Citation building

What is citation building?

Citation building is the process of creating and managing online mentions of your business across the web. A citation typically includes your business name, address, and phone number (NAP), though it may also contain your website URL, business hours, and description. These listings appear on business directories, review sites, social platforms, and industry-specific portals. Citation building establishes your business's digital footprint, providing search engines with consistent, verifiable information about your location and services, which helps them confidently display your business in local search results.

Why are citations important for local SEO?

Citations serve as trust signals to search engines, confirming your business exists and operates as claimed. When Google, Bing, or other search engines find consistent information about your business across multiple reputable websites, they gain confidence in your legitimacy and relevance to local searches. Citations directly influence your local search ranking factors, with businesses having accurate, abundant citations typically ranking higher in local search results. They also increase your visibility beyond search engines, as potential customers might discover your business directly through these directory listings, expanding your digital presence across the local search ecosystem.

What are the different types of citations?

Structured citations appear in business directories where your information is presented in a consistent, formatted manner. These include general directories like Google Business Profile, Yelp, and Yellow Pages, as well as industry-specific directories such as TripAdvisor for hospitality businesses or Healthgrades for medical practices. Unstructured citations occur when your business is mentioned naturally within content—like news articles, blog posts, government websites, or press releases—without following a specific format. For example, a local newspaper might mention "Smith's Hardware on Main Street" in an article about neighborhood businesses, creating an unstructured citation that still validates your existence to search engines.

How do you build citations effectively?

Start by ensuring your NAP information is accurate and consistent across all platforms. Research which directories matter most for your industry and location, prioritizing authoritative sites like Google Business Profile, Bing Places, Apple Maps, and Facebook. Create complete profiles on these primary platforms before expanding to industry-specific directories relevant to your business. When building citations, include enhanced content where possible—such as business descriptions, categories, hours, images, and customer-facing attributes. Maintain a spreadsheet tracking where you've created listings, including login credentials for future updates. Consider using citation building services to streamline the process for larger-scale campaigns, especially when targeting dozens of directories.

How do you audit and clean up existing citations?

Begin your citation audit by searching for your business name, phone number, and address in quotes to discover where your business is currently listed. Identify inconsistencies in your NAP information, such as old addresses, different phone numbers, or variations in your business name. Prioritize fixing high-authority sites first, as these often feed information to smaller directories. Contact directory customer service to update or remove incorrect listings you can't directly access. For directories where you have login access, update the information directly. Consider using citation monitoring tools that alert you to new or changed citations, helping maintain consistency over time. This ongoing maintenance prevents the confusion that outdated or contradictory business information causes for both search engines and potential customers.