---
title: "What Are Local Citations in SEO? | Kihan Marketing"
description: "A local citation is any online mention of a business name, address and phone number. What counts, and why citations matter for a property manager."
url: https://kihanmarketing.com/glossary/local-citations/
published: 2026-10-16
updated: 2026-10-16
author: "Atisam Elahi"
---

# Local Citations

Listings and mentions that confirm where a business is

A local citation is any online mention of a business's name, address and phone number, such as a listing on Yelp, Bing Places, Apple Business Connect, the Better Business Bureau or an industry directory. Citations help search engines and AI assistants confirm that a business exists where it says it does, and consistent ones support its place in local results.

By [Atisam Elahi](https://kihanmarketing.com/atisam/), SEO Strategist

## What counts as a local citation?

Two kinds. A structured citation is a listing in a directory with fields for the name, address, phone number, hours and categories. An unstructured citation is a mention in running text, such as a local news story or a supplier's page naming the business and where it is. Both count, as long as the details match.

## Why do local citations matter for a property management company?

Owners checking out a manager often look it up in more than one place before they call. A management company that appears with the same details on the main directories, its industry's listings and local business groups looks established. One that appears with three different addresses, or not at all, gives an owner a reason to call someone else.

For example, a management company that has grown from one office to two needs both locations listed consistently, each with its own address and phone number, on its website, its Google Business Profiles and the directories owners use. If the second office exists only on the website, search engines have little outside evidence that it does.

## Related terms

- **NAP consistency.** [Keeping the details identical](https://kihanmarketing.com/glossary/nap-consistency/) across every citation.
- **Google Business Profile.** Google's [own listing](https://kihanmarketing.com/glossary/google-business-profile/) for the business.
- **Owner leads.** [Inquiries from property owners](https://kihanmarketing.com/glossary/owner-leads/), which a credible local footprint helps win.

Citation building is part of our [local SEO](https://kihanmarketing.com/services/local-seo/) work. Our full guide, [local citations for SEO](https://kihanmarketing.com/local-citations/), lists the directories worth the time and the ones that are not.

## Keep reading

- [Local SEO](https://kihanmarketing.com/services/local-seo/): Your Google Business Profile and map pack rankings, for customers searching nearby.
- [NAP Consistency](https://kihanmarketing.com/glossary/nap-consistency/): Your name, address and phone number, identical everywhere they appear.
- [Property Management Marketing](https://kihanmarketing.com/property-management-marketing/): Marketing for management companies: owner leads, renter search and rebuilt property management websites.