One of the main things that set local SEO apart from global SEO is the need for local citations. Fortunately, getting local citations isn’t difficult, as long as you know what you are doing. In this article, I will explain what local citations are, why you need them, and how to get them.
What are local citations?
Local citations are simply mentions of your local business. Usually, when people talk about local citations, they’re talking about citations or listings in online directories and yellow papers. However, local citations can appear anywhere online, including on websites and social media. The more quality citations you have, the better.
Why are local citations important?
Local citations help you get ranked in local searches. Your competitors are probably busy building local citations, so if you haven’t yet started building local citations, I’d suggest you do so right away. Here are some ways local citations help your business.
1. They help with SEO
Local citations provide backlinks to your site. Even if they don’t, however, they still give Google an indication of how popular your site is. The more times your business is cited across the internet, the better your chances are of ranking higher.
2. They drive traffic
A lot of consumers use local and national directories to find businesses in their area. For example, here are some sites you might want to get local citations on:
- Yelp
- TripAdvisor
- Bing Maps
- Apple Maps
These are just some examples of the largest directories out there, but there are many smaller directories and individual websites you can get citations as well. Citations in directories and yellow papers drive both physical traffic to your store and online visitors to your website.
3. They increase brand exposure
Even if a consumer doesn’t visit your store the first time they see it listed in a directory, you still benefit from increased brand exposure. The next time they browse a directory and find your website, they might remember that this is the second time they saw your store mentioned and check it out.
4. They improve trust
Many consumers conduct Google searches before visiting a local establishment. If they see your site listed on all the top directories on the first page of Google, with many positive reviews on each directory, they will trust you more.
Remember that if your business is popular, you are bound to get negative reviews from time to time. By having a review profile on different sites, such as Google, Yelp, Facebook, and TripAdvisor, you can spread out those bad reviews. In other words, if your average rating on most directories is over 4.5 stars, people won’t be too worried if it’s only 4 stars on one directory.
How to improve your local citations and what to include
Remember, many customers will find out about your business from your local citations. That is why it is essential to include the right information. Here are some ways to improve your local citations.
1. Keep your NAP consistent
NAP refers to your Name, Address, and Phone Number. For SEO and conversion purposes, they need to be exactly the same on all of your local citations. For example, if there are two ways to spell the street you are located on, choose the more correct one and use it across all your listings. Keep your phone number format consistent across your listings, too.
2. Add contact information
Add a variety of ways for customers to get in touch with you. You might include your main phone number, a toll-free number (if you have one), your website, your email, and other relevant contact information.
3. Describe your services
Detail your main products and services, so customers know what you offer. If the platform allows, describe your business in a few words and demonstrate what makes you stand out.
4. Clean up your citations
You may need to clean up your citations if they are messy, disorganized, or contain incorrect information. Here are some ways to clean up your citations:
- Find duplicate citations and delete them
- Check your NAP and make sure it is consistent across all listings
- Add contact details or links to your website and social media profiles
- Remove broken links
- Fix outdated product information and pricing
Having duplicate citations is a common problem and can occur when you use two data aggregators or citation building services that create citations on the same directories.
How to get local citations
So, how can you get quality local citations? There are a number of services that will syndicate your site across the major online directories.
The problem with those services is that they can cost a lot of money, and they may be out of your reach if you are a small business owner on a budget. Some of them can cost hundreds of dollars, and some come with recurring yearly fees.
That’s why we set out to provide affordable citation building services for local businesses, with no recurring fees and excellent results. As a small business ourselves, we know how difficult it can be to get quality services at an affordable price.
Our Big Citations service will get your site listed on 23+ major directories. We create your listings manually, unlike other popular automated services, at just a fraction of the price of the major local citation building services like Yext. We charge a one-time fee of $29.99 (most major services charge a few hundred dollars).
For additional citations, check out our Hyper Local Citations service. We’ll get your business listed on niche-specific and local directories on our Local Citations Master List — 40 citations for just $39.
We also offer a Citation Cleanup and Boost service.
Final thoughts
Building local citations is a must, but it does not have to be expensive or difficult. You should first focus on the major directories, such as Google My Business, Yelp, and Apple Maps. Once you have gotten the major citations under your belt, move on to directories that are more niche specific or which focus solely on businesses in your area.
