60: Improving Local Rankings with Manual (free) Citations

Summary

In this episode, Meredith's husband explains the importance of building local citations to improve local SEO rankings. He discusses how to create and maintain consistent business listings manually if a budget for a service like Whitespark isn’t available. The episode outlines key steps to take, including gathering business information, checking for existing listings, and submitting citations to important directories. Following these strategies can help local businesses appear in local search results and map listings.

Blog Post: A Beginner’s Guide to Building Local Citations for SEO Success

For local business owners, appearing in search engine results is essential for driving traffic and attracting customers. One of the key ways to improve your local search rankings is through building local citations, which are listings of your business on various online directories. These citations help search engines, like Google, understand where your business is located and how to rank it in local search results. While services like Whitespark can handle the process for a fee, you can also do it manually if you’re working with a limited budget. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to create and manage local citations yourself.

What Are Local Citations and Why Do They Matter?

Local citations are mentions of your business across the web, including your name, address, phone number, and other relevant information. These listings appear in directories such as Google Business Profile, Yelp, and Yellow Pages, and are essential for local SEO. Having consistent and accurate citations across different platforms signals to search engines that your business is credible and located where you say it is.

Accurate citations can:

• Improve your visibility in local search results.

• Help your business appear in Google’s local map pack.

• Build trust with search engines by showing that your business information is consistent across multiple platforms.

How to Build Local Citations Manually

If you prefer not to pay for a service, creating local citations manually can be a time-consuming but cost-effective way to improve your local rankings. Here’s how to do it:

1. Gather Your Business Information

Before creating any listings, make sure all your business information is consistent and accurate. This includes:

• Business name

• Address (current and old addresses, if applicable)

• Phone number (current and old)

• Website URL

• Business hours

• Short and long descriptions of your business

• Photos of your business or products

Store all this information in one place, like a spreadsheet, so you can easily copy and paste it into directories.

2. Check for Existing Listings

Before adding your business to a directory, search for it using your business name, phone number, and old addresses. This helps avoid duplicate listings, which can confuse search engines and hurt your rankings. If a listing already exists, update it with your current information.

3. Start with the Most Important Directories

There are three key "data aggregators" that you should submit your business to first, as they feed information to many other directories:

• Data Axle (formerly Infogroup)

• New Star LocalEze

• Foursquare

Submitting your business to these platforms ensures your information gets spread to a wider network of directories.

4. Submit to Popular Directories

After the data aggregators, submit your business to well-known directories like:

• Google Business Profile

• Facebook

• Yelp

• Bing Places

• Apple Maps

These directories are widely used by customers and search engines alike, making them crucial for your local presence.

5. Look for Local and Industry-Specific Directories

Next, target directories that are either specific to your location or your industry. For example, if you are a photographer, search for photographer directories. If you operate in Brooklyn, look for local business directories, such as the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce or Park Slope Parents.

These niche directories can be even more valuable than generic ones because they target your exact audience.

6. Keep Your Listings Updated

Over time, your business details may change, such as your address or phone number. Make sure to update all your listings to reflect these changes, as inconsistent information can negatively impact your local SEO.

Resources

To make the process easier, Meredith’s husband has provided a spreadsheet template where you can store your business information and track your progress as you create citations. You can access this template and a list of recommended directories via the link in the show notes.

Building local citations manually requires time and effort, but the benefits for your local SEO can be substantial. By ensuring that your business information is accurate and consistent across multiple directories, you can improve your chances of ranking well in local search results and attracting more customers.

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