Definition
A local citation is any online mention of a business tied to a place, its name alongside a location, whether the mention is a structured directory listing or a passing reference in a news story or a review. It is the umbrella term for a business’s presence across the local web. The NAP-structured form, name, address, and phone in a fielded listing, is covered at local citation (NAP).Why It Matters for AI Search
A model asked for a business in a place assembles its answer from mentions scattered across directories, maps, reviews, and local press, and consistency across those mentions is what lets it treat them as one business. Local citations are that scattered evidence. The more places a business is named the same way, the more confidently a system can resolve it to a single entity and surface it for local queries. Wrangling that presence into agreement is local entity work, and the NAP-structured listing is its most rigid, most checkable form.Related Terms
Local citation (NAP)
Narrower term
Local SEO
See also
Local pack
See also
Brand mention
See also
Google Business Profile
See also