blogs or sites can attract new markets and potential customers.
It can help generate traffic to your website plus establish your credibility as a professional.
And if you don’t have that many contacts for guest blogging, you can gain some by participating in local conferences and similar events.
b. Supplier pages
If your business work with a handful of suppliers, you can check or request unstructured citations on their pages.
Most supplier sites feature companies or individual clients they work with to showcase their products or services. So, it should not be a problem for them to mention your business on their pages or blog.
c. Influencer marketing
Vloggers, influencers or celebrities can generate lasting impressions on their audiences. So, if they are relevant to your business, you can reach out to them and request a mention.
It can be in the form of a product or service description through one of their social media channels. You can also do a blog interview, collab video, feature article or case study report with them.
If your business is launching a new product, you can send samples to some bloggers for a review. Contacting local media outlets for a business pitch or using press release services are also excellent alternatives.
Tips for Managing and Maintaining Your Local Citations
Aside from optimising and adding local SEO citations, maintaining them is equally important. Here are some tips you can do to ensure they are working for your business.
1. Ensure NAP consistency across all citations
Business owners are free to change or update their NAP information whenever needed. However, when you do this, make sure to do it on all your listings. Every detail must be the same.
Remember, search engines use your entered data for local searches. Any inconsistency can make it hard for them to verify your business and show it to users.
Also, customers are hesitant to deal with business operators with inconsistent addresses or incorrect phone numbers.
If customers cannot trust you, search engines won’t either, and it can affect your rankings.
2. Regularly check and update your local citations
New local businesses and competitors in your industry are actively looking for ways to stay relevant online. So, see to it that you do the same. And you can start by checking your local citations regularly.
You don’t have to spend on expensive management tools, though. If you’re on a tight budget, do manual checks and updates instead.
Create a spreadsheet with all your business listings, then set a time when to do your manual checking. You can also include a schedule for uploading new photos or making changes for an upcoming holiday or sales event.
These small but purposeful changes let customers know you are open for business.
3. Consider using a local citation management tool
If you have the budget (but lack free time), you can update your business listings using various marketing tools.
These management tools have varying features, functionality and costs, though.
You can also hire local citation services or companies for automatic listing management. They can enter your business details online and send them to credible directories.
Moz Local, Axciom, Factual and Yext are some examples.
Whichever method you prefer, make sure it matches your business needs to avoid wasting resources.
Conclusion: The Role of Local Citations in Local SEO
Local SEO citations are crucial in growing your business online. They are easy to gain, but citation building can take a lot of work and time. Monitoring also requires resources.
But once you have everything up and running, these local citations can drive significant traffic to your business website. These boost your online presence and search ranking, too. Best of all, these benefits combined help you generate more sales.
And if you observe best practices on local SEO throughout, you’ll be building lasting customer relations and business partnerships.
Get in touch with us by sending us an email at hello@infiniteace.com if you have any questions about local SEO or if we serve your local area.
