Citations: The Local SEO Foundation You Can’t Skip
In local SEO, a citation is any online mention of your business’s name, address, and phone number (NAP). Citations appear in business directories, social platforms, industry websites, and review sites. They’re one of the primary ways Google verifies that your business is real, legitimate, and located where you claim.
How Citations Impact Google Maps Rankings
Google cross-references your GBP information with citations across the web to validate your business’s existence and location. The more consistent, high-quality citations you have, the more confident Google is in your business — and the higher it ranks you. Think of citations as votes for your local credibility.
The Most Important Citation Sources
Not all citations are created equal. The highest-value citation sources for Texas businesses include: Google Business Profile itself, Yelp, Facebook, Bing Places, Apple Maps, Yellow Pages, BBB (Better Business Bureau), Angi (formerly Angie’s List), and industry-specific directories. Each of these carries significant authority in Google’s eyes.
What Is a Citation Campaign?
A citation campaign is a systematic effort to build and clean up business citations across the web. This involves: auditing existing citations for accuracy, correcting NAP inconsistencies, submitting to new high-authority directories, monitoring for new duplicate or incorrect listings, and maintaining citation quality over time.
How Many Citations Do You Need?
The ideal number of citations depends on your competition. If your top-ranked competitor has citations on 100 directories, you need to match or exceed that number with equal or better NAP consistency. MultiGen performs competitive citation analysis to identify exactly what’s needed to outrank your competition.
MultiGen Online Marketing builds and manages citation campaigns for Texas businesses. Call (800) 203-8979 to start your citation campaign today.
