Business owners in most verticals now realize the importance of being listed in Google Maps, or the ‘Map Pack’ as we call it, which is displayed above website results. And even more importantly, most mobile phone users don’t even know there are organic website search listings, buried below the ‘Map Pack’.  So, where do you start?

Unfortunately, most Internet Marketing Firms would rather confuse business owners with terms like ‘comprehensive SEO audit’ (When has the word audit indicated anything positive?), ‘citation analysis’, and ‘NAP’, attempting to associate value to their expensive proposals.  After all, if you don’t know what the term means, it must be almost impossible to succeed in optimizing your Google My Business listing, and getting listed?

HARDLY!

Today, we are going to demystify ‘The Citation’!

This is where it all begins, as a business owner, on your journey to local search success.  So what is this citation, and why is it so important?

First, a citation is nothing more than a ‘catch all’ label for anywhere your business information is displayed on the web!

Secondly, NAP simply means your : Name (Business), Address (Physical), and Phone Number

Quite simple stuff yeah?

Local Search isn’t rocket science, BUT it does require time, resources, and organization!  Let’s break down citations a bit more, so you start to understand why they are so important to Google.

At Search IQ, we divide citations into (5) categories:

• Google Owned web sites (Blogger, Google+, You Tube for example) – You can imagine that Google places higher value on businesses that take the time to not only create accounts for their local business with these web sites, but also post to them on a regular basis.  We will discuss fresh content in a future blog!
• The Rest of the Top 10: Web sites that Google doesn’t own, but considers important for any business to either have an account, or directory listing. They include places like Facebook (Obvious huh?), but also Google competitors such as Yelp, and Yahoo Local.
• The Top 11 – 50:  This list covers everything from Angie’s List to YellowPages.com and everything in between.
• Business Type Niche Directories: Directories that are common to your type of business.  For example, an Attorney would want to list their business in FindLaw.com
• Geo Niche Directories: Directories that are common to your geo location.  If your local chamber of commerce has an online directory, or your City government has a ‘Shop Local’ directory.

Now that we have removed the smoke and mirrors from citations and NAP’s, let’s discuss WHY they are so important to your success in Google local search!

While your business may not be as large as Macy’s, Google gauges where your business fits into the local search food chain by three things, Brand, Location, and Theme.

Brand = Who We Are, Location = Where We Do It, Theme = What We Do

Think of brand, the same way that Chevrolet brands their corporate image. Chevy advertises in almost every channel that exists, Online, Print, Radio, and Television. They excel in providing a clear, consistent image of who they are.  Most of you can easily recall their current campaign focusing on awards of excellence they have received for many of their vehicle models.  As a business owner, it is paramount that you also give Google a clear, consistent image of your business, and what it does.  The “Who We Are” is achieved by insuring that your NAP and business description is exactly the same in EVERY citation that appears online.

Google not only looks for consistency across all of your citations, it expects the NAP in EVERY citation to match the information in your Google Business Listing.  This is where most businesses fail to send a clear, consistent brand message to Google.  Quite possibly, over time, multiple people in your organization have submitted your business to various online directories, or created accounts at sites such as Facebook.  If Google can’t figure out ‘Where You Do It’, you can’t expect optimal local search ranking.

Theme is the third component in getting your Google Business Listing to the top of the pack.  Theme is accomplished by insuring your business description in every citation and online social media site, is not only consistent, but current!  Secondly, your actual website comes into play in establishing theme.  If you are an Auto Repair Shop specializing in German vehicles, you need to establish that theme not only in your business listing citations, but on your website.

Let’s Recap!

Citations are nothing more than business listings or accounts in Google owned properties, directories, and social media sites.

NAP is simply that, Name, Address, and Phone number

Who We Are, Where We Do It, and What We Do establish both a brand and a theme to Google telling them where to display your Google Business Listing during local search by consumers.

So, where does Search IQ fit into the mix?  Most business owners don’t have the time to chase down the appropriate directories to create listings, or repair the damage that’s already been done with inconsistent citations. Citation management is just one of the many functions we provide in our Search IQ service, at an economical monthly cost, freeing up your time, to do what you do best!

Click Here to have a Search IQ Success Manager discuss how we can help YOUR business start your Local Search Success Story today!