What is Local SEO Citations?

A citation is any online mention of your business's core contact information — name, address, and phone number (NAP). Citations don't need to include a link to your website to count; even an unlinked mention on a directory site sends trust signals to Google. The more consistent and widespread your NAP citations, the more confident Google is that your business is legitimate and located where you say it is.

Citations fall into two categories: structured citations (your business listed in a directory like Yelp, Yellow Pages, Google Business Profile, or an industry-specific directory with a defined business name/address/phone field) and unstructured citations (a blog post or news article that mentions your business name and location without a formal directory listing). Both types contribute, but structured citations in authoritative directories carry more weight.

Inconsistent NAP data — a different phone number on Yelp than on your website, an old address on a directory — confuses both search engines and potential customers. Auditing and correcting citation inconsistencies is often one of the fastest wins in a local SEO engagement, and tools like BrightLocal and Moz Local automate the monitoring and cleanup process.