The Importance of Citations

Citations are online mentions of your business name, address and contact number. They help internet users find businesses and also contribute to your SEO rankings. That means it’s very important that you get this information right.

In a recent report by BrightLocal, it was found that 80% of customers lose their trust in a business when they see inconsistent or incorrect contact details or business names on the internet. That’s 4 out of 5 customers.

Why the accuracy of this information so important, aside from the potential of losing 4 out of 5 customers? The answer is SEO and customer experience.

If the citations of your business’s name, address, and phone number are wrong, you will have negative results in the digital world with search engines, and in the real-world, your customers will see little reason to trust you. Getting information correct is vital, although human and program errors can occur, causing a different experience to what was intended.

The Local Citations Trust Report found that only 24% of customers call a business before making a visit, with the remaining 76% relying on the accuracy of the information presented online. This makes it crucial for you to get your information right, because a negative experience while getting in touch with your business can cost you customers.

Some passive approaches to citations that a negatively impact your business reputation, ranking and revenue:

  • Inaccurate information in citations
  • Little or weak business citations
  • Duplicate business listings
  • No management of business moves, rebranding or changes to hours of operation
  • No awareness of customer edits to business information
  • Little control over how your business is represented on the internet
  • No strategy for managing reviews

Getting things right

Running a business is not an easy task, and there are multiple aspects involved that are both complex and time-consuming. However, getting online information about your business is not one of them. You can prevent many frustrations from customers, and receive more engaged and loyal ones, by simply making sure that your contact information is correct and up to date. Accurate citations will improve your rankings, reputation and revenue, helping more customers find your business.