Local Citations: Build Authority Across the Web
Citations are online mentions of your business name, address, and phone number. Building consistent citations across quality directories improves your local search rankings and helps customers find you.
What Are Local Citations?
A citation is any online mention of your business's NAP (Name, Address, Phone Number). These can appear in business directories like Yelp and Yellow Pages, on social media platforms, in local chamber of commerce listings, or on industry-specific directories.
Citations serve two purposes: they act as signals to Google that your business is legitimate and established, and they provide additional pathways for customers to discover your business online.
Structured Citations
Business listings on directories with specific fields for NAP info
- Google Business Profile
- Yelp, Facebook, Bing Places
- Yellow Pages, Angi, Houzz
Unstructured Citations
Mentions of your business in blog posts, articles, or news
- Local news articles
- Sponsorships or partnerships
- Event listings
Our Citation Building Process
Citation Audit
We scan the web to find all existing citations for your business, identify inconsistencies, and discover where you're missing citations that competitors have.
NAP Standardization
We establish the exact format for your Name, Address, and Phone number that will be used consistently across all citations. Consistency is critical - even minor variations can hurt your rankings.
Citation Cleanup
We correct inconsistent listings, claim unclaimed profiles, and remove duplicate listings that confuse search engines and customers.
New Citation Building
We create new listings on 50+ high-quality directories, including:
- Major directories (Google, Facebook, Bing, Apple Maps)
- Data aggregators (Factual, Neustar, Foursquare)
- Industry-specific directories relevant to your business
- Local directories and chamber of commerce listings
Ongoing Monitoring
Citations can change or become outdated over time. We monitor your citations quarterly and make updates as needed to maintain consistency.
Why Citation Consistency Matters
Even small inconsistencies in your NAP can confuse search engines and hurt your rankings. For example, these variations all refer to the same business but Google sees them as different:
ABC Plumbing, 123 Main Street, Austin, TX 78701, (512) 555-1234
ABC Plumbing LLC, 123 Main St., Austin, Texas 78701, 512-555-1234
ABC Plumbing, 123 Main, Austin TX, (512)555-1234
We ensure your NAP is formatted identically everywhere, building confidence in Google that your business information is accurate and trustworthy.