Image of a person searching for places on a cell phone, with graphics to show the places, to illustrate local citations.

Take Advantage of Local Citations to Boost Your Visibility and SEO

Local Citations Play a Key Role in Your Business Success

Are you doing everything you can to boost your business online? What about citations? No, not the citations you sweated over writing term papers long ago. Local citations, or online business listings, are crucial in getting your company’s name out there.

If you’re a restaurant, for instance, you want your name to pop up when someone asks Siri for the closest restaurant. To make this happen, you need a business listing. In this way, citations can boost your local search engine optimization (SEO).

Another selling point? Many of the listings are free. A variety of companies post local citations. Read on to see 30 possibilities below.

1.   Google My Business

Google My Business is a key site, with its tie-ins to Google Maps and Google search. You’ll see reviews and get monthly reports on how people search for your business.

2.   Apple Maps

Apple Maps is the default map app on iPhones. In other words, when someone uses Siri to search for a business on their phone, it defaults to Apple Maps. So, make sure your location info is up to date.

3.   Bing

Bing Places for Business is a good way to promote reliable information about your business. It is the second most popular search engine after Google.

Stylized image of green chess pieces with the label “Marketing Strategy.”
Making sure your business listings are accurate and helpful is part of an effective marketing strategy.

4. Facebook

Facebook, the largest social network, offers an array of options to get your business noticed. You can connect with people through ads, posts, reviews, and Facebook messenger.

5. Mapquest

Mapquest still gets a lot of attention, even though it’s no longer the leader in its area. Its citations are also widely shared. Yext, Mapquest’s partner, handles its business listings, so start there.

6. Yelp

Yelp is the go-to site for many people looking for reviews. It covers everything from restaurants to fitness centers. So, be sure to pack your profile with photos and other info to reach potential customers.

7. Yellowpages/YP

Yellowpages boasts that nearly 60 million people search it every month. You can respond to reviews and add coupons, menus, and more to your profile.

8. Foursquare

Foursquare posters leave short tips and photos about their favorite attractions and businesses. You can see what consumers are saying and join the conversation.

9. Superpages

Superpages helps people find business services and details such as hours of operation. It also offers driving directions. Superpages and Yellow Pages are owned by the same company.

10. Localeze

On Localeze, small businesses can update local listings to multiple platforms all at once. Localeze says it reaches more than 100 local search platforms, mobile applications, and navigation systems, as well as directories.

11. Hotfrog

Hotfrog helps your business stand out with online ads as well as a business listing. What’s more, you can monitor the response to see how many people clicked on your website.

12. Acxiom

Adding a local citation on Axciom can be tricky because you need to show documentation of your business. Still, it’s a powerful citation and well worth taking the extra time.

13. Merchant Circle

Merchant Circle helps people searching for local services, such as contractors. The site mixes elements of a social network with standard local citations.

14. Angie’s List

Consumers look to Angie’s List for home improvement tips as well as other service suggestions. You can also track reviews and reach potential customers via the message center.

15. Manta

Manta promotes its connection to small businesses and has 20 million customers each month. In addition to promoting your business, Manta provides feedback on who visits your profile.

16. Better Business Bureau

The BBB site is a good way to reach consumers asking about your business. You can also check on how to be accredited by the BBB.

17. Cylex

Cylex users read and write reviews about company products and services. The site also has an international presence, which may be helpful for some business owners.

18. ChamberOfCommerce.com

A local citation on this site adds both visibility and confidence. After all, many people check their local Chamber to learn more about a company.

Image of a woman using voice recognition on a cell phone to illustrate local citations.
When people ask for a nearby business using the Siri app, Apple Maps is the default option.

19. EZ Local.com

Visitors can narrow EZ Local searches to find businesses that are pet-friendly, offer delivery, or have other features. The site allows you to achieve local placement on major sites and local directories with high traffic.

20. Yellowbook

Like the Yellow Pages, Yellowbook covers an array of searches. You can also look up a person’s phone number in addition to searching for local businesses.

21.  Best of the Web

You can track and respond to reviews and link to your social media accounts. You may also add videos and extend your reach to nearby communities.

22. Where2go.com

Where2Ggo pledges to give all businesses equal footing on the site. Another plus? The site also promises to help you find “unique sites left out by the big search engines.”

23. E-business Pages

E-business visitors can search more than 15 million business listings. They can also narrow their searches down with specific criteria, such as environmentally friendly businesses.

24. Tupalo

Tupalo combines reviews and sharing with activity planning. Users can create journals about favorite spots to avoid a time-consuming search later.

25. CallupContact

This site touts its reach to other sites. A single business listing with CallupContact, for instance, appears on the most popular sites. Corrections also apply to multiple sites, saving you time.

26. FindUsLocal

Social media, entertainment, as well as business services come together in FindUsLocal. Business owners can post to multiple social media sites at once.

27. BizHwy

BizHwy allows you to create simple listings for free. The site also offers added promotion for a fee.

28. YelloYello

A citation on YelloYello is especially ideal for service providers such as dentists, hair stylists, and mechanics.

29. N49

N49 connects consumers to local businesses and shares their reviews. As with many sites, being listed by N49 will get you listed on other sites.

Keep Your Local Citations Up to Date

Need another reason to make local citations a priority? You may already be listed on many of these directories!

Search for your company online. If your local citation is incorrect, take control of your listing and correct your profile.

Not Sure About Local Citations? Call on Frontier Marketing!

If keeping up with local citations seems daunting, Frontier Marketing can take care of it for you. We’ll help you take advantage of all latest digital marketing trends. Give us a call at 847-254-0837 to get started.