citation

A complete or partial web-based reference to a business’s name, address, phone number and other core data. Structured citations can occur in the form of formal local business listings on local business data platforms, or can be of an unstructured nature, occurring as simple mentions of a business on a blog, news site, website, or other online publication. For a complete understanding of the role of citations in local SEO, read Local Listings and SEO. See also: directory, IYP (Internet Yellow Pages), unstructured citation.

Structured citations occur when your NAP(W) data shows up on Internet yellow pages (IYP) or other specialized directories. These websites are generally collections of businesses of a specific type or within a certain locale. An example of a local directory would be a site like the Omaha Chamber of Commerce, whereas a specialized directory would be more specific to the industry, like this �find a dentist� site.

Unstructured Citations are a bit more relaxed. These citations are more likely to appear on local blogs, in local newspapers, on social media, and in other more �relaxed� places. Unstructured citations aren�t always complete citations. Sometimes, they�re partial mentions of a business�maybe just a business name, or a name and a phone number, or even just the address of the business. These are less likely to be something your business has attempted to build and more likely to arise from someone else talking about your business.