How to Build Local Citations for Small Businesses

Did you know that local citations are one of the top ranking factors for local SEO? If your business isn’t listed on trusted directories, you’re missing out on valuable traffic and potential customers!

In this guide, we’ll break down what local citations are, why they matter, and how to build local citations the right way. Whether you’re a local business owner or an SEO professional, this step-by-step guide will help you boost your visibility in local search results.

What Are Local Citations and Why Are They Important?

Local citations are mentions of your business name, address, and phone number (NAP) across different online directory listings. They act as backlinks from business directories to your businesses website. Additionally, they increase the authority of your website in your local area, allowing your website to rank for more competitive local keywords. 

Citations can also help to improve your map pack ranking for your Google Business Profile, allowing your customers to find you much easier. 

Here are the types of citations every business should have to promote your brand name across various sources including blogs, newsletters, websites, and press releases.  

Types of Local Citations Every Business Needs

There are two types of citations, structured and unstructured. Structured citations are formal mentions on directories like Yelp and TrustPilot, whereas unstructured citations are mentions on external blogs and newsletters. Structured citations are usually the most common form and generate the most impact in search engines. 

For your local business, you should focus more on structured citations for now to build your brand name and increase awareness for your business. These will include both national and local directories, but start with local first. To find these directories, go to Google, and search “[your area] directories”, which will come back with directories in your local area you can get listed on! 

When you do get listed, just make sure to keep your NAP consistent (name, address, phone number) across all directories, otherwise this could hurt your business, as multiple NAPs will decrease trust in your customers and Google. 

How to Build Local Citations for Your Business

Step 1: Find Your Desired Directories

The first step is discovery, finding all the directories you would like your business to be listed on. Here are a few search prompts to get you started – 

• “[your area] directories
• “[your niche] directories
• “Local directories”
• “National directories” 

These Google search prompts should help you find a good amount of directories to get listed on. 

Step 2: Submit Business Information

Submit your business’s NAP to all the directories you found, and wait for them to be accepted. 

Just a heads up, some directories will charge you to be listed, so make sure you look before getting listed!

Step 3: Monitor Citations

Great, you have all your citations! Now it’s time to make a note of the date you published them as citations usually only last for a year. This way you can stay on top of your citations and update them when needed. 

You can also use a citation service like localcitationservices.com to help you get more citations for your business. I personally use this as it helps avoid the headache of outreach and monitoring, but you make your own decision! 

Best Local Citation Sources for Small Businesses

Here is a list of the top 50 citation courses for small businesses from BrightLocal. These include all the top sources such as Google, Apple, and Bing, which are all free to get listed! 

Don’t forget that your online review platforms can also help you get citations as well. TrustPilot and Google reviews can act as great citation generators, especially if your customers post about you over social media. 

Common Mistakes to Avoid When Building Local Citations

Here are some common mistakes people make when building local citations – 

• Inconsistent NAP information – Changing your NAP information per listing. 
• Using duplicate or incorrect business listings
• Ignoring negative reviews on citation sites – Always make sure you respond to negative reviews, otherwise your business could look suspicious. 
• Not updating listings after your business NAP changes – Monitor your listings and update them when your listing time runs out. 

How to Track and Manage Local Citations

Tracking and managing your local citations is not that difficult. It requires you to make a note of the directory you are listed on and the date which you got listed. Once that date runs out, you can then re-apply and get listed again! 

A great way to keep track of your citation listings is to set alerts on your laptop, just as you would with any other important event. You can also use online tools to assist you such as BrightLocal. 

Conclusion

Building local citations is a powerful strategy to improve local SEO and drive more customers to your business. By ensuring NAP consistency, listing on trusted directories, and avoiding common mistakes, you’ll set your business up for long-term local search success!