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If you want your business to be one of the first few search results that Google displays, you need to make the search engine believe that your business is authentic and credible. Google rewards certain web content that it evaluates as reliable. The ones it thinks of as false or redundant get pushed down the SERP. This is where the importance of building local citations comes in. Local citations are an SEO strategy that can yield enormous benefits for your business through its online presence. If you are unsure about what they are or how to benefit from them, here is a brief overview of what a Google map citation for local SEO means.

What are local citations?

If you have tried to build a web presence for your business that attracts local customers, you have likely asked yourself this question—for local SEO, what is a citation?

A local citation is a mention of your business on any part of the web. Also known as a Google Map citation, a local citation provides the essential details of your business on various websites. It kills two birds with one stone. Google believes that your business is legit and rewards you with higher visibility. Higher visibility snowballs into the inflow of more local customers.

What should a local citation include?

• When it comes to local citations, there are a few things you need to keep in mind. A mere mention of your business won’t accomplish anything fruitful. There are three mandatory things that every local citation of your business needs to include.
• These three elements are usually called the NAP—name, address, and phone number. NAP identifies your business as having a valid physical location and contact information. This raises your credibility score, making it more likely for local people to see your services when they are searching for them.
• Make sure that your address is as detailed as it can be. The mention of a street address, city, state and zip code is a must.
• Other relevant details like your website URL can also be added if available.
• The NAP your local citations provide to potential customers should be consistent. Incorrect spellings, varying addresses, or contact information confuses your local customers and Google loses trust in your business.
• It is also important to verify the reliability of your citation sources. A mention of your business on a site that itself does not provide credible information can negatively impact your local visibility and SEO. When you opt for local citation services of a digital solutions provider, they usually take care of these intricacies.

Where can you build a Google Map citation for local SEO?

You have got a lot of options when it comes to online platforms where you can publish your local citations. Here are a few you can consider:

• Social media platforms like YouTube, Twitter, and Facebook
• Niche-specific industry directories like Trip Advisor and general business directories like Yellow Pages and Yelp
• Local blogs
• Local newspaper websites

Since local citations are meant to be seen by local people, all citation sites might not yield the best results for you. For instance, if you have a business in Canada, here are some location-specific sites that will suit you better:

• Google Business Profile
• Apple Maps
• com
• com

Keeping track of the citations:

Now that you know what local citations are, you must also understand the difficulty in keeping a record of them. A free local citation checker like Moz Local comes to your aid. You will be able to track your business listings on all major search engines and also be able to correct inaccuracies across the web. An easy way of managing each of these tasks is, however, by availinglocal citation services offered by a leading digital marketing agency like Fenzo Digital. Being a one-stop solution to your digital needs, the cumbersome job of building a local citations portfolio would be the least of your worries!