A citation, otherwise defined as a mention, is a reference of your companies name, address, contact details and so on, on various alternate webpages across the internet. A citation can still exist without the necessity of your company’s linked URL. An example of a citation would be an online directory that mentions your companies contact details but provides no link to your website.
Why are they important?
Citations are often regarded as a key tool of the ranking algorithms of search engines, most importantly Google. Other attributes that contribute to a website’s rankings are also useful, however, in general circumstances a company with a greater number of citations is more likely to rank higher than a company with fewer.
Even if they have no effect on your online marketing strategy they are still incredibly handy to have as they help to direct interest to your company and business regardless of whether you have a website or not.
Citations are also vital should your business operate within a restricted geographic range, as it allows Google to differentiate where your business is active. Through the use of citations and common SEO tactics, a small company may be gifted the opportunity to out rank a larger corporation in terms of rankings as it can prove to be more relevant to localised searches as opposed to a national firm that must direct their focuses to a broader market.
If your company does not have a website then citations are particularly important in the brand awareness of your company especially for localised businesses such as utilities.
How to get citations?
Sadly, gaining citations is not as easy as some may believe especially in the case that your company is not well-known to the general public. One suggestion would be to direct a portion of your focus and resources to business partnerships. By contacting businesses through email, phone calls and meetings you may find some benefit in focusing your link building and content writing time to finding an opportunity for blogs, guest posts and links.
Local blogs found on local search engines may also pose as a good opportunity for citations. Businesses that are referenced or linked on these types of blogs are typically viewed as relevant and trusted.
Well-known directories are also a fantastic place to list your company as this will make your firm more visible to internet users.
For example, i3MEDIA are listed on yell.com, a widely renowned directory, meaning that they already have one form of citation. On their profile it states the companies address, telephone number and very brief statement consisting of what the company specialise in. This provides all the contact details relevant users need should the company spark an interest.
Looking for an SEO company?
Citations are vital in SEO as they enable companies to branch out and target new audiences through alternate websites whilst promoting a satisfactory level of brand awareness. If you’re looking for an SEO company based in Peterborough, please get in touch with i3MEDIA today.