The Essential Guide to Business Citations for SEO

For many years, citation building has remained a trusted SEO strategy. Agencies leverage comprehensive listing management services to demonstrate their business clients’ authority and relevance, leading to increased search visibility. But with much of the SEO community focused on the next new trends, proven techniques like citation building can fall out of favor. Let’s examine why citations still matter for local presence.

What Are Citations?

Local citations are mentions of a business’ details on directories, review sites, blogs and other platforms. The core business details included in a listing are the name, address and phone number (NAP), but plenty of additional information could be included.

Citations included on directories, mapping platforms and similar sites are called structured citations, while references to a business in an article are called unstructured citations.

How Do Citations Work?

Google and other search engines use citations as a factor to determine search rankings. If a business has a high volume of quality, relevant citations, this validates the organization and increases its perceived trust.

How much do citations matter for SEO? As you may know, this subject is widely debated in the world of SEO. And while some people feel citations are less influential than they once were, the consensus is that they still offer significant value.

For example, Whitespark’s Local Search Ranking Factors 2023 survey included citation signals as one of the seven most important factors in both the local pack and local organic ranking factors. Crucially, how you approach citations will determine how much weight Google attributes to these mentions.

The Advice Local Approach to Listing Management

As we recently discussed, all directories are not created equal. The days of amassing links from low-quality directories are long gone, and such listings will only harm your clients’ search visibility. Today, quality and consistency must drive your approach to citation building.

In terms of quality, this means using listing platforms that have been heavily researched and that maintain the highest standards. And for consistency, business data must be the same across all sites, as discrepancies absolutely weaken trust levels with Google.

At Advice Local, we help agencies maintain the highest standards of citations, and we do this through our Data Amplifier Network. Our network of listing sites includes leading data aggregators like Foursquare, major search platforms like Google and Yelp, premier directories like YP, voice search providers like Alexa, niche-specific vertical directories and the leading GPS mapping platforms.

We enable agencies to claim and create a network of business listings and modify them from a single platform in real time. And with BrightLocal reporting that 62% of consumers would avoid a business if they found incorrect information, this ability to make fast changes shouldn’t be underestimated.

Why Citation Building Helps Businesses Increase Search Visibility

A Backlinko SEO study found that the first position in Google has an average of 3.8 times more backlinks than positions 2 to 10. Of course, backlinks are essential for SEO, but they must have authority and relevance to offer value.

Working with the trusted partner sites in our Data Amplifier Network will ensure that a business develops a strong backlink profile without sacrificing quality. And if business data changes, real-time updates deliver quickly to prevent a loss of trust.

Premier Citation Building and Listing Management Services for Agencies

Advice Local provides the leading listing management and local presence solutions for agencies and local marketers. For the easiest way to build and manage citations, try our business listings management dashboard today. Call (214) 310-1356 or request a demo now.