What counts as a citation
A citation is any listing of your business name, address and phone on another site, with or without a link. The most important ones are the platforms people use to find local businesses.
| Platform type | Examples |
|---|---|
| Maps and search | Google Business Profile, Apple Business Connect, Bing Places |
| Review sites | Yelp, the Better Business Bureau |
| Industry directories | Avvo for lawyers, Healthgrades for doctors, Houzz for contractors |
| Local sites | Chambers of commerce, associations and local news |
| Social profiles | Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn |
Why consistency matters
When your phone number differs between Google, Yelp and Apple Maps, some customers call a dead line. Platforms that share data can also spread the wrong details further. Consistent listings keep calls flowing and remove doubt about where you are.
Google's local ranking guide says prominence draws on how well known a business is, including links and reviews. Citations play a smaller part than they did a decade ago, so start with the listings customers actually use.
Common NAP mistakes
- An old address after a move
- A call tracking number on some listings and not others
- Different name versions, like Inc. on some and not others
- Duplicate listings for the same location
How to clean up your citations
- Write down your exact name, address and phone once.
- Fix your Google Business Profile, Apple and Bing listings first.
- Update the major review sites and industry directories.
- Search your old address and old phone number to find stragglers.
- Merge or remove duplicate listings for the same location.
Using call tracking? Keep your main number as the primary phone on listings. Add the tracking number as a secondary one where the platform allows it.
Good example. A law firm moves offices and updates Google, Apple, Bing, Avvo and the state bar listing in one week. Then it searches its old address to catch the rest.
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