If a company is founded, but no one can find it online, does it even exist?
Ursine philosophical questions aside, a citation building campaign is integral to a broader search marketing strategy for businesses. Citation building is key to ensuring that your business shows up in local search results.
So, what exactly is a citation building campaign, and how do you start one?
Let’s dive in.
Introduction
People search for the obvious — what your business does, where it’s located, and when it’s open. Check these citation building stats from Google:
Half of all on-the-go searches have local intent
Eighty-eight percent of customers search for local business information on mobile devices
After a local search, conversions are more than twice as likely to occur
Citations account for 13 percent of how Google ranks a brand’s prominence in local search results
Citation information includes links, blogs, articles, and pretty much anything search engines like Google and Bing can find about your business in directories. This information is used to list a brand’s prominence in local search results.
What is citation building?
Citation building is often confused with link building. While they are similar, citation building is a little different.
Citation building is the process of sending consistent and accurate information about your company to listing directories.
It lets search engines and consumers know the who, what, where, and how of your business:
Where it’s located
What it does
Whom it serves
When it’s open
How to contact
Fifty percent of all consumers who perform a local search visit a store within 24 hours. Having accurate citations ensures that your brand can take advantage of these searches and get in front of new potential customers.
Why you need a citation building campaign
You need to engage in citation building because it’s essential for how customers find your brand online.
Without accurate and easily searchable information on your business, you’re losing out on potential customers and revenue.
Suffice it to say, we don’t use phone books anymore. Instead, online directories and citations have replaced them.
Get started with a citation building campaign from Ellie Brands.
We’ve established that people are searching for your business online. But is the information they’re finding accurate?
Even if you initially launch a citation building campaign, it’s something that you’ll have to refresh periodically. The catch with citations is that search engines will display that information whether it’s accurate or not.
For example, have you ever moved or changed your phone number? Chances are, your brand will evolve, and information like this will change. For example, you may revamp your service offerings, change your hours, or open a new location.
The issue is two-fold — you need citations, and you need those citations to be accurate at all times. But you don’t have to do this alone. That’s where we can help.
Give us a call today at 513-399-5040. Or send us a message to get started with a citation building campaign for your business.