Local SEO Citations Significance and Types
Local citation means your business is mentioned across the internet. It can be either your business name or a combination of business name with address or contact details or website URL. Any kind of business mention that helps to improve your brand visibility can be termed as the local citation. You can take advantage of local citation building.
The key details needed when you list business include name, address, & phone number. Major search engines confirm your business details, which enhances your visibility during local searches. Citations that allow adding your website URL are beneficial to gain quality backlinks.
Citations can be categorized into –
- Structured [complete citation] – You will find structured citations that feature complete NAP details of your business. For example, BBB, Facebook, Yelp, etc.
- Unstructured [partial citation] – Business mentions outside the online directories are termed unstructured citations. For example, in blog posts, news articles, press releases, etc.
Additional citation elements
Several online directories allow extra information to define your business more clearly for users. The extra citation elements are –
- Business category
- Website URL
- Operating hours
- Concise business details
- Photos
- Services offered
- Reviews
- Social links
- Important updates
Why are local SEO citations significant?
Business NAP information available on local and national citations helps Google bots to authenticate that your business is real. Therefore, it is essential to have as many citations as possible on quality directories. It helps to validate and establish a local search ranking.
Citations help to establish the credibility of your business along with quality backlinks and reviews. More good reviews help to gain trust, which is crucial to attracting potential clients.
A consistent NAP and citation listing amount is a crucial ranking algorithm for local searches. Search engine bots check your business NAP with other sources on the internet featuring your citations. A citation on a quality directory like Bleen makes your business appear more prominent to major search engines. Bleen helps users in Australia to connect with nearby service providers. For local businesses, this free online directory is a great promotional tool.
Local citation building is a part of your local SEO but ensure to understand the citation types. There are sites you need to get on and a few to avoid. Citation sites are categorized in the following way –
- Data aggregators – They gather business data from different sources on the web and public records and feed it to directories and search engines directly. Data aggregators are data distributors.
- Search engines – Google, Bing, and Apple hold high domain AS [authority score], so ensure to list on all three.
- Horizontal directories – These are broad directories that appear at the national and local levels.
- Industry-specific directories – These are niche directories that align with your sector. Niche directories are a great source of gaining pre-qualified leads in competitive sectors like medical and legal.
- Location-specific directories – Location-specific directories are great for acquiring local visibility and building quality backlinks.
Local citation management is also a must. Take an active approach in building and maintain your citations for success in local SEO. Busyfox is an online business news publishing platform. You can post helpful content and local updates to grab the attention of clients.
