Chapter 7: Local Citations & Online Directories
📖 Draft Preview from The Ultimate Beginner’s Guide to Local SEO. Sign up below to be notified at launch and get your copy.
📑 Chapter 7 — Table of Contents
- 7.1 What Are Local Citations?
- 7.2 Types of Citations
- 7.3 Why Citations Matter for Local SEO
- 7.4 Where to Build Citations
- 7.5 Best Practices for Building Citations
- 7.6 Advanced Citation Strategies
- 7.7 Common Citation Mistakes to Avoid
- 7.8 Action Checklist
📌 7.1 What Are Local Citations?
A local citation is any online mention of your business’s Name, Address, and Phone number (NAP). They often include your website, category, hours, or reviews. Example: “Eko Pizza, 123 Broad St, Lagos, +234-812-345-6789.”
📂 7.2 Types of Citations
- Structured Citations: Directories like Google Business Profile, Yelp, Bing Places, Apple Maps, Facebook.
- Unstructured Citations: Mentions in blogs, news, event pages, press releases.
📈 7.3 Why Citations Matter for Local SEO
- Authority & Trust: Consistency reassures Google your business is real.
- Increased Visibility: More listings = more discovery.
- Ranking Boost: Citations are a local pack ranking factor.
- Referral Traffic: Directories like Yelp & TripAdvisor send customers.
🌍 7.4 Where to Build Citations
Focus on these sources:
- Core Platforms: Google Business Profile, Bing Places, Apple Maps, Facebook
- Major Directories: Yelp, Yellow Pages, Foursquare, BBB
- Industry-Specific: ZocDoc (healthcare), Avvo (legal), TripAdvisor (travel), Houzz (home improvement)
- Local Directories: Chamber of Commerce, local news, VConnect (Nigeria)
✅ 7.5 Best Practices for Building Citations
- Maintain NAP consistency (see Chapter 6).
- Start with core listings first.
- Expand to niche & local directories.
- Use tools like BrightLocal, Moz Local, Whitespark.
- Monitor and clean duplicates.
🚀 7.6 Advanced Citation Strategies
- Data Aggregators: Neustar, Data Axle feed hundreds of directories.
- Earn Unstructured Citations: Sponsorships, PR, guest posts.
- Leverage Social Media: Facebook check-ins & Instagram location tags act as citations.
⚠️ 7.7 Common Citation Mistakes to Avoid
- ❌ Inconsistent NAP across platforms.
- ❌ Using tracking phone numbers incorrectly.
- ❌ Fake listings in areas not served.
- ❌ Ignoring duplicates.
- ❌ Not updating after a move.
📋 7.8 Action Checklist
- Audit your current citations.
- Fix inconsistencies & duplicates.
- Start with GBP, Bing, Apple Maps, Facebook.
- Add industry & local directories.
- Monitor citations using tools.
- Earn unstructured mentions with PR & partnerships.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.