Boost Your Google Maps SEO with These Citation Strategies

 Learn how to significantly improve your Google Maps ranking by implementing effective citation strategies. Discover what citations are, why they are crucial for local SEO, how to ensure Google indexes them, and proven methods for acquiring both general and industry-specific citations. We’ll cover buying citations from reputable sources and DIY techniques to boost your local business visibility.

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Episode Transcript

Chapters:

  • 0:00 – Intro: Ranking on Google Maps and the role of citations.
  • 0:22 – How We Rank Foster Electric: The Importance of Citations: Following website optimization, Google Business Profile optimization, and reviews, the next step is building citations.
  • 0:44 – What is a Citation? A citation is your name, address, and phone number (NAP) on another website. Examples include Yelp, Facebook, Better Business Bureau, and MapQuest.
  • 1:21 – How To Index Your Citations: Ensuring Google Sees Your Listings: This is the most important part.
  • 1:26 – What “Indexed by Google” Means: Google can see, crawl, and recognize your citation page (e.g., your Yelp page).
  • 1:59 – How to Check if Your Citations Are Indexed: Use the “site:” command in Google followed by the full URL of your citation (e.g., site:https://www.yelp.com/biz/foster-electric-chattanooga). Don’t just use yelp.com.
  • 2:40 – What You’ll See When a Citation is Indexed: Google will show the specific citation page in the search results.
  • 3:02 – What You’ll See When a Citation is NOT Indexed: Google will indicate that it cannot find the page.
  • 4:15 – How to Get Your Citations Indexed: Use a service like indexmeow.com, which charges around 50 cents per index. Wait about seven days after submitting the URL and then re-check with the “site:” command. Even professionals miss this step.
  • 5:18 – The Importance of Industry-Specific Citations: There are different top citation directories for different industries (e.g., electricians vs. attorneys vs. auto repair).
  • 5:30 – Example: Electrician Directories: Local.yahoo.com, while difficult to get into (primarily through Yext with a potential “sneaky” backdoor), and other electrician-specific directories.
  • 6:10 – Finding Top Citation Directories by Category: MZ Citations: Go to Google and search “MZ citations” and look for “citations by category”. This will show you the top 10 directories for your specific industry. Aim for 7-8 out of 10; local.yahoo.com is not essential for ranking.
  • 7:41 – Where To Buy Citations:
    • Whitespark.ca: Offers Yext replacement and local directory purchases.
    • BrightLocal: Another reputable place to buy citations.
    • Yext: Everything in one dashboard (around $500-$1000/year). However, be cautious of using the same business description across all directories, as Google may not index them to save resources. Use different content on different directories (text and pictures).
    • Fiverr: Can find good sellers who will create citations for your industry and area. Look for five-star sellers. Crucially, ensure you get USA citations if you are located in the US and a spreadsheet of all usernames and passwords for each directory account created (Yelp, Thumbtack, Yellow Pages, etc.). You can use ChatGPT to create 100 different descriptions and find different pictures for each directory. Fiverr can be a cheaper option for this.
  • 11:27 – DIY Citation Building Strategies:
    • Town + Directories: Search Google for “[Your Town] plus directories” to find local directories. It can be time-consuming to find the sign-up buttons, but it’s a budget-friendly option if you have time.
    • Service + Directories: Search Google for “[Your Service] plus directories” (e.g., “electrician plus directories”, “plastic surgeon plus directories”) to find industry-specific directories.
    • Competitor Analysis: Search your top competitor’s domain name in Google (without https:// or www). Look at all the directories they are listed in (e.g., Facebook, Instagram, Yelp, Trustpilot, industry-specific directories like Solar-ENF Solar for electricians in Chattanooga). Go to those directories and list your business as well.
  • 14:43 – Using a Dedicated Email Address for Citations: Create a new email address specifically for citations (e.g., citations@[yourdomain].com) to avoid your main inbox getting flooded with emails from directories. Verify the email addresses when signing up.
  • 16:19 – Adding Citations to Your Website Footer: Create a page on your website (e.g., “Find Us On The Web”) and list all your citations with direct links. Put a link to this page in the footer of your website. This helps Google see and recognize your citations and may prevent them from being de-indexed.
  • 17:03 – Regularly Checking if Your Citations Are Still Indexed: Every six months, assign someone to check if your directories are still indexed using the “site:” command. Google may de-index pages with the same information to save server space.
  • 17:38 – The Goal: More Leads and Family Time: This information is shared to help you get more leads, make more money, and spend more time with your family.
  • 18:35 – Call to Action: Feel free to text the phone number on the screen with any questions or feedback.

What citation strategies are you going to implement first to boost your Google Maps SEO? What are the top 3 directories you aim to be listed in for your industry?