Citation
An online mention of a business's name, address, and phone (NAP), with or without a backlink.
In local SEO, a citation is any online mention of a business's NAP information — typically on business directories, industry-specific listings, and review sites. Citation volume and consistency are local ranking signals; more high-quality, consistent citations correlate with stronger Local Pack performance.
Not all citations are equal. Major directories (Yelp, Yellow Pages, Bing Places, Apple Maps) and industry-specific directories carry significantly more weight than generic spam directories.
A new dental practice builds 80 high-quality citations across major Canadian directories (411.ca, Yelp.ca, Yellow Pages, healthcare-specific listings) in the first 90 days. Local Pack visibility climbs as a result.
Related terms
Optimization focused on ranking in local search results (Google Maps, Local Pack, local organic).
Business name, address, and phone number — must be consistent across all online listings.
Free Google business listing that appears in Maps and Local Pack results.
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