Local Citation Building SOP

Citations are foundation links for every local business. Build Tier 1 in week 1-2, Tier 2 in weeks 2-4, then maintain Tier 3 ongoing.

NAP Consistency Rules (Non-Negotiable)

Business name must be EXACT match across all listings
Address format must be identical across all citations
Phone number format must be consistent (choose one format and never deviate)
Website URL must be the same (with or without www — pick one)

Why: Inconsistent NAP confuses Google's entity association engine. One "St" vs "Street" inconsistency can dilute your citation authority.

Tier 1 Citations (Do First — Week 1-2)

Google Business Profile (verified)
Bing Places
Apple Maps
Facebook Business Page
Yelp
BBB (Better Business Bureau)
Yellow Pages / YP.com
Angi (formerly Angie's List)
Thumbtack
HomeAdvisor (if applicable)

Tier 2 Citations (Weeks 2-4)

Industry-specific directories (e.g., Healthgrades for medical, Avvo for legal)
Local chamber of commerce
Local business associations
City/county business directories
State license boards (if listed publicly)

Tier 3 Citations (Ongoing)

Niche directories
Local blogs with business listings
Community websites
Event sponsor pages
Charity/nonprofit partner pages

Citation Submission Rules

Include website URL on every citation
Use consistent business description
Add photos with NAP overlay to citations that allow images
Claim and verify every listing (don't leave unverified)
Never pay for citations from low-quality link farms

X/Twitter Citation Network

For local businesses, create X/Twitter profiles for citation signals:

Profile Display Name: Business name (or variation with city)
Bio: Business description with city, state, and service keywords
Website: Direct link to business website
Location: City, State format matching GMB
Pinned Tweet: Full NAP with website link

Maintain with 2-3 posts per week. Don't create all profiles same day — spread over 1-2 weeks.

Tracking Citations

Track in a citation tracking sheet:

Directory name and URL
Profile URL
Date submitted
Verification status
NAP as submitted
Last verified date

Use BrightLocal or Whitespark for citation audits and tracking.

Monthly Citation Schedule

| Week | Activity | |---|---| | Week 1 | Tier 1 submissions (all 10) | | Week 2-4 | Tier 2 submissions | | Monthly | Verify all citations still live | | Monthly | Check NAP consistency across all sources | | Quarterly | Add Tier 3 citations for new service areas |

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