Google Places: What Are Citations and Why Are They Crucial?

Posted by Thomas Shaw on March 25th, 2018

What are Google Places Citations?

Google Places citations internet site at the bottom of one's Google Places web page under the heading 'More about this location,' they display other websites which have described your business these can include things like directory listings, news stories and articles. Citations are certainly not something you'll be able to add for your page oneself, Google adds them for your listing since it crawls the web. When Google finds a citation or reference for your internet site you get a point, you get this point even though that website fails to link directly to you. The much more points you've got the higher you are going to rank. Google recognises a mixture of elements such as your business name, address, phone quantity and lots of other people as a citation. Get much more information about Google Business Citations Simplified

So that's what a citation is, so why are they essential for SEO?

Citations act as a vote of confidence within your listing, thus citations from authoritative web-sites are worth greater than much less authoritative ones, for example a link from your local chip shop's site will not be going to become worth the same as a link out of your nearby Chambers of Commerce. This implies that high-quality is far more crucial than volume. Possessing citations consequently features a good effect in your Google Places ranking and ought to be regarded as an important element of the neighborhood SEO campaign.

Ways to Influence your Google Places Citations

So as mentioned above, Google selects which citations seem in your Google Places web page, so you've no influence, ideal?

Not quite.

You'll find quite a few points it is possible to do to influence which internet sites supply citations which Google can index. One way would be to verify out the competitors, possess a look at these listings which rank highly for the search terms. Make a note of their citation sources. Now take a look at these web pages and see in case you may also get a citation. This can support, but if you are just copying the competitors then how are you going to beat them when anything is definitely the exact same? You need to go above and beyond. Determine local market relevant, authoritative sites which can be probably to link for your website. Strategy the owner and request a overview or listing on their internet site.

A different system could possibly be to approach customers or suppliers which might be industry relevant and ask them to provide a assessment or listing on their web site as well. Use PR to get stories and news listed on nearby or national press web sites, these constantly carry great authority in Google's eyes.