Free Local Citations For Australian Businesses

Australian Local citations for businesses refer to any mention of a local business name, phone number, and address online. Local citations may occur on websites, local business directories, and on various social platforms. Local citations aid Internet users in the discovery of all tradies online businesses and have an impact on local search engine rankings.

What Are Local Citations for Tradies Businesses?

The company name, address, and phone number (NAP) are the key components of a local business citations. However, these are not the only things included. Besides the NAP, a local citation may include either some or all of the following elements:

• Business Information
• Operating Hours
• Business Categories
• Acceptable Payment Forms
• Email Addresses
• Social Media Links
• Reviews
• Owner Responses
• Videos
• Images
• Driving Directions
• Alternative Phone Numbers
• Fax Numbers
• Taglines
• Geo-Coordinates

Where To Find Local AU Business Citations ?

You will typically find local citations for businesses on the following platforms.

For Tradesmen & Handymen you can create free local citations for Australian businesses at www.skilledtradies.com.au

Major Local Business Data Platforms. Local marketers and business owners can create citations on various local business platforms designed to publish data of this type.

Industry Or Geo-Specific Platforms. Besides building on the key business listings data platforms, build citations on websites specific to your unique location or industry.

The Wider Web. You can build supplementary citations on various publications that include news local directories, blogs, maps, government databases, apps, and more. The citation sources can be either developed intentionally for your business or earned based on public interest and merit.

It’s also worth noting that citations sometimes appear without the business taking any action. Citations may result from automated aggregation as well as the data flow from the local business data platforms.

Why Are Local Citations Important?

Local business citations influence the two scenarios below that relate to local businesses.

1.    Local business citations can affect local search engine rankings in either a positive or negative way. The number of citations built by a business, accuracy of data & the quality of platforms can all affect rankings. Search engines collect data about businesses. If they encounter accurate data, they trust its validity and this increases the likelihood of the business ranking well. However, if they encounter inconsistent data, trust is eroded leading to poorer rankings.

2.    Local business citations can impact consumers in either a positive or negative way. Accurate citations help Internet users discover local businesses which results in web traffic leading to increased transactions and revenue. However, inaccurate citations can misdirect your customers leading to a loss of revenue and reputation.

How Do Local Business Citations Influence Local Search?

Citations may no longer be the weighted ranking signal they used to be. However they’re still important when it comes to ensuring that your website performs well in local search. Local business citations help increase the signals by achieving the following.

Building Local Authority. Citations found on high DA websites are as effective for local search results as backlinks are to boosting organic rankings. By increasing the authority of your domain locally you will legitimize your business. This helps prove your business as an entity with ties to the community that wants more customers locally.

Reinforcing Geographic Ties. Local citations contain your physical business location. It’s taken into account by Google when they present results from queries that use geographic keywords with local search. Use correct citations to maintain a consistent geographic presence. Your company will maintain and even improve its relevance to its own location.

How to Build Citations So That They Impact Consumers Positively

Avoid Changing Your Phone Numbers. Your business might have several phone numbers for the purposes of call tracking. This doesn’t mean that you need to include all in your local Australian citation. Pick one public facing number then stick with it.

Ensure That Your Address is Accurate. If your address contains an office or suite number, it is important to include this information in all the citations. Just missing the tiniest of details is enough to ruin your local SEO strategy. Check the postal code for accuracy and ensure that all members of your team know the proper address in full.

Ensure that All Citations Are Identical. All the local business citations should not have any variance with regards to their naming conventions. Doing this may create NAP confusion and this makes it harder for the search engines to trust your company locally. When it comes to local SEO, even the spelling counts.

Avoid Mismatched Listings. Having duplicate or inconsistent citations on the same websites can lead to action being taken against your business by search engines. Google may decide to include a “closed permanently” tag on your Google Map listing, which can be a disaster.

How Do You Acquire New Local Business Citations?

For Tradesmen & Handymen you can create free local citations for Australian businesses in our directory. We also have an option to build an additional 150 business citations for your business.  It’s worth keeping in mind that the strategy is not about quantity. Avoid hiring a third-party to build citations in bulk or any website that advertises “free SEO directory listings.”