Glossary · Search and local visibility
Local citation
An online mention or listing of a business's identifying details on a directory, platform, association, or other site.
Also called: business citation, local listing
Definition
A local citation often includes business name, address, phone, category, website, or hours. The value depends on whether the source is relevant and trusted by customers, not on directory count alone.
Why it matters
Accurate listings help customers verify and contact a business and support consistent local-entity information across the web.
Common misunderstanding
A citation does not have to include a clickable backlink, and publishing to every available directory is not automatically useful.
Related terms
Related system family: Measurement & Search Signals
Sources
- Tips to improve local ranking (opens in a new tab) · Google Business Profile Help
- Business Profile APIs policies (opens in a new tab) · Google for Developers
Last reviewed July 16, 2026