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Citation Building Guide

Citations are online mentions of your business name, address, and phone number (NAP). They serve as trust signals for search engines and help establish your business's local presence. This guide outlines the strategic approach to building citations effectively.

Citation Building Strategy​

Priority Tiers​

Tier 1: Core Directories (Complete First)

  • Google Business Profile (most important)
  • Bing Places for Business
  • Apple Maps
  • Facebook Business Page
  • Yelp
  • Better Business Bureau (BBB)

Tier 2: Industry-Specific Directories

  • Houzz (for remodeling/construction)
  • Angi (formerly Angie's List)
  • HomeAdvisor
  • Porch
  • Thumbtack
  • BuildZoom (for contractors)

Tier 3: Local Directories

  • Local Chamber of Commerce
  • City-specific directories
  • Regional business directories
  • Local newspaper business listings

Tier 4: General Citation Sites

  • Yellow Pages
  • Manta
  • Local.com
  • Superpages
  • Foursquare
  • Other general business directories

Citation Building Process​

  1. Start with Tier 1 - These are the most authoritative and widely used
  2. Move to Tier 2 - Industry-specific directories often have higher conversion rates
  3. Expand to Tier 3 - Local directories strengthen your local presence
  4. Fill in Tier 4 - General citations provide additional signals

Directory Submission Best Practices​

Complete Profile Information​

  • Full NAP - Use your established NAP standard exactly
  • Business description - Write unique, keyword-rich descriptions (avoid duplicate content)
  • Categories - Select all relevant categories
  • Hours of operation - Keep consistent across all platforms
  • Photos - Upload high-quality photos of your work
  • Services - List all services you offer
  • Website URL - Link to your primary website

Content Guidelines​

  • Unique descriptions - Don't copy-paste the same description everywhere
  • Keyword optimization - Include location and service keywords naturally
  • Brand consistency - Maintain consistent messaging and tone
  • Regular updates - Keep information current, especially hours and services

Using Citation Building Services​

For efficiency, consider using citation building services:

  • Whitespark Citation Building Service - Handles submissions to 50+ directories
  • BrightLocal - Citation building and tracking
  • Moz Local - Distributes to major data aggregators

When to use services:

  • When you need to build citations quickly
  • For Tier 4 general citation sites (less critical, more time-consuming)
  • When you want professional handling of submissions

When to do manually:

  • Tier 1 and Tier 2 directories (most important, worth personal attention)
  • Industry-specific directories (better understanding of your business)
  • Local directories (may require local knowledge or verification)

Tracking Citations​

Use the Listing Management Template to track:

  • Directory name and URL
  • Login credentials
  • Submission status
  • Live URL once published
  • Notes about any issues or special requirements

Citation Quality Over Quantity​

Focus on quality citations from:

  • Authoritative sites - High domain authority directories
  • Relevant directories - Industry-specific and local directories
  • Complete profiles - Fully filled out listings with photos and descriptions
  • Consistent NAP - Perfect consistency across all citations

Avoid:

  • Low-quality spam directories
  • Duplicate submissions
  • Incomplete profiles
  • Inconsistent information

Ongoing Citation Management​

  • Monitor for new citations - Search engines may create listings automatically
  • Claim unclaimed listings - Take ownership of any listings you find
  • Update regularly - Keep hours, services, and photos current
  • Respond to reviews - Engage with reviews on citation sites
  • Track performance - Monitor which directories drive traffic and leads

Common Mistakes to Avoid​

  1. Inconsistent NAP - The biggest mistake that hurts local SEO
  2. Incomplete profiles - Missing photos, descriptions, or categories
  3. Duplicate content - Using identical descriptions everywhere
  4. Ignoring industry directories - Missing out on qualified leads
  5. Set it and forget it - Not updating information regularly
  6. Spam directories - Submitting to low-quality sites that hurt more than help