What Is Local Citation And How To Build It To Improve Your SEO Ranking

In online advertising, marketers need to use every marketing tactic for business growth. And one of the tactics that you can leverage is building your business’s local citation.

Local citation helps in getting your business info listed on local listing websites. They help Google to know your business location and what it does, making it easier for your customer to connect with you. Further, with Local citation, your business generates leads and increases its customer base.

Which in turn improves your bottom line.

What is Citation? And how do they impact your business?

Simply put, citation means any online references and mention of your business.

With local citation means any mention of your business name, address, and contact info about your local business in any local business directories, social media platforms, or websites.

You can add many details related to your business in the local citation. But primarily, you should add essential information, that is, your business name, address, and phone number (NAP).

Other details you can include are your business operating hours, website, map location, etc.

Google recommends adding as much accurate and relevant information online. It makes it easier for your customers to know about your business, and to reach out to you.

And do not forget to optimize your Local Citation.

How to Check Your Local Citation:

There are two ways through which you can check your local citation.

1. Doing it Manually:

When doing manual checking, you should work smart, not hard. As there are over hundreds of local citation websites, rather than focusing on all, you should focus on a few that will help your business get found out. It includes Facebook, Google My Business profile (optimize it), and some major local citation platforms. Like, Yelp, Local Yahoo, yellow pages, etc.

2. Automated check:

For automated checking, many paid tools are available online that will help you do automated checking. All you have to do is to enter information about your business, and it’s done.

As these tools are costly. I would recommend that you should do research online. Understand their features to make the right and informed decision.

Why are Local Citations important for Your SEO Ranking?

79% of business says that by optimizing their Local SEO, they have noticed an improvement in their business online reach. And one thing that plays a big part in local SEO is building up a business citation.

As Local citation can significantly influence and improve your business’s online ranking. I suggest you combine it with other marketing methods for better results.

Along with Listing, local citation businesses can benefit from content marketing and social media marketing to build an online presence.

And here are some benefits that you will have with Local Citation:

• Improve your Local Ranking: By building your local citations, you can impact your Local SEO. This will helps you in business ranking.
• Improving traffic to your site: With improving online business ranking, you could see a boost in your website visitors. As your business appears on the top of the search or in a citation where you have included your website link, it automatically increases high intent traffic.
• Creating Brand Awareness: With improved ranking, your business will have improved brand awareness too. Local directories can help customers know about your business.
• Exposure to different customer bases: Online directories help you to connect with those clients and customers that are generally not your customer base. They prefer going to that website as it allows them to filter based on their need and requirement.
• Automatically Rank On the first page: Generally, online business directories appear on the first page when someone conducts a business query. It means that your website will appear on the first page automatically. Optimizing your profile to rank higher or even running paid ads on those websites will boost your business.

3 Strategies Which Can Help You Build Local Citation:

These three strategies will help your business in building local citations online. But remember that benefiting from online Local Citation takes time.

All you can do is be consistent with your approach.

1. Adding your Business To Local Directories:

If you are starting with building local citations, first make a presence in local directories. It will help you generate business leads and improve your SEO ranking. And do not make the mistake of not optimizing your local directories citation. Optimize it by making it fresh and updated.

2. Adding your business to social media:

Businesses could use social media not only to spark conversation with their customer but also to cite their local business online. Similar to local directories many business owners are not optimizing and marketing their business social media accounts properly. As you create your business’s social media accounts, do consider optimizing them also and making sure that you add accurate information online.

3. Review Sites:

There are many sites online to leave a review. It can help you to increase your business ranking and credibility. Do monitor them and see if your added business information is accurate there.

With that, also encourage your customer to leave you a positive review online. They work as user-generated content (UGC), and I have already discussed here the benefits of creating UGC.

Conclusion:

Neglecting Local citations could be the biggest mistake your business can make. By being active and optimizing your local citation profiles you can start seeing positive growth in your SEO ranking. You should combine it with other marketing strategies such as your Google My Business Profile, Social media marketing, and content marketing.