The Role Of Local Citations In SEO
According to top-rated Houston SEO experts, local citations are items that mention your company on the internet. It is a piece of information combining the company’s name, address, phone number, postal code, and website address. Citations in search engine optimization (SEO) are a core element to improve your ranking in local search engine results or local SEO. A local citation is available in different forms, including the following:
• Business name
• Business name and telephone number
• Business name, telephone number, and physical address
• Business name, telephone number, physical address, and website
• Business name and website
• Business telephone number
A full local citation should include the business name, the physical address, and the telephone number which is referred to as the “NAP.” Local citations do not always include all three of these items, and a citation that does not include all three items is known as a partial citation. You will hear Houston SEO consultants discuss an NAPW or a UNAP citation. Here the W refers to the company’s website, and the U refers to the company’s URL. The website link obtained from citations is valuable because it provides additional data to search engines; thereby, connecting the search engine to your company and allowing people to include it in the acronym. For assistance regarding your local search engine optimization and citations, contact the #1 Houston SEO Experts for help.
Types Of Local Citations
1. The Structured Citation
Structured citations include your company’s information (NAP) on a business listing directory. When you view lists of citation websites, these are almost always business listing directories where you are able to submit your company and receive a citation. Example websites for structured citations include the following:
• Yelp
• Facebook
• Yellowpages
• MapQuest
• Superpages
2. The Unstructured Citation
Typically, the unstructured citation is one where your company’s information (NAP) is found on websites that are not specifically business listing directories. For instance, you can discover unstructured citations on magazine or newspaper websites, blogs, wiki pages, and more like this.
Local Search Rankings & The Importance Of Citations
A citation can help search engines, such as Bing and Google, verify your company exists. When multiple reputable sources present with the same information about your company, it indicates to the search engines that your business is a legitimate one. By listing the company on prominent local and national websites, the company creates authority, establishes trust, and improves the ability to rank in local search engine results. Local ranking algorithms utilized by search engines regarding citations influence the local search rankings. For example, currently, local search specialists rate citation-related factors as influencing approximately 13% of the top 50 websites appearing in search engine results. The more websites on which your company information appears, the more prominent your business appears to search engines; it makes sense. If the algorithm sees the business information on many websites, as compared to those who appear on fewer websites, this will make you seem like a more popular company and offer you a boost in the rankings!
Houston SEO Executives
Providing a strong citation profile is one of the easiest means of optimizing for local SEO. Citations are considered part of the foundational basics for local search; thereby, by completing citations you can move along to other areas, such as engagement, link building, reputation management, and content creation. You should not need to worry about the citation profile again unless your information changes (such as moving locations, changing your telephone number, or altering your website domain). After reading this article, the most important key point to take with you is that business websites need local citations to improve their overall rankings on local search or local SEO. Houston SEO professionals are here to help you with your local SEO, all you have to do is call us today at (888) 439-4224. Visit our Houston SEO blog for more related content.
