What Is a Local Citation?
Any online mention of your business name, address, and phone number, even without a link.
What it means
A local citation is any place online that lists your business's name, address, and phone number — a directory listing, a chamber of commerce site, a mention in a local news article. Unlike a backlink, a citation doesn't need to include a clickable link to count.
Why it matters
Search engines use the consistency of your citations across the web as a signal of legitimacy for local rankings. A business with the same accurate details listed everywhere reads as more trustworthy than one with scattered, conflicting information.
ask datanephew
Can datanephew find where my business is cited online?
Not across the web — datanephew doesn't search directories for mentions of your business. It does read your own Google Business Profile, so it can confirm the name, address and phone number Google shows, which is the listing most customers see first.
What should I do about the other directories?
Manually check the major directories relevant to your industry and area, and make sure your name, address, and phone number match exactly everywhere you're listed.