What Is a Local Citation?
A local citation is any online mention of your business’s name, address, and phone number (NAP), whether or not it links back to your website — think directory listings, review sites, and local business databases.
Structured vs Unstructured Citations
Structured citations appear in a consistent, formatted layout — think Yelp, Google Business Profile, or industry-specific directories with dedicated fields for name, address, and phone. Unstructured citations show up more organically, like a local news article or blog post mentioning your business by name in passing, without a formal listing format.
Why Consistency Boosts Rankings
Search engines use the volume and consistency of citations across the web as a trust signal for local rankings — the more places your NAP appears identically, the more confident Google can be that the business is real, accurately located, and legitimate. Inconsistent citations (old addresses, outdated phone numbers) do the opposite, potentially confusing both algorithms and customers.
