Citations are one of the trendiest talk in the local ranking factors. They are no longer competitive difference-makers but has become ‘table stakes’ in local SEO. A foundational factor in local SEO, citations provide intense value to agencies and local businesses and citation management remains one of the most common services offered by agencies. According to the SEO Citations Study which explored more than 120,000 business, business ranking in the top 10 search results have an average of 81 citations. Although citations have a deep impact on rankings, citations alone will not get you ranking number one. Strategy and effective propaganda are also some of the key players.

Citations – A Quick Refresher

Structured citations refer to listings on formal directories. When the platforms like online news and blogs use reference of a local business’ complete or partial contact information, it is known as unstructured citation. And, do you know what the best unstructured citations of all is? Links, of course. We refer to these as ‘linktations’. Back in 2019, research showed that building local citations is an effective way to get more backlinks. Today, although links aren’t the main aim of citation building, it can be an innovative way to build out your backlink profile.

Growing importance of Linked Unstructured Citations

Link building being as old as organic SEO and structured citation building being as old as local SEO together have influenced Google rankings. However, there has been an increasing emphasis on the value of unstructured citations. Some of the notable reasons are as follows –

1. Google – the governing force in local consumer experiences: Today, Google has become the prepotent force in local consumer experiences and keeps as many actions as possible within their own interface not sending searchers to company websites. As links influence rank within that interface, most local business enterprises will need to move beyond traditional structured citations to impress Google with mentions on a variety of relevant websites. Structured citations being the table stakes for all local businesses, it’s the unstructured ones that can be competitive difference-makers in difficult markets.
2. Google is increasingly monetizing local search results: Google is increasingly monetizing the local search results. The best example of this is their Local Service Ads (LSA) program which acts as lead gen between Google and service area businesses like plumbing and housekeeping companies. Savvy local brands will work to form non-Google-dependent sources of traffic and lead generation. A sound linked unstructured citation on a highly relevant publication can pilot business without paying Google a penny.

Linked Unstructured Citations are Only Growing in Importance when it comes to Local SEO

What is Local SEO? Local SEO is when a business promote their products to local customers, basically in the geographic region where they are located at the time when they are looking for. Google’s new algorithm is a fresh take on local SEO. It’s time for business to re-evaluate their processes for local search. As Google continues to develop their algorithms, it’s becoming more critical than ever to create content for local SEO. This blog article offers some insight to the different factors that can make or break your local SEO campaign. Local SEO is extremely important to small businesses as it provides them with additional visibility in local searches. Local business need to understand the factors that affect their rankings in these searches in order to stay ahead of the competition. While considering local business marketing, one of the first things that hits the mind is local search ranking factors. The local search results seem to be the first thing we see when we search for a local service. Therefore, it has an impact on the first impression and choice of the potential client.

Is your business listed on Google My Business?

If you don’t have a presence on Google My Business, you are missing out on a lot of business. Local search is an important aspect of your digital marketing strategy. Local search also has its own ranking factors which are different from traditional SEO ranking factors. Ranking in local directories can appear to be a mystery but there are a number of factors that will help you to rank organically. Local SEO is getting more and more important as the mobile landscape evolves and consumers become even more dependent on their mobile phones. We live in a 24/7 connected world. And, the world is connected by the Internet. So knowing how to rank well in local search is a must for any small business owner. Local SEO is a very important factor in small business marketing. 98% of the consumers search for local businesses online. That is why it is important to make sure that your business is on the top of the search results. Search engines have come a long way since they first gained popularity in the early 2000s. Back then, companies could get pretty far with a simple website, some Search Engine Optimization (SEO) keywords and links. But today, it’s a different story. If you want to get noticed online, you require a strong presence on social media and a SEO strategy that is tailored to your market. It’s also vital that you consider local SEO. Local SEO helps you to get your site and content in front of the right people and get you noticed in your area.

Gateway towards building Unstructured Citations for Local SEO

Many SEOs believe that they’re a key ranking factor for local SEO. Citations appear in lots of different places – business directories, social networks – anywhere someone might be looking for information about local businesses. An unstructured citation occurs on any website that isn’t specifically structured for the publication of local business listings. For example, mentions in a news article, a blog post or on a social media platform act. It can be used as a reference to your business.

Unstructured Citation building – An Efficient Way to Improve Local SEO

Unstructured Citation building drives better google results, bringing more traffic to your website. A local citation building starts with a mention of the business anywhere on the web, with or without a link back to that business’s website. A citation might include a listing in an online directory, the member page of chamber of commerce, a business page on Yelp or even a review on a blog. Citations are key factors that Google uses in deciding the ranking of the business in its search results. One of the best advantages of it is that it does not require a back link building to the business.

Over the last 5 years, local search has become a much larger part of SEO than ever before. Local SEO is now a $4.8 billion dollar industry and is expected to grow each year. This is because more and more people are using mobile devices and Google wants to provide them the most relevant information. In this scenario, unstructured citations have grown in importance.