What Is a Citation in SEO? (And Do You Need Them Anymore?)
Once upon a time in SEO, citations were everything. But do they still matter today?
Let’s break it down. 👇
What’s a Citation?
A citation is any online mention of your business’s Name, Address, and Phone Number (known as your NAP).
These are usually found on business directories like Yelp, Yell, Thomson Local, or even your local chamber of commerce website.
Citations don't need to link to your site to help your SEO - Google still uses them to verify that your business exists and is legitimate.
Why Citations Used to Be a Big Deal
Back in the early days of local SEO, the more citations you had, the better.
Google would cross-check your business info across hundreds of directories to decide how “real” your business looked.
A consistent NAP across multiple trusted websites helped boost your rankings in local search results.
So… Do Citations Still Matter?
Yes - but not like they used to.
Google’s local algorithm is more sophisticated now. Citations are just one signal among many. The basics still matter (being listed on the big ones, with the right info), but spamming every directory on the internet?
Not helpful anymore.
Today, Google cares more about things like:
How accurate and consistent your business info is
Whether you have real reviews from real people
How relevant and trustworthy the sites linking to you are
The quality of your website itself
Which Citations Are Still Worth Doing?
Think quality over quantity.
Here’s where you should be listed:
Yell
Facebook
Apple Maps
Bing Places
Trustpilot or Checkatrade, if relevant
Local directories - but be sure to avoid The Directory Trap.
And of course, make sure your website has your NAP too - clearly and consistently displayed.
What Happens If Your Citations Are Wrong?
If your business name, address, or phone number is inconsistent across directories, Google can get confused.
That can hurt your chances of showing up locally - especially in Google Maps.
So if you’ve moved or changed phone numbers, it’s worth doing a quick cleanup.
Citations vs Backlinks: What’s the Difference?
Citations are mentions of your NAP - they don’t have to link to your site.
Backlinks are actual links pointing to your website.
Both help, but backlinks tend to carry more SEO weight these days - especially if they’re from local, relevant, trustworthy websites.
TL;DR
Citations still matter - but only the right ones.
Get listed on the big directories with accurate NAP info.
Don’t stress about dozens of small directories no one uses.
Keep your info up to date.
And if you're already well-listed and still not ranking? It's time to look beyond citations.
CTA
Want someone local to handle it for you?
I’ll check your existing citations, make sure your details are consistent, and fix anything that’s hurting your visibility.
What’s the difference between a citation and a backlink?
A citation is a mention of your business details (NAP), while a backlink is a clickable link to your website. Backlinks usually carry more SEO value, but both help.
Do I need to be on hundreds of directories?
No. Focus on quality - the big, trusted directories matter most. Too many low-quality citations won’t help and can even confuse Google.
What happens if my citations are inconsistent?
Google may get mixed signals about your business, which can hurt your local rankings. It’s worth checking and correcting any incorrect or outdated listings.
Can I build citations myself?
Yes - many businesses do. But it’s time-consuming. If you’d rather not, local SEO services (like SO SEO) can handle it for you.
Are citations still relevant today?
They are, but they’re not the main driver of rankings. Accurate citations build trust with Google, but don’t expect a major SEO boost unless everything else is strong too.
