Building your search engine optimization can boost your online visibility and establish a long-term solution to herding search engine users to your website. For local businesses, it’s vital to establish SEO in the regional community. A great place to start is by understanding what local SEO citations are.
The Basics of Local SEO Citations
A local SEO citation is any mention of the name, address, phone number, and website of a company on the internet. Many people also call this the NAP (name, address, phone number). Often, online directories list the NAPs for many businesses. Even if the business owner does not actively record their information on digital directories, the information may still end up there.
It is vital to monitor the online listings for your business to remain aware and involved in them.
Accuracy Matters
The accuracy of the local SEO citations for your business across the internet is critical to your website’s local SEO. Google and other search engines check on all the citations for businesses across the web. If search engines find discrepancies in online directories, that can create confusion and negatively affect rankings.
Accuracy also matters because potential customers who find inaccurate information online will have trouble locating or contacting your company.
Getting Involved
Getting involved with your online citations can make a difference in your local SEO. For example, if a newer company lacks published citations online, the owner will need to be intentional about gaining reputable and accurate citations. Here are a few techniques for increasing accurate local citations:
- Reach out to local website owners, and ask them to cite your website on theirs.
- Contact your local chamber of commerce, and ask them to list your NAP on their website.
- Get involved in the community and local events to gain organic citations.
- Join business or industry directories.
How a Local SEO Agency Can Help
Monitoring your local SEO citations is a big job. An agency specializing in local search engine optimization can be a huge asset for your company. Local SEO companies understand how citations work and advise on best practices for rising in the rankings and keeping your listing in Google’s local Map Pack up to date.
Here at Logical Position, we understand the difference between the needs of a national brand and a local business. We strongly cater to what our valued local clients need and love to help build small businesses. Contact us today for a free consultation on our local SEO services.
