{"id":19360,"date":"2023-01-23T11:38:03","date_gmt":"2023-01-23T18:38:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.vdigitalservices.com\/?p=19360"},"modified":"2024-01-18T16:24:50","modified_gmt":"2024-01-18T23:24:50","slug":"how-to-acquire-local-search-citations-to-improve-your-business-seo","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.vdigitalservices.com\/how-to-acquire-local-search-citations-to-improve-your-business-seo\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Acquire Local Search Citations to Improve Your Business SEO"},"content":{"rendered":"

Citations & Directories? What are these, how do you acquire them, and what is their value?<\/span><\/p>\n

You already know that local SEO is a central factor in the success of your digital marketing strategy and that when you\u2019re learning how to improve local search rankings, there are a few different things you can try. One of these tactics is establishing and properly managing citations, a task that beginner SEO strategists and business owners alike should master.<\/span><\/p>\n

We\u2019re going to take a closer look at how to set up citations and why they matter so much to your SEO goals.<\/span><\/p>\n

What is a Local Search Citation?<\/span><\/h2>\n

A local citation is created when the name, address, and phone number (NAP) of a local business is mentioned online. Essentially, it\u2019s how online users know your business exists – and how and where they can find you. These citations can be listed in local business directories, social media platforms, and on various websites and apps.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"ScreenshotFor local businesses, the purpose of local citations is to ensure that online users in their area can easily discover them with relevant local searches. Citations also affect local search rankings, particularly when it comes to ranking on Google Maps.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Components of a Local Citation<\/span><\/h3>\n

The foundation elements of a citation are the name, address, and phone number of a business. In many cases, a link to the business\u2019s website is also included. But beyond that, there are many elements that can be added, largely depending on the citation platform and business:<\/span><\/p>\n

    \n
  • Hours of operation<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Directions<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Business description<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Business category (or categories)<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Images and videos<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Accepted forms of payment<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Reviews (and owner responses)<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Links to social media profiles<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Email addresses<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Alternate phone numbers<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Specific attributes such as whether or not a space is child-friendly, offers outdoor dining, etc.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    Why are Citations Important?<\/span><\/h2>\n

    When it comes to local SEO, citations can be one of the best ways to improve your local search rankings. And because they\u2019re relatively easy to set up and manage, your investment of time and energy (and expense) is generally pretty low – but the payoff is significant.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    Citations are a multi-purpose method that can drive measurable results across the board, including:<\/span><\/p>\n

      \n
    • Improving your local rankings, especially when you choose your citations carefully and aim for a balance of quantity, quality, and accuracy<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
        \n
      • Offering the opportunity to claim a critical spot on page-one search results, which are often dominated by online business directories<\/span><\/li>\n
      • Earning referral traffic, especially from potential customers who are loyal to certain directories for specific uses<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

        One of the most important things to understand about citations is that your set-up process is key. Unless you take a smart, systematic approach, dealing with citations can end up being a time-consuming mess.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

        And just like citations can positively impact your rankings for local results on search engines, they can also have a negative effect. If your listings contain inaccurate information, or you\u2019re listed on poor-quality platforms, or are simply few and far between, your opportunity for ranking well can be diminished.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

        At the end of the day, there are three core reasons you should care about local listings – let\u2019s call them the \u201cThree R\u2019s\u201d: Reputation, Revenue, and Rankings. Citations factor into all of these, making them more than worth your time and effort.<\/span><\/p>\n

        Where Do You Get Local Citations?<\/span><\/h2>\n

        Ask a few SEO strategists their opinions on the best citation websites, and you\u2019re likely to get a variety of answers. The fact is that there are several different options for citation websites, and there\u2019s also some debate about which ones are the most valuable. But one thing that the SEO community does agree on is that there are a few citation sites you can\u2019t afford to skip:<\/span><\/p>\n

          \n
        • Google Business Profile<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
            \n
          • Facebook<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
              \n
            • Yelp<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
                \n
              • Bing Maps<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

                Types of Citations<\/span><\/h3>\n

                Let\u2019s break down the different types of business citations so that you can learn a little bit about each one in more detail:<\/span><\/p>\n

                Major Local Business Data Platforms<\/span><\/h4>\n

                There are a handful of local citation opportunities that are a must for every business, many of which are located on a series of core data platforms. These sites include Google Business Profile, Infogroup, Acxiom, and Localeze\/Neustar.<\/span><\/p>\n

                Map & Navigation Citations\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/h4>\n

                Google Maps, Waze, Apple Maps, and Where To? are just a few of these navigation citations. These platforms are used daily for directions. <\/span>Google Maps citations (and navigation citations in general) are extremely important because potential customers rely on that data to contact <\/span>and <\/b>locate your physical business. Incorrect information can make it impossible to find you – and you\u2019ll lose out on the money they may have spent.<\/span><\/p>\n

                \"GoogleSocial Networking Citations<\/span><\/h4>\n

                Yelp, Instagram, Facebook, and Tripadvisor are all great engagement platforms for businesses. These platforms also contain reviews which are a large ranking factor in the local space.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

                \"LocalGeneral Publishers <\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h4>\n

                Opendi, Cylex, Hotfrog, and hundreds more! These general citations may not have the engagement or review options but are extremely valuable in keeping location information consistent across the web.<\/span><\/p>\n

                \"LocalNiche or Geo Citations<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h4>\n

                These are industry or geo-location-specific. <\/span>Local sites, such as chamber of commerce websites, fall into this category, as do the websites of professional guilds and associations related to your industry. For example, a model train store might work on building citations on sites that belong to their town\u2019s chamber of commerce, regional hobby groups dedicated to model trains, local blogs, and others.<\/span><\/p>\n

                How Many Citations Should a Business Have?<\/span><\/h2>\n

                So, is there a minimum number of citations you should be aiming for? Like most questions in online marketing and SEO, there\u2019s not necessarily just one standard answer. Instead, we have two words for you – that you\u2019re probably not going to like: <\/span>It depends.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

                Since the goal of local SEO citations is to maximize your online visibility and position in local search rankings, your \u201cideal number\u201d is going to be based on several factors. Your geographical location and business type will make a big difference in how many local citations are needed to stay competitive. For example, an antique store in a small, rural town in Idaho certainly won\u2019t need as many business citations as a car dealership in Chicago.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

                As you build citations, your motto should be quality, not quantity. Or, at the very least, quality <\/span>and <\/span>quantity. While you should absolutely strive for a robust library of citations, remember that accurate listings on high-quality directories (with higher domain authority) are the gold standard. At a certain point, putting time and energy into an excessive number of listings becomes wasteful.<\/span><\/p>\n

                Also, it\u2019s helpful to remind yourself that while citations are a key ranking factor for local search, there are also countless others. So, your resources should be spread across the SEO and marketing campaigns that will give you the best results in the long term.<\/span><\/p>\n

                How to Check and Manage Local Citations<\/span><\/h2>\n

                When it comes to making the most of your citation opportunities, the best first step is to look into already-existing citations. It\u2019s vital that you actively manage citations to make sure that your customers find accurate information with a quick Google search.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

                Why is ongoing maintenance important for citations?<\/span><\/h3>\n

                Although it would certainly be convenient to be able to build listings and then check the task off your list forever, that\u2019s simply not how it works. Even if you have a single-location business, have no plans to change your contact information or physical address, and have next to no competition in your small town, regularly checking your listings is important.<\/span><\/p>\n

                Here\u2019s why:<\/span><\/p>\n

                  \n
                • Many citation sources allow any user to edit local business listings, which can put your information in the wrong hands. Your competitors, unhappy customers, and even the general public can publish bad or inaccurate data. With an active approach to listing management, you can catch these changes before they have a significant impact.<\/span><\/li>\n
                • Unfortunately, inaccurate data is contagious. If there are a few listings with incorrect information, those details can quickly spread to others. But as long as you\u2019re keeping a close eye on shifts in data, you can make sure it doesn\u2019t get very far.<\/span><\/li>\n
                • A majority of large citation platforms, including social platforms such as Yelp and Facebook, include customer reviews in your business listings. This feedback can be viewed by any user – including potential customers – so you\u2019ll need to be managing and responding to reviews accordingly.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

                  How do I manage my business citations?<\/span><\/h3>\n

                  There are three ways to find and edit local citations:<\/span><\/p>\n

                  1. Manual citation management<\/span><\/h3>\n

                  In order to manually manage your local citations, you\u2019ll need to set up a system to organize and track the location, accuracy, and status of each one – and there can easily be hundreds. Rather than checking every single online business directory and website, you can rely on a few major data aggregators, such as Facebook and Apple Maps.<\/span><\/p>\n

                  As you review your business listings, focus on correcting errors, closing duplicate listings, and updating any necessary information. Keep in mind that this is not a \u201cone and done\u201d task but rather one that will need to become a part of an ongoing to-do list. As new citations are automatically or manually created, or your business details change, you\u2019ll need to prompt edit accordingly.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

                  Manually locating, editing, and managing citations is undoubtedly the most challenging and time-consuming method. In fact, the amount of time and effort required is the main drawback to this option. Without the right experience and approach, you can easily make expensive mistakes or become overwhelmed.<\/span><\/p>\n

                  On the other hand, the benefits of manual citation management include having full control over all of your business listings. Rather than work with a third party, you can decide how and when to build citations. This gives you the freedom to easily add your listing to local business associations or industry-specific directories without having any hoops to jump through.<\/span><\/p>\n

                  For some businesses, manually managing citations is the best fit. You might want to consider a manual approach if:<\/span><\/p>\n

                    \n
                  • You own a startup with a small budget but plenty of time.<\/span><\/li>\n
                  • If you already work with a professional, automated service for the majority of your citation management but are interested in building additional citations on highly specific platforms serving your industry or geographical area.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

                    You also have the option to hire out the task of manual submission and management, if you prefer that over an automatic service.<\/span><\/p>\n

                    2. Semi-automated citation management<\/span><\/h3>\n

                    A partially automated approach to citations can be an excellent middle ground for a wide variety of businesses. In this scenario, a professional service provides you with automated data pushes and updates on specific platforms. Additionally, they also offer the manual creation of listings on specific platforms that are outside the reach of the automatic data push.<\/span><\/p>\n

                    With this approach, you have the advantage of access to a broad range of citation platforms. The service provider may be able to add your listing to various sites or platforms that you would not otherwise be able to access, including those within niche industry categories and locations. It saves you the time and effort involved in finding these platforms and creating your listings.<\/span><\/p>\n

                    Of course, there are also certain negative aspects. Depending on your budget, you may find that semi-automated management is cost-prohibitive. Also, some services cut corners by using low-quality directories, which generally won\u2019t deliver the results you\u2019re hoping for. For this reason, choosing a reputable service provider is key.<\/span><\/p>\n

                    Semi-automated citation management may be a good fit if:<\/span><\/p>\n