While no marketing strategy can beat the power of word-of-mouth, local SEO—the practice of optimizing a business’s online presence so it ranks higher in search results for nearby customers seeking its products or services—is by far the most cost-effective and successful tool for local businesses to get discovered online.
Data from SOCI’s 2024 Consumer Behavior Index (CBI) Report confirms that eight out of ten US customers learn about local businesses through online searches.
While it sounds painfully simple, a crucial part of getting discovered online is simply putting your business’s name, address, and phone number (NAP) where people can find you.
This is where the power of local citations comes in.
As customers, we come across these online mentions every day, whether we’re clicking on Google Business Profile listings (maps, reviews, products, Q&As, etc.), Yelp profiles (yeah, they still have clout!), or even our local Yellow Pages to find businesses around us.
Even if customers largely don’t stray outside of the major search engines to find new businesses, these citations (or mentions) still play a powerful role in helping local businesses connect with new customers and rank in “near me” local pack results.
What Are Citations in Local SEO?
Luckily, you don’t need to learn APA or MLA style to create online citations. Rather, local SEO citations merely mention your business and include important contact information, such as your name, address, or phone number (NAP).
These mentions are often found on profiles that businesses create on relevant online and local directories, such as Yelp, Angi’s List, Bing Maps, or even Facebook, to connect with customers.
Depending on your industry or where they are located, hundreds to thousands of local citations could be available to create at any given time.
Citations may come in the form of links, though search engines like Google have become sophisticated enough to count unlinked mentions with the same amount of authority.
With that said, we tend to denote citations in two different forms:
- Structured Citations – These are business listings that appear on online directories or platforms such as Google My Business, Yelp, Facebook, and Yellow Pages. Structured citations have predefined fields where you can input specific details such as your business name, address, phone number, website, and hours of operation.
- Unstructured Citations – These are mentions of your business on other websites that may not follow a predefined structure, such as blog posts, news articles, or review sites. While unstructured citations are less formal than structured ones, they can still contribute to your local SEO efforts.
However, citation building should not be confused with link building, a more sophisticated method of building relevant backlinks to your website’s target pages.
Citations Deliver Real-world SEO Results
Citations are considered an essential part of local SEO, but many people have become skeptical of their utility over the years. Since websites like Yelp and Yellow Pages gain little traffic anymore, is it worth creating a profile on these directories?
The answer is yes, though getting traffic from these platforms may not be easy. Don’t get us wrong, there are still some people who use platforms like Yelp, but the benefits of citation building are immense on search engines like Google.
Google “all but confirms” that citations are a ranking factor. Furthermore, internal research has shown that implementing an aggressive citation-building campaign using tools like BrightLocal has helped lift all target and local “near me” searches that we monitored.
To review, let’s explore some ways that local SEO citations can improve your online visibility.
1. Showing Up for Local Searches
The primary benefit of getting your business’s NAP information listed is that it will begin to display for local searches. Without this information, your search visibility will be limited to branded searches. However, having the physical location of your business online will help it rank for “business near me” searches or “business in location” searches.
For instance, if a potential customer searches for “best plumber in Miami,” Google will look for businesses with proper citations in local directories and maps. Having more high-authority citations behind your brand will help it nudge up even further on these searches.
2. Establish Trust and Credibility
While Google takes steps to verify all business listings on its platforms, having the added social proof of dozens of listings on trustworthy and high-authority sites further builds trust with Google. Best of all, if these sites use reviews or user-generated content, it only helps establish greater trust and credibility that your business is legitimate.
3. Local Pack and Map Listings
Of course, the primary benefit of local citations is to rank higher for the all-important Local Pack or Map Pack searches. Studies show that most people use mobile devices to search for businesses, and local pack searches are typically the first touchpoint at which they will find a business.
As we stated before, Google more than likely uses citations as ranking factors for these searches, and our research supports this. Ranking high in these searches can net instant visibility and sales that can help your business grow quickly.
4. Increase Online Presence
While directories like Yelp may not be as popular as they once were, they can still be valuable sources of leads and traffic. Increasing your visibility across these platforms can lead to additional business opportunities and help your business attract new customers.
How to Build Effective Citations for Local SEO
Now that we’ve established why citations are essential for local SEO, it’s time to discuss how to build and manage citations for your business effectively.
Here are some best practices to follow:
1. Invest in a Citation Management Tool
A citation management tool is essential for acquiring and managing citations. While many citations may be a one and done deal, if you ever move addresses or change contact information you’ll want to be able to switch all of your citations quickly.
Some companies stubbornly choose to do manual outreach, but it can become tedious when dealing with hundreds of different citations. Plus, you need to evaluate the amount of time lost versus the value of a tool like BrightLocal or Moz Local.
We use BrightLocal for citation management, which has helped us scale our client’s local visibility like never before. While BrightLocal offers monthly plans, you can acquire most of your citations with a one-time, affordable payment.
2. Ensure Consistency Across Listings
Again, having a citation management system in place will eliminate unnecessary errors by eliminating any mistakes from manually inputting each listing.
Consistency is absolutely key in ensuring that your business is ranked and listed by Google in the appropriate location and with the right contact information.
3. Focus on High-Quality Directories and Websites
Not all citations are created equal. While getting listed on any directory is helpful, it’s essential to prioritize reputable and authoritative platforms. For example, we highly recommend starting with Google Business Profile, Yelp, and all major social media platforms.
Industry-specific directories, local business listings, and trusted third-party review sites are also valuable for boosting your local SEO efforts. Focus on obtaining citations from platforms relevant to your business and industry to enhance your local search rankings.
4. Take Advantage of Unstructured Citations
While structured citations are vital, unstructured citations also have their place in local SEO. Mentions of your business on blogs, news articles, and social media platforms can increase your online presence and contribute to local search visibility.
Engage with local bloggers and community members to generate more mentions, whether they are linked or not. The visibility alone from these pages will help you acquire more customers–not to mention it will help you rank higher on Google!
Get Started with Local Citation Building
If your business is interested in developing its local SEO through citations, backlinks, and other means, contact us directly at ContentMender for a free audit to see how we can help. We offer local digital marketing services to scale your business as we have for several major pest control companies in the Northeast and other industries!
FAQs
How do citations affect search rankings?
Citations improve search rankings by providing search engines with consistent and accurate data about your business. The more reputable and authoritative platforms your business is listed on, the more likely search engines are to rank it higher for relevant local queries.
How can I ensure my citations are consistent?
To ensure consistency, always use the same format for your business name, address, and phone number across all platforms. Regularly audit your listings to check for discrepancies and update outdated information. Tools like Moz Local and BrightLocal can help automate this process.
Can incorrect citations hurt my SEO?
Yes, incorrect or inconsistent citations can hurt your SEO by confusing search engines, leading to lower rankings. They can also mislead potential customers, which may result in lost business opportunities.
