What are local citations in SEO?

Local citations are online mentions of your business's name, address, and phone number (NAP). Local citations can appear on a variety of websites, such as business directories, review sites, and social media platforms.

Local citations are an important part of local SEO, as they can help improve your visibility and rankings in local search results. Search engines use local citations as a factor in determining the relevance and credibility of a business for local searches.

Here are a few examples of local citations:

* Business directories: Local citations can appear on business directories, such as Yelp, Yellow Pages, or Google My Business. These directories allow businesses to create a profile and include their NAP, as well as other information, such as a website link, business hours, and reviews.
* Review sites: Local citations can appear on review sites, such as TripAdvisor or Angie's List. These sites allow customers to leave reviews and ratings for businesses, and often include the business's NAP in the listing.
* Social media platforms: Local citations can appear on social media platforms, such as Facebook or LinkedIn. These platforms allow businesses to create a profile and include their NAP, as well as other information, such as a website link, business hours, and photos.

It's important to ensure that your local citations are accurate and consistent, as inconsistencies can harm your local SEO efforts. Make sure to use the same NAP format on all of your local citations, and to regularly update and maintain your listings to ensure that they are accurate and up-to-date.

Local citations are an important part of local SEO, as they can help improve your visibility and rankings in local search results. By creating and maintaining accurate and consistent local citations, you can help search engines understand the relevance and credibility of your business for local searches, and improve your chances of appearing in local search results.