A local citation is any online mention of a business's name, address, and phone number (NAP) on a website, directory, app, or platform outside of the business's own website. Citations help search engines verify that a business exists and confirm its location details.
What are common citation sources?
Citations appear on many types of platforms:
- General directories -- Yelp, Yellow Pages, Better Business Bureau
- Industry-specific directories -- Healthgrades (healthcare), Avvo (legal), TripAdvisor (hospitality)
- Social media profiles -- Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram
- Data aggregators -- Foursquare, Data.com, Localeze
- Local and regional directories -- Chamber of Commerce websites, city business directories
- Apps and mapping services -- Apple Maps, Waze, Bing Places
Why do citations matter for local SEO?
Google uses citations as a trust signal. When your business name, address, and phone number appear consistently across many reputable sources, it reinforces your legitimacy and helps Google confirm your location. This contributes to your prominence score, one of the three main Local Pack ranking factors.
Inconsistent citations (different addresses, old phone numbers, misspelled names) can hurt your rankings and confuse potential customers.
Structured vs. unstructured citations
- Structured citations are listings on business directories where the NAP is entered into specific fields (name field, address field, phone field)
- Unstructured citations are mentions of your business in blog posts, news articles, or other web content where the NAP appears in running text
Both types contribute to local SEO, though structured citations on well-known directories carry more weight.