Local SEO & citations glossary
Plain-English definitions of the terms behind local citations and local search — bookmark it.
Business listing
A profile of a business on a directory or platform, containing its NAP and other details.
Definition →Citation audit
A review of a business’s existing citations to find inaccuracies, duplicates and gaps.
Definition →Citation building
The process of creating accurate, consistent business listings across relevant directories.
Definition →Data aggregator
A company that collects and distributes business data to many downstream directories at once.
Definition →Dofollow vs nofollow directory
Whether a directory’s link passes SEO authority (dofollow) or not (nofollow).
Definition →Duplicate listing
More than one listing for the same business on the same directory, splitting its ranking signals.
Definition →Google Business Profile (GBP)
A business’s free profile on Google that powers its appearance in Maps and the local pack.
Definition →Local citation
Any online mention of a business’s name, address and phone number (NAP) on a directory, listing site or social platform.
Definition →Local directory
A website that lists businesses by location and/or category, such as Yelp or Yellow Pages.
Definition →Local pack (map pack)
The block of three local business results with a map that Google shows for local searches.
Definition →Local SEO
The practice of optimising a business to rank in local search results and the map pack.
Definition →LocalBusiness schema
Structured-data markup that tells search engines and AI a business’s NAP and details in a machine-readable form.
Definition →NAP
Shorthand for a business’s Name, Address and Phone number — the core data in every local citation.
Definition →NAP consistency
Having identical Name, Address and Phone data across every citation and directory.
Definition →Niche citation
A listing on an industry-specific directory, such as Avvo for lawyers or Zillow for real estate.
Definition →Review signals
The quantity, quality, velocity and diversity of online reviews that influence local rankings.
Definition →Service-area business (SAB)
A business that serves customers at their location rather than from a storefront, like a plumber.
Definition →Structured citation
A formal directory listing with dedicated fields for a business’s NAP.
Definition →Unstructured citation
A NAP mention embedded in other content, like a news article, blog post or event page.
Definition →From definitions to done
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