Local Citation Building: Definition and How to Build It

What Is Local Citation?

A local citation is information about a business that is listed online in local business directories in a particular area. 

Local citation usually consists of basic information, such as business name, store address, website URL, phone number, and so on. 

Since such information is often included on online directories, local citation can also be referred to as local SEO citation, local listing, or listing.

Although name, address, and phone number (NAP) are the minimum required information, many businesses also add supporting information, such as business category, rating, reviews, photos, and business description. 

Types of Local Citation

You should know that local citations can be categorized into two types, there are structured and unstructured. Structured citations provide the business's name, address, and phone number (NAP), typically found in directory listings and social media profiles.

On the other hand, an unstructured citation is a contextualized mention of a business across various platforms, such as forums, press releases, blog articles, and so on. 

Purpose of Local Citation

The purpose of creating a local citation on a business is so that users and search engines can find and recognize your business. 

In addition, anyone can add local citation information not just the business owner. The information can come from anywhere, such as blog articles and media that mention your business.

Local citation is also one of the local SEO optimization strategies so that search engines can identify the authenticity of a business. 

However, if the information on local citations is not actively managed, the data provided may be inconsistent or outdated so potential customers are confused and SEO strategies can be affected.

That's why as a business owner who wants to target a specific area, understanding local citation building is important. 

What Is Local Citation SEO?

Local citation building is the activity of distributing and managing business information on the Internet. This practice is also often referred to as listing management. 

In doing local SEO citations, there are several activities that you need to do, including:

• Identify all existing citations on the website. 
• Claim your local business listing to gain control over it. 
• Create new business listings in important online directories. 
• Update outdated, irrelevant, or incorrect information on the website and in citations. 
• Remove duplicate or fake listings. 
• Add new information.

In this case, you can do everything by yourself or use a listing management service. 

Why Is the Local Citation Building Important?

When people in a certain area search for local businesses, local citation can help search engines like Google to serve the most relevant search results. 

So, how can Google do this? The presence of Google Business Profile, official website, Google Maps, business directories, third-party sources, and user content can help search engines learn about your business. 

The more consistently your business information appears on these sources, the more trustworthy your business will appear and accordingly affect local rankings in search results. 

In addition, local citation building also provides several benefits for your business, including:

• Increase Online Visibility: Listing your business in various local directories can make your business appear in search results, making it easy for potential customers to find. 
• Increase Traffic: Since customers can easily access your business, they can make contact or visit your website, resulting in increased traffic and conversions. 
• Support Credibility: With valid business information and your business appearing frequently on various platforms, your business credibility will increase so that customers can be more confident in choosing your brand. 
• Reach a Wider Audience: While local citation is used specifically for local businesses, you can still reach a larger audience by listing your business in various business directories. 

How to Build Local Citations

Knowing how to do local citation building can help your local business get recognized by potential customers. Here are some ways how to build local citations that you can apply:

1. Register Your Business to Relevant Directories

The first way to do local citation building is to register your business with relevant directories. Previously, you needed to find directories that match your industry. 

If you have a lodging business, then you can register your business to directories such as TripAdvisor.

2. Enter Valid and Consistent Data

As explained earlier, valid and consistent information can help your audience find your business easily. 

That's why you need to enter constant information on all directories where you list your business. If you make information updates on the official website, then don't forget to apply them to other directories as well.

3. Validate Business Information

The next local citation strategy is to validate business information. To ensure the validity of a business, some directories require you to verify the data. Therefore, you need to verify the data until the end so that your business can appear on the directory site. 

4. Use Unstructured Citation

As explained earlier, unstructured citation is a citation that usually appears in reviews, blog articles, or writings in the media. 

Appearing on other people's posts can increase your visibility, but doing so isn't easy. Your business needs to really stand out so that someone feels the need for them to spread the word about your business. 

Some posts are usually accompanied by backlinks, although not all of them are. Getting backlinks from high-authority domains can affect your business authority as well as your ranking in search results. 

5. Keep Your Account Active

The last way to do local citation building is to keep your account active by updating information, adding information, and responding to customer reviews.

Interacting can strengthen relationships with customers so they can be more confident in your business. Indeed, this will improve your business' reputation online.