We’re often asked about the relevance of citations and their importance but there can be no doubt that they are a key component of any SEO campaign.
Whilst citations alone won’t guarantee a number one ranking, it is absolutely essential that you have an accurate and consistent citation campaign if you would like to compete effectively in the local SEO stakes.
Additionally, research undertaken by Bright Local, highlights that citations still provide significant value to both SEO providers and local businesses alike. As such, citation creation remains one of the most common services offered by agencies.
With this being the case, we have identified 3 of the most important questions relating to citations.
Will Citation Building Impact My SEO Rankings?
As with all aspects of SEO, it’s only a combination of SEO factors that will pull together to help improve SEO rankings but without doubt, anyone without a solid base of citations will be at a competitive disadvantage, if you want to try to rank for local searches.
How Many Citations Do I Need To Rank Well?
There are some companies that would recommend the creation of 1000s of citations and whilst we wouldn’t go that far, a large number of high quality, consistent citations will certainly benefit your business.
You don’t need hundreds of citations to rank well but we will choose the most important ones for you to help create the type of profile that will benefit you. Just as important as building new citations, is the need to ensure that all listings contain the correct information, including opening hours, location, contact details).
Duplicate listings are not helpful either. Whilst they should not negatively impact your listings, they may confuse potential customers which is not helpful.
Are Some Directories More Important Than Others?
Yes, it is true that “big” directories such as Yell, Yelp, FreeIndex and others are important but relevance is just as important. Any listing can benefit your business but the more relevant directories you appear on, the better it will be for your business. Not only in Google’s eyes but also in the eyes of your customers.
Is Consistent Information Important?
Submitting different details to different directories is unlikely to have the negative impact that it once had but it is very likely to confuse potential customers again. This should be avoided at all cost wherever possible.
Further Information
If you’d like to speak to us regarding how we can help you to use web design to grow your company, give us a call on 01883 372488 or contact us via Facebook and we’ll be happy to talk you through your options.
