Local citations are instances where your business name is mentioned on other web pages. They do not necessarily have to link to your website, even though they can play a major role in search engine optimization. Mentions of your business in yellow pages directories or chamber of commerce pages all fall into the realm of citations. If you can understand what citations are and how to use them effectively, you can do wonders for your local search results.
The top 20 citation resources in our three part series are here to help you get more familiar with how local citations work so you can put them to work for your business.
Why Are Citations Important To Local SEO?
Local citations serve a few different purposes. They act as an authoritative reference of your business somewhere on the web, which can get the attention of future clients and search engines alike. Google uses local citations to verify the validity of your business, which will help your local search ranking. This ultimately will lead to more traffic for your business. To learn more about the basics of local citations and how important they are to your business, check out these resources:
- Simple SEO Tip For Small Businesses: Local Citations – Goes over what a citation is, why citations are good, and how to get more citations for your business.
- What Is A Citation? Local SEO – Defines what citations do, how citations work, different types of local citations, what makes good local citations, and how to use citations the right way.
- Why Citations Are Important to the Success of Your Local Business – Analyzes the effects of citations on local search engine rankings.
- Expert Citation Survey – Shows what SEO experts have to say about the importance of local citations for businesses.
Where Can I Get Local Citations From?
There are many types of local citation sources out there, and most of them are completely free to use. By registering your business with these sources, you enhance the number of local citations that mention your business online. If you can manage to get a link to your website in these sources, that’s even better.
Most citation resources can be classified as one of the following:
- Local Directories
- General Directories
- Event Sites
- Social Platforms
- Local News Sites
- Blog Sites
- Niche Directories
While there are other forms of citations out there, these are the major ones that you will be dealing with. The resources below will help you find sources for local citations to drive your business traffic:
- The Definitive List Of Local Search Citations – Provides a comprehensive list of US citation sources, data-aggregators, industry-specific websites, events sites, ethnicity specific sites, UK citation sources, Canada citation sources, and Australia citation sources.
- The Best Local Citations By Category – Offers a list of local citation sources by business niche, like “bakeries,” “accounting,” or “travel agencies.”
- The Ultimate List Of 200+ Local SEO Citation Sources For USA – Lists citation sources for American websites, which can be organized by name, URL, or domain authority.
- Top 50 Local Citation Sites – US, UK, Canada & Australia – Looks at the most well-known and most used citation sources online.
