Building Local Citations Visibility Factors v12.17
What is a Citation? ●
Any online reference to a business UNAP (url, name, address, phone)
●
A major ranking factor for search engines in evaluating websites
●
Show as Structured or Non-structured ○ Structured are represented as Top Tier directory listings that search engines use to reinforce business UNAP (Yelp, Foursquare, …) ○ Non-structured are found in Blog posts or native advertising that mention the business information.
How it Works...
●
● ● ●
Search engines index citations to validate a local business Data accuracy is extremely important Citation quality matters Vertical and Hyper-local listings further validate business data
Where to start...
â—?
â—?
Data Aggregators - These data providers take local business data and aggregate that data out to their network of directories. Local Directories - High Domain Authority, High Traffic directories that provide a positive influence on a business index value.
Additional Citations...
●
●
Review Sites - These sites allow users to post reviews about businesses. (Yelp, Google, Facebook, …) Social Media Platforms - This can provide ongoing engagement with clients, prospects and industry experts.
Additional Citations...
â—?
Vertical Citations - These are industry specific. Provides a quick reference for search engines to further verify the business is the type of business they claim to be.
Balance is the Key! ●
Submission to reputable, high-value sources
●
Consistency of UNAP throughout listings
●
Activity in Social and Reputation sites; engage in reviews
●
Submission to Local Map listings (Google Maps, Apple Maps, …)