Module 7

What Are Citations?

Citations are mentions of your business name, address, and phone number on other websites. They're one of the foundations of local SEO, helping Google verify your business is legitimate and understand where you're located.

What Are Citations?

What to do

Understand what citations are and why they matter for local search.

Step by step

  1. A citation is any online mention of your business NAP. NAP stands for Name, Address, Phone number — the core details that identify your business.
  2. Citations appear on directories and other websites. Yell.com, Thomson Local, Yelp, industry directories, local chambers of commerce, supplier websites — anywhere your business details appear.
  3. Citations don't need to link to you. Unlike backlinks, citations count even if there's no clickable link to your website. The mention itself matters.
  4. Google uses citations to verify your business. When Google sees consistent business information across multiple trusted websites, it gains confidence that your business is real and located where you say.
  5. Consistency is crucial. Your NAP should be identical everywhere. "123 High Street" on one site and "123 High St" on another creates confusion. Even small inconsistencies can reduce citation value.
How citations affect local rankings

Citations are considered one of the top local ranking factors. Google's algorithm looks at citation quantity (how many you have), quality (how authoritative the sites are), and consistency (how well your NAP matches across sites). Inconsistent citations can actively hurt your rankings by confusing Google about your correct information. Local SEO experts typically rank citations among the top 5 most important factors for local pack rankings.

Google's official guidelines

Types of Citations

What to do

Know the different types of citations and which ones matter most.

Step by step

  1. Structured citations: These are formal business listings on directories — Yell, Yelp, Thomson Local, Cylex, etc. They have dedicated fields for NAP information.
  2. Unstructured citations: Mentions of your business in blog posts, news articles, press releases, or other content. Less formal but still valuable.
  3. Industry-specific directories: Directories for your specific trade — Checkatrade, MyBuilder, TrustATrader for tradespeople; Treatwell for salons; OpenTable for restaurants.
  4. Local citations: Local business directories, chamber of commerce listings, local newspaper business sections, community websites.
  5. Data aggregators: Companies like Infogroup, Acxiom, and Factual supply business data to many other sites. Getting listed with these spreads your information widely.

Examples by industry

Key citations: Checkatrade, MyBuilder, TrustATrader, Which? Trusted Traders, local trade associations, Gas Safe Register (if applicable), Yell, Thomson Local.
Key citations: TripAdvisor, Yelp, OpenTable (if taking reservations), local food blogs, Time Out or local listings, tourism websites, Yell.
Key citations: NHS Choices (if NHS), dental association directories, CQC listing, private healthcare directories, local health listings, Yell.
Key citations: Law Society Find a Solicitor, SRA (Solicitors Regulation Authority), legal directories like Chambers, local law society, Yell.

The Importance of NAP Consistency

What to do

Understand why consistency matters and what counts as inconsistent.

Step by step

  1. Use exactly the same business name everywhere. "Smith's Plumbing" should not appear as "Smiths Plumbing" or "Smith's Plumbing Services" on other sites.
  2. Use exactly the same address format. Decide on your format ("123 High Street" vs "123 High St") and use it everywhere. Include or exclude suite numbers consistently.
  3. Use the same phone number. Pick one main number and use it for all citations. Don't use your mobile on some and landline on others.
  4. Match your Google Business Profile exactly. Whatever NAP you have on GBP should be mirrored precisely everywhere else.
  5. Small differences matter. "Road" vs "Rd", "Street" vs "St", including or omitting "Ltd" — these small variations can reduce citation consistency scores.

Citation Quality vs Quantity

What to do

Focus on the right citations rather than just getting as many as possible.

Step by step

  1. Quality matters more than quantity. 20 citations on authoritative, relevant directories beats 200 on spammy, low-quality sites.
  2. Prioritise relevant directories. Industry-specific directories often carry more weight than generic ones for your particular searches.
  3. Authoritative sites help more. Yell, Thomson Local, Yelp, and established industry directories are more valuable than random free listing sites.
  4. Local directories matter. Your local chamber of commerce, local newspaper listings, and community directories establish local relevance.
  5. Avoid spammy directories. Some directories exist purely for link building and have no real traffic. These have minimal value and can occasionally cause problems.

Citation basics understood: