What Are Local Citations? Learn Local SEO

Updated by Chima Mmeje — November 18, 2024.

A local citation is any online mention of partial or complete name, address, and phone number of a local business - also called NAP data. Citations can occur on local business directories, on websites and apps, and on social platforms. Citations help people to discover local businesses and can also impact local search engine rankings. Specifically, having high quality basic citations can help you rank accurately on Google’s local search interfaces. Local businesses can actively manage many citations to ensure data accuracy and maintain consistent business information.

Quick Links

• Checking Your Local Citations
• Types of Local Citations

Local citations offer numerous benefits for local businesses, including:

• Improved Local Search Engine Rankings: Consistent and accurate local citations can help increase a business’s visibility in local search results, driving more traffic and customers to the business.
• Increased Online Visibility: Local citations can help businesses get listed on multiple websites and directories, increasing their online presence and reach.
• Enhanced Credibility and Trust: Accurate and consistent local citations can help establish a business’s credibility and trustworthiness, making it more attractive to potential customers.
• Better Customer Experience: Local citations can provide customers with accurate and up-to-date information about a business, making it easier for them to find and engage with the business.

1. Manually

There are literally 100s of local citation sources you could check. Indeed, when doing a comprehensive manual audit of your citations, you could in theory check all the major citation sites by hand, which is part of the process of building citations.

In reality, there are only a few major data aggregators that you likely would want to check. These include big players like Facebook and Apple Maps. We’ve included a short list of where to get citations here

2. Automated local business directories checks

To make things easier, Moz offers a local listings tool for your business. You can check your local business listings across the web for both inclusions and accuracy using Moz Local’s Check Listing tool. These listings include the major data aggregators that most influence web results. Local SEO citations, which are crucial references that include your business name, address, and phone number online, play a significant role in improving local search rankings.

Mentions of your business online frequently appear without any action being taken directly by the business. Online citations can result from automated aggregation and the flow of data from local business data platforms. For example, data on a site like Data Axle can flow down to another site like YP.com. This reality of how the web works makes it especially important for local businesses to take control of the accuracy of their data, so that inaccurate data is discovered and corrected, preventing customer loss, revenue loss, and any negative impact on local search rankings. Local citation building is crucial in maintaining accurate business data across various platforms, which helps establish trust with search engines and enhances local search success.

Here is a list of the main types of local citations:

• Search Engines - Google, Bing, and Apple.

• Primary Data Aggregators - Core platforms include Foursquare, Data Axle, and Neustar/Localeze.

• Major Directories and Important Platforms - Key local business listings can also be built on popular social and review-oriented sites like Facebook and Yelp and more.

• Geo/Industry-Specific Platforms - In addition to building local business listings on the major local business data platforms that serve all industries, your company can seek to build listings on websites that are specific to its unique industry and geography. Examples of these platforms would include chamber of commerce websites or the websites of professional associations and guilds.

• Unstructured Citations - Supplementary citations can either be built or earned on a wide variety of publications, including blogs, news sites, apps, maps, government databases, and more. These aren’t specifically structured for the publication of local business listings but still act as a reference to your business. You can either intentionally develop these citations for your business, or simply earn them based on merit and public interest/sharing of information.

• Owned Properties - Your website is the most authoritative representation of your business data on the Internet.

All of the above types of citations can be developed via the use of automated software (like Moz Local), by filling out forms directly on local business platforms manually, or via other methods of PR/marketing to various platforms.

Building local citations is a crucial step in improving a business’s local SEO. Here are the steps to build local citations:

Step 1: Get listed with data aggregators

Data aggregators are companies that collect and distribute business data to various websites and directories. Getting listed with data aggregators is an essential step in building local citations. The three main data aggregators in the US are InfoGroup (Express Update), Neustar Localeze, and Factual. Claiming and managing business listings with these aggregators is free and can help distribute business data to hundreds of other websites.

Step 2: Submit to core sites

Core sites are websites that are essential for local businesses to get listed on. These sites include Google My Business, Yelp, Bing Places, and other relevant business directories. Submitting to core sites can help improve a business’s local search engine rankings and increase its online visibility.

Step 3: Pursue additional citations

In addition to getting listed with data aggregators and core sites, businesses should also pursue additional citations on relevant business directories, industry-specific websites, and local websites. This can include submitting to local business associations, Chamber of Commerce websites, and other relevant directories. Pursuing additional citations can help increase a business’s online presence and reach, driving more traffic and customers to the business.

By following these steps, businesses can build a strong foundation of local citations, improving their local SEO and increasing their online visibility.

• Where to Get Local Citations
• What are the Options for Active Citation Management?
• [Local SEO Cheat Sheet [Free Download]](LINK 11)
• Local SEO Certification - In this six-part Certification, you’ll receive nearly six hours of on-demand, instructor-led content, covering the fundamentals, local competitor research, location data management, reputation management, and measuring and tracking success.
• In Real Life: Local SEO Tactics - In this course, local business owners learn how to get the most out of their SEO strategy using skills and knowledge they already have.
• 4 Step Guide to Local SEO - In this quick video series, Moz Customer Success experts walk through important local marketing best practices and how to put them into action using Moz Local.
• The Essential Local SEO Strategy Guide - A comprehensive beginner’s guide to SEO marketing for small businesses.
• The Impact of Local Business Reviews on Consumer Behavior | SEO Industry Report - Our local business review survey outlines key takeaways regarding the impact of reviews on consumer behavior and local business success. Learn more about the fundamentally important inclusion of online local business reviews in any local SEO strategy.