Who Really Controls Citations and Local Search Business Listings

Posted on by $0rth0adm!n

Importance of Top Aggregators and Citations When Branding Your Business

Gaining control of the top local search aggregators is the first line of defense for citation management. When branding your business online, the aggregators feed data to hundreds of big and small websites across the US who cross-reference your business information to make sure your data is correct.  Google then references these aggregators for accuracy and will rank your local business in the Google Business Area (Maps) accordingly. 

If your brand does not match up, you will lose trust in the “eyes” of Google and your ranking, especially in the maps, will suffer in comparison to your competitors.  

Citation or Branding Inconsistency

Citation inconsistency has been cited as both the most commonly encountered issues affecting local search rankings and a foundation element for local SEO ranking in the maps area. Understanding the difference between verification by automated services such as Yext and MOZ local vs manual verification, which allows the business to control their brand, is worth reviewing. Great information on this topic is provided in the blog posts below.

https://whitespark.ca/blog/what-happens-when-you-sign-up-for-yext/

https://whitespark.ca/blog/what-happens-when-you-cancel-yext/

 

TOP 4  US AGGREGATORS CONTROLLING LOCAL SEARCH

Localeze

Express Update

Acxiom

InfoUsa

 

Top Dental Citation Sites in 2018