Citations

Online mentions of a business's name, address, and phone number (NAP) that help establish local search presence

Detailed Explanation

Citations are references to a business's NAP information across the internet. They play a crucial role in local SEO by helping search engines verify business information and determine local search rankings. Citations can appear on business directories, social platforms, and industry-specific websites.

Key Components

NAP Consistency

Uniform business information

Citation Sources

Directory and platform selection

Information Accuracy

Data verification and updates

Citation Quality

Source authority and relevance

Best Practices

  • Maintain consistent NAP
  • Choose quality directories
  • Regular citation audits
  • Remove duplicate listings
  • Update changed information

Common Challenges

Data Consistency

Maintaining uniform information

Citation Building

Scaling citation creation

Update Management

Handling information changes

Implementation Guide

1

Citation Audit

Review existing citations

2

Source Selection

Choose citation platforms

3

Information Verification

Confirm business details

4

Citation Creation

Build new citations

5

Monitoring

Track citation health

Tools and Features

Ahrefs

Key Features

  • Site Explorer
  • Local SEO
  • Link Analysis

Citation Tracking

Monitor business mentions

Source Analysis

Evaluate citation quality

Related Concepts