LOCAL SEARCH

Citation

Any online mention of your business name, address, and phone number (NAP) on directories, websites, or social platforms.

Why It Matters for Your Business

Citations are one of the top ranking factors for local search. Every time your business appears on a trusted directory with accurate information, it sends a trust signal to Google: "This business is real, it's located here, and it's active."

For Florida businesses competing in local search, citations are especially powerful because they're one of the few ranking factors you can directly control without waiting for algorithm changes.

How It Works

Citations come in two forms, and both matter for local SEO:

How Does It Work?

Let's Breakdown The Process:

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1.Structured Citations
Formal listings on business directories like Yelp, BBB, Yellow Pages, Angi, Healthgrades, and Avvo. These follow a standard format with your NAP prominently displayed.
2.Unstructured Citations
Mentions of your business on blogs, news sites, event pages, or social media posts. Less formal but still valuable for building local authority.
3.Industry Citations
Niche directories specific to your trade: HomeAdvisor for contractors, Zocdoc for dentists, FindLaw for attorneys. These carry extra weight because they're contextually relevant.

Tip: Click the circle to mark items done.

A Titusville plumbing company that builds citations across general directories, local Brevard County business associations, and plumbing-specific sites creates a three-layered trust signal that's hard for competitors to match.

Common questions

FAQ

Tap a question to expand.

How many citations does my business need?

Quality beats quantity. Focus on the top 40-50 directories first: Google, Yelp, BBB, Facebook, Apple Maps, and industry-specific sites. A Brevard County business with 50 accurate citations outperforms one with 200 inconsistent ones.

What's the difference between structured and unstructured citations?

Structured citations are formal directory listings (Yelp, Yellow Pages). Unstructured citations are mentions on blogs, news articles, or social media. Both help, but structured citations carry more weight for local rankings.

Can bad citations hurt my rankings?

Yes. Inaccurate or duplicate citations confuse search engines. If Google finds three different phone numbers for your business, it loses confidence in your listing accuracy and may rank you lower.

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