Knowing about what are citations in SEO is crucial for an impactful strategy, particularly when you are aiming for a local SEO campaign. Search engines use citations to evaluate the accuracy and reliability of local businesses. Therefore, as a local business owner or SEO expert providing local SEO services, knowing all the ins and outs of citation is important.
Here in this blog, SEOSyrup will be your guide on what are citations in SEO, their types, how they help in search engine optimisation, and how to optimise it for the most effective results. So, let’s get started:
What Are Citations In SEO?
Citations mean referring to NAP – business name, address, and phone number on any third-party website. Your website’s NAP on any third-party website helps in verifying business existence and increases reliability and authenticity in the eyes of Google and similar engine crawlers.
Citations are quite beneficial as they leave an impactful impression and boost the online presence of local businesses in SERPs. An impactful presence on search engine result pages means you can attract more foot and online traffic to your business.
Furthermore, with the help of citations, you can enhance the business’s credibility and trustworthiness. It is because people these days search the internet for their queries, and when they find you on several listing sites, they are more likely to trust it.
Lastly, citations are also one of the types of backlinks (we all know credible backlinks mean high value in search engine algorithms). Therefore, every local SEO expert considers it an effective way to elevate a business’s digital presence.
Types Of Citations:
Knowing the types of citations is as important as knowing what a citation is. You can effectively amplify the rankings by using the appropriate type of citations.
Let’s have a look:
Structured Citations:
Structured citation means listing your business on renowned business directory websites like Yelp, Google My Business, or Bing Maps. On these listing sites, you will follow the basic format of filling out NAP with a small description of the business. Sometimes, you can also add further details like hours of operation or social platforms and website links. It can vary from one platform to another.
Unstructured Citations:
Unstructured citations are references to your business, but they do not follow the typical format of online directory websites. Still, they are linked to your site from another website. These citations may provide complete or partial information for your business, but businesses do not have control over it. For instance, your business details are mentioned on any other website, blog page, or newsletter. These sites are also great sources of backlinks for your business.
Difference Between Link Building And Citation:
Due to the resemblance of adding a link on the third party, websites, citations, and link building are sometimes considered as one thing. However, there is a difference!
What Is Link Building?
Link building is a process where backlinks are earned from external websites. It can be done by creating content for other websites that include blogs, videos, infographics, etc.
What Is Citation Building?
Citation building is different from link building as it is the process of mentioning your business NAP details on authoritative directories online. The practice is performed to increase website ranking and visibility on SERPs.
Tips To Optimise Citations For SEO:
So what are you waiting for? Let’s get started with optimising your citations for an effective SEO campaign. Let’s have a look at how you can do it:
Accuracy Ensures:
Citations are like references to your sites. Therefore, these must be accurate on every major and minor directory website. To ensure accuracy and authenticity, make sure you have included accurate and up-to-date information on the site. A difference in NAP on listing sites can lead to negative impressions and sometimes penalties.
Make sure you are checking your listing on relevant directories and sites. You can keep track of your listing by typing your business name in the Google search bar and seeing the results. If the information on any site is wrong, change it immediately. Moreover, make sure there are no duplications to avoid any ranking issues in SERPs.
Detailed Information Is Recommended:
Think of citation as your business informal booklet and provide as much information as possible. Listing does not mean adding NAP only. You can also add other elements to enhance your search engine optimisation efforts. For instance, add your business operation hours, the logo of the business, some HD images and videos if possible, contact information, reviews and starts, etc.
However, while doing so, make sure that no information is incomplete, vague, or different from other listing sites. Otherwise, it will be considered a red flag.
Make Quality Your Focus:
Shift your focus on quality rather than quantity while working on citations. Search engine algorithms value high-quality citations with complete information rather than incomplete or low-quality citations. High-quality citations mean business information with completely optimised details such as HD images, description, reviews, NAP operation hours, and a link to your website to improve your website ranking.
Conclusion:
So that’s all on what are citations in SEO and tips to optimise them for effective SEO campaigns. Citations act as a reference for any website and help to improve its ranking on SERPs. It is important to optimise citations by making quality details your focus, ensuring accuracy, and adding as many details as possible. By following optimisation tips, your site authenticity increases in the eyes of search engine algorithms and helps your business establish itself as an authentic brand online.
