# What is Citation?

> In local SEO, a citation is any mention of your business name, address and phone number on another website, such as a directory, trade body or local listings site.

- Source: https://nerdsharks.com/glossary/citation
- Publisher: Nerdsharks (Exeter, Devon, UK)
- Updated: 2026-09-26

Also called: local citation, business listing, directory listing.

A citation is simply your business details appearing somewhere online other than your own website. Directories like Yell, Thomson Local and Bing Places, trade platforms like Checkatrade or Rated People, and membership listings from bodies you belong to all count.

Citations help Google confirm your business exists where you say it does. A link back to your website is a bonus but not required; the name, address and phone number are the important part.

More is not automatically better. A handful of accurate listings on well-known, relevant sites does more than hundreds on junk directories that nobody visits. Be wary of anyone selling ‘500 citations’ as a package.

## Why it matters for a small business

Accurate citations support your position in local results and give customers other places to find your number. Wrong ones do the opposite. Cleaning up the main listings is a one-off job that keeps paying off, and it is a task you can check yourself without trusting anyone's report.

**Example:** A registered electrician appears on their scheme's public ‘find an electrician’ search, their Checkatrade profile and Bing Places, all with the same name, address and number as their website. Those are three solid citations.