What is Local Citation in SEO?

A local citation is mainly any online mention of the name, address, and phone number for a local business. Citations can also occur on local business directories, on websites and apps, and social platforms. Citations basically help Internet users to discover local businesses online. It can also impact local search engine rankings. Local businesses can always actively manage many citations to ensure data accuracy.

An example of a citation could be a business directory such as Yell, Thompson Local or Brown Book where your company is mentioned explicitly by name. Local citations mainly do not to include a link to your site. It could always be where your company is mentioned, cited, referenced or spoken about on other local websites.

What do they do?

It is always seen that citations are used to help rank your Google+ Local map listing by mainly providing Google with credible sources of information about your business so that Google can understand that your business exists, is legitimate and that what you say about your business is true and accurate, by allowing Google to corroborate what is said about your business from multiple sources.

So, here we see local search results, characterized by the balloon icons and the address or location of the business appearing next to the listing.

SEO specialist Adelaide explains how Local Citation works and how they can help?

Google always tries to find your company information on other local websites and citation directories, it can also be very confident that your business operates its services in these locations, and ensures that Google will more likely display your business listing when a person performs a search for the types of products or services you provide.

For you to take advantage of local citations, it is always essential that you already have a Google+ Local Business Page setup, claimed and optimised.

In traditional organic SEO Agency in Adelaide, Google largely looks at, counts and credits hyperlink from one website to another website to rank a website in the Google search results. Acquiring more relevant links, in theory, will also improve an already ranking website further ahead.

In regards to localised SEO specialist Adelaide mentions (Local Citations) as well as text hyperlinks help to rank a Google+ Local map listing in the search results, acquiring more of these citations will help you to improve the position of an already established Google+ Local Business or to outrank your competitors in the Google map packs.

What are the different sorts of citations?

·         General business directories

·         Always industry, niche or sector-specific directories (Trip Advisor)

·         Local newspaper and press websites

·         Always prominent local websites (particularly if they’re related to your business niche)

·         Social Profiles (Twitter, Foursquare, Facebook, YouTube)

What makes a great local citation?

A great local citation mainly needs to be seen as credible and trustworthy by both people and Google. So, this is why established brands such as the Yellow Pages (Yell) or Thompson Local are great places to start as well as their primary purpose being to provide other people with a list of local businesses.

It’s always important that when creating or claiming a business directory style citation that you also fill out 3 pieces of crucial information.

1.      Company name (This should ideally be your branded trading name)

2.      A local telephone number with a local area code

3.      The physical address of your business

Let’s take an example If a local newspaper is covering a story regarding your business they are more unlikely to ever display your company address or telephone number, in these instances it is mainly enough to more simply have your company referenced by name for your listing to receive the value.

The information above mainly applies to correctly create and fill out both the general and industry-specific directories.

So how do we win the citation game?

To win the local citation game you always need more citations than your competitor.

Whilst total numbers are important, so is the quality and accuracy of the information you enter. So, the more complete your general and niche citations are the more value they will create towards ranking your Google+ Local listing and improving your visibility and presence on the web overall.

Whilst business listing citations are mainly easy to obtain, the more difficult ones come from local or niche websites or local newspapers. You’ve got to have something newsworthy for them to talk about and you have to get their attention in the first place.

What’s the catch?

The process of creating local citations can also be both times consuming and tedious to do, and you ideally need to have an overall marketing strategy in place to mainly get the attention of press journalists and newspapers.

However, if you’re having a local business that would hugely benefit from a local listing within the Google 7 pack then it’s something you want to get a handle on. Alternatively, if you mainly have the budget, you can outsource this work.

Considerations

Remember Local SEO Adelaide only helps to improve where your listing appears within the Google Maps Pack.

If your business operates in a particular niche or obscure area that you cannot suitably describe using a broad or general category then there may not be any point in mainly investing in a Local SEO campaign to get you appearing in the Google Map Pack.

The maps are always triggered by specific keywords, and these keywords heavily favour local businesses or services.

For example Estate Agents, Car Dealerships, Butchers, Cobblers, Car Garages, Driving Instructors and Schools.

It’s always important to understand that it is only specific phrases that trigger the maps to show in the results. If we perform a search for “Baker” the maps do not appear, however, if we search for “Bakery” then the map listings are then displayed. To know more, visit Internationalmediahouse.com