What is Local Citation?
A local citation is any online mention of a business’s key information (typically its Name, Address, and Phone number (NAP)) on a third-party site. Put simply, it’s a reference to your business’s existence and contact details on the web, outside of your own website.
Common examples of local citations include business listings on directories like Google Business Profile (Google Maps), Yelp, Yellow Pages, Bing Places, Facebook, Apple Maps, industry-specific directories, or even local chamber of commerce websites.
The citation might be a full business profile (with name, address, phone, website URL, hours, etc.) or just a plain text mention of the business name and address on some webpage.
From an SEO perspective…
Local citations are a key component of Local SEO, which is the practice of optimizing for searches that have local intent. Citations signal to search engines that your business is legitimate and tied to a certain area or areas.
In fact, local citations (and the consistency of your NAP info across them) are among the top local ranking factors. Research shows they’re the 5th most significant ranking factor for appearing in Google’s local “map pack” (the map and 3 listings that show for local queries), and the 4th most important factor for regular localized search results.
The reason is that Google wants to be confident that when it shows a local business, that business actually serves that area and has verifiable information. If your SaaS product’s details are uniformly mentioned on numerous reputable sites (say, software directories and local business listings), it reinforces trust in the accuracy of your location and contact info.
Aside from the NAP basics, many citation sites allow (or even encourage) adding more info: website URL, business description, category, hours of operation, photos, etc. The more complete your citation listings, the better. A detailed profile on, say, Yelp or Capterra not only gives users info and possibly backlinks to your site, but also presents more content for search engines to chew on regarding your business relevance.
For SaaS companies, being listed in software directories (like G2, Capterra, etc.) is somewhat analogous to local citations – those profiles often list company details and serve as trust signals (though they aren’t “local” citations per se, they function similarly for SEO credibility).
Why do local citations matter for SEO?
For one, they can improve your visibility in local search results.
If someone searches “[category] software near me” or includes a location in their query, strong citation presence can help you rank in those results.
Even for SaaS without walk-in customers, this might apply if the user is inclined to look for vendors in their region or country. Moreover, citations on popular directories often rank well on their own. For example, a search for “CRM in Manchester” might show a Yelp or Yell.com page of software companies in Manchester.
If your business is listed there, you benefit from that visibility (even if your own site wasn’t ranking on page 1).
Many directory and review sites (like Yelp, G2, Clutch.co for B2B services, etc.) have high domain authority and often appear high in search results – being present on those can indirectly get you in front of searchers via the directory’s ranking.
This is especially valuable for competitive keywords where your site alone might struggle to rank; riding on the coattails of a directory’s SEO strength can snag you traffic, leads, and revenue.
Citations can drive referral traffic and leads from the platforms themselves.
Think of how many people use Google Maps or Yelp to find businesses – a complete and optimized listing can attract visitors and build your brand.
Even if you’re a cloud software provider, if you have a Google Business Profile listing (with a proper category like “Software Company”), you could get some local traffic or at least have a presence that adds credibility (some clients like to know a company has a real office address listed).
Citations also sometimes provide an SEO benefit in the form of backlinks.
Many directories let you add your website URL – sometimes it’s a dofollow link, other times it’s nofollow, but either way it can send traffic and potentially contribute to your backlink profile diversity. For instance, BrightLocal research noted that some citation sites still allow dofollow links, which can contribute a bit to your link building efforts
Even nofollowed links can have indirect SEO value (exposure, traffic that leads to other links, etc.). At the very least, a variety of citation links makes your backlink profile look natural.
Types of local citations
They generally fall into a few categories – major general directories, industry-specific directories, local-specific sites, and data aggregators.
Major general directories
Major general ones include Google Business Profile, Bing Places, Yelp, Facebook, Apple Maps, Foursquare, etc. These are must-haves. For a SaaS business, also consider software review platforms (Capterra, G2, TrustRadius) as analogous citations; they list NAP and are important for web presence.
Industry-specific
Industry-specific might be something like if you have a SaaS for legal industry, being listed on legal tech directories or associations; for real estate SaaS, getting on a real estate vendors listing site.
Local-specific
Local-specific could be city business directories or regional listings, if relevant (e.g., “TechNYC directory” if you’re a New York-based tech firm).
Finally, Data aggregators
Data aggregators are services like Data Axle (formerly InfoGroup), Localeze, Factual, and Foursquare (which also acts as an aggregator now) that feed business info to a bunch of smaller sites. Submitting your consistent NAP to those aggregators can proliferate your citation across many platforms automatically.
Best practices for local citations
1. Pin down your NAP & Google Business Profile
Ensure your NAP info is 100% correct on your website first (often in the footer or Contact page). Use that as the canonical reference. Then claim and update your Google Business Profile – it’s arguably the most important citation of all. Fill it out completely.
2. Explore other platforms
Next, submit to the other major platforms (Yelp, Bing, Apple Maps, etc.). Use the exact same business name each time (even down to punctuation). If your
SaaS is a registered business with a certain name, use it consistently; don’t add extra keywords to your name in citations (Google actually has guidelines against putting taglines or descriptors in your Google Business name field unless it’s part of your legal business name).
Choose the proper categories when applicable (for example, on directories choose “Software Company” or a more specific category if available, like “Marketing Software”).
Provide a thorough description if allowed, and a link to your website. Include photos or a logo where possible – profiles with photos often get more engagement.
3. Encourage reviews
Ask customers to leave reviews on some of these citation platforms (especially Google and industry-specific review sites).
While reviews are a separate factor, they often appear alongside your citations (e.g., your Google listing star rating shows up in search), and they bolster credibility of those listings.
4. One more nuanced point: local citations can help establish trust and prominence even if the search isn’t explicitly local.
For example, having your SaaS listed in authoritative directories (Crunchbase, SoftwareWorld, etc.) makes your brand appear more legitimate. Google’s quality evaluators have something called E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness) – being cited on other sites contributes to that “Authority” and “Trust.” It’s not a direct ranking factor, but it’s part of the overall SEO picture.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do SaaS companies need local citations?
Yes, especially if you serve specific regions or operate in competitive markets. Even if you’re not a local brick-and-mortar business, accurate citations help boost credibility, improve visibility in regional searches, and support your overall SEO strategy by making your business more discoverable online.
Why is consistency in local citations important?
Inconsistent NAP info—like a different address on Yelp than on Google—confuses both users and search engines. It can hurt your local rankings and reduce trust. Keeping your business name, address, and phone number identical everywhere helps build authority and signals legitimacy to search engines.
How do local citations affect local SEO rankings?
Citations are a key factor in local SEO. Search engines use them to validate your business details. More accurate, relevant listings mean better chances of appearing in local packs, Google Maps, and third-party directories—especially if you're competing for local or regional search visibility.
How many local citations should a business have?
There’s no magic number, but many businesses ranking on page 1 have 50–80+ quality citations. Focus on major platforms and relevant niche directories. It's not just about volume—getting listed on the right platforms with consistent info matters more than spamming every directory you find.
Can local citations bring direct traffic?
Yes, absolutely. Directory listings often rank well on Google, which means people may find you through those third-party sites even if your own site isn’t at the top. That brings extra visibility and potential referral traffic—especially useful if your site is still growing.
How do I manage my local citations effectively?
Treat them like live assets. Keep them updated if you move, rebrand, or change phone numbers. Monitor for duplicates or errors. Using tools or citation services can help streamline this, especially if you’re listed on dozens of platforms and need to keep everything aligned.
