For many years, citation building has remained a trusted SEO strategy. Agencies leverage comprehensive listing management services to demonstrate their business clients’ authority and relevance, leading to increased search visibility. But with much of the SEO community focused on the next new trends, proven techniques like citation building can fall out of favor. Let’s examine why citations still matter for local presence.
What Are Citations?
Local citations are mentions of a business’ details on directories, review sites, blogs and other platforms. The core business details included in a listing are the name, address and phone number (NAP), but plenty of additional information could be included.
Citations included on directories, mapping platforms and similar sites are called structured citations, while references to a business in an article are called unstructured citations.
How Do Citations Work?
Google and other search engines use citations as a factor to determine search rankings. If a business has a high volume of quality, relevant citations, this validates the organization and increases its perceived trust.
How much do citations matter for SEO? As you may know, this subject is widely debated in the world of SEO. And while some people feel citations are less influential than they once were, the consensus is that they still offer significant value.
For example, Whitespark’s Local Search Ranking Factors 2023 survey included citation signals as one of the seven most important factors in both the local pack and local organic ranking factors. Crucially, how you approach citations will determine how much weight Google attributes to these mentions.
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