Local SEO citation refers to the mention of a businesss name, address, and phone number (NAP) on a website that is not owned by the business. Local citations are an essential part of local SEO and play a crucial role in helping businesses appear in local search results. They help Google verify the legitimacy of a business and its location. The more reputable sites that list the same business information, including NAP details, the more Google will view the business as a legitimate local business. Local citations can be structured or unstructured. Structured citations are listings of a business on relevant business directories and third-party websites. Unstructured citations, on the other hand, come in the form of blog posts, reviews, and articles about the business. The following are some of the benefits of local citations:

• Improved local rankings
• Increased visibility and authority online
• Boost in local search engine rankings
• Verification of the legitimacy of a business

To build local citations, businesses need to ensure that their NAP information is accurate and consistent across all online directories and third-party websites. Some of the most important citations for local SEO include Google My Business, Bing Maps, and Yelp.