A local citation is any online mention of the your local business details like name, address, and phone number (NAP). These citations are posted on local business directories, on websites and apps, and on social platforms. Because of this mentions Internet users get the help to discover local businesses and can also impact local search engine rankings. Local businesses can actively manage many citations to ensure data accuracy.
Local citation contains following components,
- Business categories
- Hours of operation
- Driving directions
- Business description
- Images
- Videos
- Payment forms accepted
- Geo-coordinates
- Reviews
- Owner responses
- Taglines
- Links to social and other forms of media
- Email addresses
- Fax numbers
- Alternate phone numbers
- Attributes
Citation are categories as, Structured Citations (A structured citation is your business information (NAP) on a business listing directory.) and Unstructured Citations(unstructured citation is your business information (NAP) on any other site that’s not specifically a business listing directory.)
Citations help search engines, like Google and Bing to verify that your business exists. When multiple sources have the same information about your business, it signals to search engines that your business is legitimate.
