Local Citations Guide: Get More Citations & Rank Higher Today
Citations are essential for local SEO. They help search engines understand the importance of your business, where you’re located, and improve Google rankings. This article will discuss what citations are and why they’re so crucial to your online success. We’ll also give you some actionable tips on how to get more citations!
What are Citations?
A citation is simply a mention of your business name, address, and phone number online. This mention can be anywhere from directories such as Yellowpages, websites, or niche-specific forums. Citations are useful because they increase the places in which customers can find your business, and they tell Google that you’re a reputable business, which gets you higher rankings.
Why Use Citations?
Google has a complex algorithm for deciding which businesses to show first when someone searches. First, Google considers how close your business location is to their search query and what type of product or service they’re looking for. For example, if you offer tax preparation services in San Francisco, then it’s essential to have a local citation so potential customers will find you easily! This would include having your business information listed in local general directories, niche-specific directories, BBB, niche-specific local blogs, or relevant associations. The reason why local citations are so important is that they build relevance and authority. For example, suppose the local account association recommends your business as the best tax preparation service in the area. In that case, Google will naturally rank your business higher due to the online cosign.
The best local citations are the ones that come from places that already have high authority and relevancy to your business. Going for quality citations over quantity is the key to generating higher rankings and getting more traffic.
Examples of local citations include
- Industry or specific directories (Trip Advisor)
- Local newspaper or media sites
- Local blogs
- Local business association
- Local professional association
- Social media
How To Get Higher Quality Citations?
Audit NAP
If you want to improve your local SEO and reap the benefits of local citations, you need to first audit your NAP. This stands for Name, Address, and Phone number, which also helps search engines identify where your business is located based on data they can easily find online. If this information isn’t consistent across all of the places it’s listed, search engines may not always be able to accurately verify a location and credit your business for the citation. For example, if your address on your Google My Business listing is Unit 10 – 123 Street name, City, Zip, this is precisely how the address should look on every directory, blog, or citation online.
Inconsistencies in listings may be time-consuming to fix, but they are worth it. Here’s what you should do first:
- Make sure your NAP is the same on every listing and that it includes your street address instead of just “St.” or any other variations.
- Cross-check to ensure that unit numbers are correct
- Ensure your name is exactly the way it is spelled on your Google listing. If the business includes CORP or any other acronyms on the Google listing, include it in your citations.
- Double-check that the format of your business number is correct. Do not include country codes, and continually update citations if your number changes.
Start Submitting Citations
When building local citations, it’s vital to submit your business information to the largest directories online and gradually get more specific. That means starting by submitting citations on sites such as:
- The Better Business Bureau is an organization that has been around for over 100 years and should be considered. It shows customer service, ethical business practices and is the overall symbol of excellence in this industry.
- Yelp is another website that offers reviews on restaurants by customers who have visited them firsthand and a place for businesses to showcase their services and products.
- Yellow Pages is a company that specializes in helping Canadians find information on the goods and services around them. They provide many solutions to businesses, from advertising to customer service initiatives, to make sure as many people see their products as possible.
- Angie’s List is a necessity for boosting your business and getting referrals from customers. You can also improve search engine rankings with Angie’s List, making it an essential tool to have in any small enterprise or home-based operation!
Once you have submitted your information on the more extensive directories, update smaller and niche-specific directories with your business information. Remember to keep all names, addresses, and phone numbers consistent. There are plenty of local citations to start submitting your business information. Below are some of the most popular USA citations.
Build Relationships
As mentioned earlier, the quality of the citations you have is much more important than the quantity. To outrank your competition and get more customers, you need to get better citations. Most businesses can do the above methods and start getting citations, but the businesses that dominate locally find better citations. To do this, you need to position yourself as an authority or expert within your space. If you are an injury lawyer located in a small city, everyone should think of you when they get into a car accident. Frequent mentions will help to increase your online and offline authority as more people, media, and associations know of your brand. Some ways in which you can improve local authority include:
- Sponsoring a charity or nonprofit event
- Sponsoring or supporting a local athlete or team
- Donating to local programs and incentives
- Creating or facilitating local programs
- Getting interviewed by local media
When you give back to your local community, it gives back to you! Your business will naturally receive more attention which will translate online and allow you to build powerful high-quality citations.
Conclusion
Citations are a powerful way to rank higher in Google, build local authority and get more customers. But they can be time-consuming. That’s why we include free citation building as part of our Local SEO packages. We work with you on the citations that will best suit your business needs (high quality, relevant links), so you don’t have to worry about it any longer! Get a free consultation today and see how our local SEO experts can help you build more citations!