{"id":3931,"date":"2014-11-07T04:00:30","date_gmt":"2014-11-07T10:00:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rocksdigital.com\/?p=3931"},"modified":"2026-02-04T11:28:56","modified_gmt":"2026-02-04T17:28:56","slug":"how-to-build-citations","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rocksdigital.com\/how-to-build-citations\/","title":{"rendered":"Dominate Google Local Search: How to Build Citations"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"DominateDo you\u00a0understand the importance of optimizing your Google My Business page and the factors Google considers to rank your page, including your location<\/a>, reviews and ratings<\/a>, and how to build\u00a0citations? If you\u2019re not clear about what I\u2019m talking about, go back and read the past few posts on these subjects. It\u2019ll help you understand how to get more customers in your local area.<\/p>\n

Okay, so I\u2019ve covered two out of the three factors. Let\u2019s talk about the 3rd factor Google considers to rank local search \u2013 citations.<\/p>\n

What Are Citations?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Citations are \u201cmentions\u201d of your business name, address and phone number (also referred to as NAP). Although a website will help your online presence, you don\u2019t need one to have your NAP mentioned.<\/p>\n

An example of a citation is when your business contact information is listed on Yelp. This \u201cmention\u201d of your business helps your rankings. The more directories that mention your business, the stronger your rankings will be.<\/p>\n

With all other factors being equal, a business with more citations will more than likely rank higher than a business with fewer citations.<\/p>\n

Also, citations that are either local or relevant in your industry have a greater impact with your ranking over citations that are less relevant to your business.<\/p>\n

How to Build Your Citations<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Here are some potential sources that will help you build your citations:<\/strong><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Data Aggregators \u2013 There are four primary data aggregators in the U.S. \u2013 Infogroup, Neustar, Acxiom, and Factual \u2013 that contain local business data and syndicate into most local search engines.<\/li>\n
  2. Local Search Engines \u2013 These are directories such as Yelp, Foursquare, Hotfrog.<\/li>\n
  3. Local Blogs \u2013 Blogs that mention your business info. You can find them if you search terms such as \u201c[your city] blog,\u201d \u201c[neighborhood] blog,\u201d or \u201c[school] blog\u201d.<\/li>\n
  4. Locally focused directories \u2013 Examples would be Yahoo\u2019s Regional Directory and the Best of the Web\u2019s Regional Directory. You can search for “[your city] directory” or “[your state] directory.”<\/li>\n
  5. Industry-focused Directories or Blogs \u2013 Websites that focus on topics and keywords related to your industry can help your rankings, even if they\u2019re not local. Search \u201c[your industry] directory \u201cor \u201c[your keyword] directory\u201d to get an idea of sites to get listed on.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Consistency Matters<\/span><\/p>\n

    Make sure your citations (those \u201cmentions\u201d of your business name, address and phone number) are accurate and consistent.<\/p>\n

    Why is this so important?<\/strong><\/p>\n