Citation Management is online directory information as it relates to your business and website. The accuracy of it is important for SEO. There are hundreds of online directories. Most of the directories you have probably never heard of. A few directories like Facebook and Instagram will be familiar. The following is a list showing 20 of the top online Directories according to Hubspot.
Online Directories;
- Facebook (Meta)
- Apple Maps
- Yelp
- Bing
- HubSpot’s Solutions Directory
- Better Business Bureau (BBB)
- MapQuest
- Foursquare
- Angi (formerly Angie’s List)
- Thumbtack
- Yellow Pages
- Nextdoor
- Manta
- Merchant Circle
- Yellowbook.com
- ChamberofCommerce.com
- Dunn and Bradstreet Business Directory
Citation Management Is Important;
Increased visibility in Search Engines, Targeted Marketing, and inexpensive Advertising are just a few of the benefits of directory listings or citation management.
When search engines, especially Google, find information about your business and website from online directories they get concerned when the information does not match with your website and each other. Basic business information like Name, Address, City, State, Zip Code, Phone Numbers, & Hours of Operation are important to Google when they rank your website. They utilize the Citations given from these online directories. If the directories information differs from your websites information Google wonders why. The less Google wonders, and the more certain they are about your business, the better website ranking you will receive. Therefore, your website will have a better position regarding an Internet Search about your business category. That is why Citation Management is so important.
Google Notices Citation Management!
These online directories serve the same purpose, yet different. Many of these directories are free. Most listings need to be claimed by you, your staff, your website designer, or your IT people. Check with these online directories and see how your business is listed, if listed at all. Make all the necessary corrections with as many directories as possible and you will be on your way to more internet visitors to your website. You are now providing Citation Management for yourself.
When Google sees different addresses, phone numbers, and hours of operation in the online directories for example, they get confused. They interpret the different information as unstable and unprofessional. They are much less likely to recommend your website for internet visitors. When Google responds to an internet search request, the search results become Google Recommendations. They take their recommendations very seriously . . . . and you should as well. You don’t have to like Google, however, respecting the power they have is important beyond words. Google website rankings have the ability to make your business successful or NOT! Citation Management is important and CAN NOT be overestimated! There are several companies that provide citation management services, Yext, and MOZ Local are the most widely known, but are more expensive. If you are needing to improve or build your citation management, contact us for more info. We are glad to help.
Updates January 2023
Select Mkt says
Thanks Rosa, having the title be more inviting can be a challenge, especially on topics that aren’t as exciting!
Select Mkt says
Thanks Gaston, we look forward to your input.
Gaston says
Hi! Someone in my Facebook group shared this site with us
so I came to look it over. I’m definitely loving the information. I’m bookmarking and will be tweeting this to my followers!
Terrific blog and excellent design.
Rosa says
I think that what you posted was actually very logical. However, what about this?
what if you added a little information? I mean, I don’t want to tell you how to run your blog, however suppose you
added something that makes people desire more?
I mean Why is Citation Management Important? – Select Marketing
is a little boring. You ought to peek at Yahoo’s front page and watch how they create article titles to grab people to
open the links. You might add a related video or a picture or two to get readers excited about everything’ve written. In my opinion,
it could bring your posts a little bit more interesting.
Select Mkt says
Thanks Gloria for your comments!
Gloria John says
Hello,
The article is simple yet very informative. Citations are considered as one of the most important factors of SEO. It not only brings visibility in your local market but also build trust among search engines that you exist hence improves your search engine rankings.