Local SEO Fundamentals
Citations are mentions of your business across the web.
Name, address, phone, website. Listed somewhere other than your own site.
The definition
Every directory, profile, and listing that names your business is a citation.
Yelp, Bing, Apple Maps, Angi, BBB, your chamber of commerce, industry directories. Each one is a vote that says “this business is real, here is where to find them.”
Why Google cares
Google can’t verify you in person. It verifies you by cross-referencing what the rest of the internet says.
If 80 different sites list your exact name, address, and phone the same way, Google treats you as real and active. If your details disagree across sites, Google quietly demotes you.
Where they live
The citations that matter most.
- 01
Core data aggregators
Data Axle, Foursquare, Localeze. They feed hundreds of smaller directories downstream.
- 02
The big platforms
Yelp, Bing Places, Apple Maps, Facebook. High-traffic, high-trust.
- 03
Industry directories
Angi, HomeAdvisor, Thumbtack, Houzz. Category-specific authority.
- 04
Local sources
Chamber of commerce, BBB, local news, community sites. Hyper-local trust signals.
The bottom line
Citations don’t rank you on their own. They unlock the rest of your SEO.
Skip them and your map pack ceiling stays low no matter how good the rest of your work is.