Local SEO
Local citation
Any online mention of a business's name, address, and phone number, on directories, review sites, and listings, that reinforces its identity and prominence.
By Shimon Carroll, Founder, SEO for AI Agents · Last updated
A local citation is an online reference to a business's NAP, with or without a link. Citations live on general directories (Yelp, Yellow Pages, BBB), data aggregators that syndicate to many listings, map platforms (Apple Maps, Bing Places), social profiles, and industry-specific directories (Avvo for lawyers, Healthgrades for doctors, and so on). They are one of the prominence signals Google uses to judge how established and trustworthy a local business is.
Citations work through volume, accuracy, and authority. A business cited consistently across many high-authority sources looks more established than one with few or inconsistent listings. The most valuable citations are on the platforms specific to the business's industry, because they carry topical relevance as well as identity confirmation, an attorney listed correctly on Avvo and Justia is sending a stronger signal than one listed on a generic directory.
The work is to claim and correct the highest-authority general and industry-specific citations, ensure NAP matches exactly across all of them, and prioritize the sources that actually move the needle in the business's category and city. Citations also feed the entity graph that AI engines use for local recommendations. We audit NAP consistency and coverage across the top general and vertical-specific citation sources.