Local SEO & citations glossary
Plain-English definitions of the terms behind local citations and local search. Bookmark it.
Ask Maps
Google's conversational, AI-powered answers inside Google Maps, which took over the job of the retired Business Profile Q&A feature.
Definition →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 →Citation indexing
The point at which a new listing is live, publicly reachable and seen by search engines, as opposed to merely submitted.
Definition →Co-citation
Two businesses or topics being mentioned together on the same pages, which can signal to search engines that they are related.
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 →Geo citation
A citation on a site that serves a specific city, region or country, such as a local chamber of commerce or a national business directory.
Definition →Geo-grid rank tracking
Measuring a business's map-pack position from a grid of points around it, because local rankings change with the searcher's location.
Definition →Geocoding
Turning a written address into map coordinates (latitude and longitude), which decides where a business pin lands.
Definition →Google Business Profile (GBP)
A business’s free profile on Google that powers its appearance in Maps and the local pack.
Definition →Google CID
A numeric customer ID Google uses internally for a business listing in Google Maps, visible in some Maps URLs.
Definition →Knowledge panel
The information box Google shows beside or above search results for an entity, such as a business, brand or person.
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 Finder
The expanded list of local results Google shows after someone clicks past the three businesses in the map pack.
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 →Local Services Ads
Google's pay-per-lead ads for service businesses, shown above the map pack with a Google verification badge.
Definition →LocalBusiness schema
Structured-data markup that tells search engines and AI a business’s NAP and details in a machine-readable form.
Definition →Location page
A page on a business's own website dedicated to one physical location or service area, carrying that location's exact NAP and details.
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 →NAP syndication
Automated distribution of a business’s NAP to a directory network through a paid platform’s data feed.
Definition →NAP+W
Name, Address, Phone plus Website: the four fields a citation should repeat identically everywhere a business is listed.
Definition →Niche citation
A listing on an industry-specific directory, such as Avvo for lawyers or Zillow for real estate.
Definition →Place ID
The unique identifier Google gives each place in Google Maps, used to build a direct review link and to reference a business unambiguously.
Definition →Practitioner listing
A Google Business Profile for an individual professional, such as a doctor, lawyer or real estate agent, who works at a practice.
Definition →Primary category (GBP)
The one main category on a Google Business Profile, the field Google leans on most to decide which searches a profile is relevant for.
Definition →Review gating
Screening customers first and asking only the happy ones for a public review, a practice Google's review policies prohibit.
Definition →Review signals
The quantity, quality, velocity and diversity of online reviews that influence local rankings.
Definition →Review velocity
The pace at which a business earns new reviews over time, as opposed to its total review count.
Definition →Service-area business (SAB)
A business that serves customers at their location rather than from a storefront, like a plumber.
Definition →Share of Local Voice (SoLV)
The share of tracked searches and map points where a business appears in the local pack, a single visibility score for local SEO.
Definition →Structured citation
A formal directory listing with dedicated fields for a business’s NAP.
Definition →Suggested edits
Changes to a business profile proposed by users or by Google's own systems, which can go live without the owner's action.
Definition →Unstructured citation
A NAP mention embedded in other content, like a news article, blog post or event page.
Definition →White label local SEO
An agency reselling local SEO work produced by another provider under the agency's own brand.
Definition →Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a citation and a business listing?
A business listing is the profile a directory holds for you: the “container”. The citation is the name, address and phone (NAP) information inside it. One listing carries one citation.
What does NAP stand for?
NAP stands for Name, Address and Phone number: the core data in every local citation. The extended form, NAP+W, also includes the website URL.
What is a data aggregator?
A data aggregator collects business information and distributes it to many downstream directories and apps at once. Their influence has waned as Google, Apple and Bing rely more on their own verification, but they still matter in some markets.
Why does citation terminology matter for local SEO?
Understanding the terms helps you build the right citations: prioritising authority, consistency and relevance over raw volume, which is what actually moves local rankings and feeds AI answers.
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