During the first part of our top 20 citation resources for local SEO, we went over the basics of business listings online and how you can go about generating better citations for your business. In this segment, we will be looking at the technical side of local citations so you can see the method behind the madness. As boring as this information may seem, knowing it will make you better equipped for building quality citations in the future.
How Long Do Local Citations Take To Update?
The time it takes for your local listings to go live will depend on where you submit your information and how you submit your information. Updating or adding your business citation manually to each site will be the fastest process, but it will also take the most time for you to complete. Your information may be live within 48 hours, or it may take weeks to full update and get indexed with search engines.
This guide will explain how fast you should be able to expect your citations to update:
- Speed of Data Updates at Major Local Search Engines – Includes information about when the information first appears on the web, when it is included in Google search index, and when it is included in the Google+ local cluster.
How Do Citation Sites Find My Business?
Curious as to how your business data got so far-spread in the first place? The process is actually pretty complicated. There is a large network of sites out there that all share information with one another, and they all work together to put your information on display. You don’t necessarily need to know every step in this process, but it would be wise of you to have a brief understanding of the process.
Here are some guides that show how websites gather business citations:
- A Closer Look At The Local Search Data Providers – Offers a simple explanation of the local search ecosystem.
- The 2013 Local Search Ecosystems (and a GetListed Upgrade) – Includes helpful illustrations to indicate just how complex the local search ecosystem really is.
Again, you do not have to know about the exact science behind this process. We simply want to provide you with the tools necessary to get a grasp of what is going on. This will help you better understand how local citations will help your business online so you can make the right adjustments to them in the future.
