Bottom Line Up Front: Citations are unglamorous work, but they're essential foundation. 30-50 quality citations with consistent NAP = stronger rankings. Simple as that.
What Are Citations?
A citation is any online mention of your business's Name, Address, and Phone number (NAP).
Citations appear on:
- Business directories (Yelp, Yellow Pages)
- Social platforms (Facebook, LinkedIn)
- Review sites (BBB, Angi)
- Local websites (Chamber of Commerce)
- Industry directories (HomeAdvisor, Houzz)
Think of citations as “votes” for your business. The more citations you have (with consistent NAP), the more Google trusts that you're a legitimate, established business.
Why Citations Matter
1. Rankings
Citations are a confirmed ranking factor. Businesses with 30-50+ citations rank higher than those with 5-10.
2. Trust Signals
Multiple mentions across the web signal to Google that you're an established, legitimate business.
3. Discoverability
Each citation is another place customers can find you (not just Google).
4. Local Authority
Citations in local directories (Chamber of Commerce, local business associations) show you're embedded in the community.
The Two Types of Citations
Structured Citations
These are directory listings with standardized fields:
- Name
- Address
- Phone
- Website
- Hours
- Categories
Examples: Yelp, Yellow Pages, BBB
Unstructured Citations
These are mentions of your NAP anywhere online:
- Blog posts
- News articles
- Local event listings
- Sponsor pages
Example: “ABC Construction, located at 123 Main St in Bonney Lake, donated $5,000 to the local youth sports program.”
The NAP Consistency Rule
This is critical: Your NAP must be EXACTLY the same across every citation.
❌ Bad Example (Inconsistent):
Name:
- Google: ABC Construction
- Yelp: ABC Construction LLC
- Yellow Pages: A.B.C. Construction
- BBB: ABC Construction, Inc.
Phone:
- Google: (253) 555-1234
- Yelp: 253-555-1234
- Yellow Pages: 253.555.1234
Address:
- Google: 123 Main Street, Suite A
- Yelp: 123 Main St #A
- Yellow Pages: 123 Main St, Ste A
✅ Good Example (Consistent):
Everywhere:
ABC Construction
123 Main Street, Suite A
Bonney Lake, WA 98391
(253) 555-1234
Why it matters: Inconsistent NAP confuses Google and weakens your rankings. Google isn't sure which version is correct, so it trusts you less.
The Citation Building Strategy
Phase 1: The Foundation (First 10 Citations)
Start with the major directories everyone should be on:
Phase 2: Industry-Specific (Next 10-15 Citations)
List your business on directories specific to your industry:
For Contractors:
For Plumbers:
For HVAC:
For Electricians:
Phase 3: Local Citations (Next 10-15 Citations)
These are powerful because they're specific to your geographic area:
Local directories:
- City business directory
- Chamber of Commerce
- County business registry
- Local newspaper business listings
- Local business associations
- Neighborhood associations
- Community event sites
Example for Bonney Lake contractor:
- • Bonney Lake Chamber of Commerce
- • Pierce County business directory
- • South Sound Business & Technology
- • The News Tribune business directory
- • Enumclaw Plateau Chamber of Commerce (nearby)
Finding them:
- Google: “[Your City] business directory”
- Google: “[Your City] chamber of commerce”
- Google: “[Your County] business association”
Phase 4: Niche & Supplemental (Next 10-20 Citations)
Round out your citation profile:
General directories:
Social/review platforms:
Niche platforms:
How to Build Citations Efficiently
DIY Method
Free, Time-Intensive
- 1.Create spreadsheet with your NAP
- 2.Set aside 2-3 hours per week
- 3.Create accounts on 5-10 directories per session
- 4.Copy/paste NAP exactly
- 5.Track completion in spreadsheet
✅ Pros: Free
❌ Cons: 15-25 hours total
Automated Method
Paid, Fast
- •BrightLocal: $29/month
- •Whitespark: $20 per citation
- •Yext: $500-1000/year
- •Moz Local: $129/year
✅ Pros: Done in days, guaranteed accuracy
❌ Cons: Costs money
Hybrid Method (Best)
Recommended
Do the major ones yourself (Phase 1), pay for the rest (Phases 2-4).
Citation Building Checklist
For each citation, complete these fields:
Common Citation Mistakes
Mistake #1: Inconsistent NAP
Use exact same format everywhere.
Mistake #2: Abbreviated vs. Full
Don't mix 'St' and 'Street' or 'Suite A' and 'Ste A'
Mistake #3: Wrong Category
Choose the most specific category available.
Mistake #4: Duplicate Listings
Google: "your business name + your city" to check for duplicates. If found, claim and merge them.
Mistake #5: Incomplete Listings
Fill out every field. Partial listings hurt more than they help.
Mistake #6: Abandoned Listings
Don't create a listing and never update it. Keep hours current.
Mistake #7: Buying Bulk Citations
Avoid services that promise "500 citations for $50." Most are low-quality spam sites.
How to Track Your Citations
Use these free tools to monitor:
Moz Local Check
Shows your citation presence
BrightLocal Citation Tracker
Monitors changes
Whitespark Citation Finder
Finds opportunities
Or manually:
Create a spreadsheet tracking:
- Directory name
- URL of your listing
- Date created
- Date last updated
- Status (active, claimed, needs updating)
The Timeline
Week 1-2:
Major citations (10)
Week 3-4:
Industry citations (15)
Week 5-6:
Local citations (15)
Week 7-8:
Niche citations (20)
Total: 60 citations in 8 weeks
The Impact
After building 30-50 quality citations:
Rankings
Expect to move up 2-5 positions
Trust
Google sees you as more established
Traffic
More discovery from citation sites themselves
Credibility
Customers see you're listed everywhere
Maintenance
Citations aren't set-and-forget.
- Q
Quarterly:
Audit top 20 citations (ensure NAP still correct)
- M
When you move:
Update all citations immediately
- P
When you change phone:
Update all citations within 48 hours
- A
Annually:
Review all citations, remove dead ones
The Bottom Line: Citations are unglamorous work. They're not as sexy as reviews or photos. But they're essential foundation. Think of them like the foundation of a house. Nobody sees it, but without it, everything else falls apart. 30-50 quality citations with consistent NAP = stronger rankings. Simple as that.
Ready to Build Your Citation Profile?
We build 30-50 quality citations for contractors in Pierce County, ensuring perfect NAP consistency across all platforms.