Mentions Links & Citations: The Online Marketing Tools of the Week
As a local business, it’s important to make sure you know the difference between mentions and citations and how each of them benefits your company. This online marketing tool of the week can be a powerful asset as long as you know how to use it properly. While you have little control over these elements, you need to work with experienced content marketers who understand their value and can help you leverage them to your advantage.
What Are Mention Links?
Mentions basically refer to every instance where an individual or other business uses your business’s name for any reason. However, not all of them will lead back to your site. Those that do link back to your site allow you to reach an audience you may not otherwise attract. In addition to bringing new traffic to your site by clicking on these mention links, they can also play a role in your search engine optimization, increasing your search rankings.
In addition to mention links that appear on other websites, listing websites also offer link mentions. Because your website is typically linked to your business name on these sites, it’s likely people who find you on these sites will also click on your website. This is why it’s so important to make sure your listings are accurate and there is no duplication.
What Are Citations?
A citation is defined as an online listing typically including your company’s name, physical address and phone number, also known as your NAP info. The search engines send out their spiders and make note every time your business is cited. Because of this, citation links back to your website are valuable assets to your online presence. The more citations, the higher your ranking.
Structured and Unstructured Citations
There are two kinds of citations you should be aware of so you can fully understand how they work and why they are important to your online success. In general terms, structured citations are those that can be found on websites designed for this purpose, including local listing websites and review websites. In contrast, unstructured citations are those that can be found on blogs, websites, event listings, newspaper sites and more. Essentially, these are citations that are found in articles written by other people.
Why Are They Important?
Web content writers understand the importance of mentions and citations, even when businesses don’t fully grasp the value in them. The good news is the search engines do place great value on any instance of your business’s name online, helping to improve your rankings and naturally drive more traffic to your website. This is even more important for smaller local businesses that already struggle to keep up with their larger competitors. Online content writers can then leverage your good rankings and improve upon them by creating valuable content that uses the right keywords.
The Importance of Managing Your Listings
While you don’t have control over many of your citations and mentions, there are a few things you can do to manage the information available about your company. Listing websites may gather information from a number of sources, but it’s up to you to make sure that information is accurate and complete. Frequently checking these listings will help you track whether the information is listed as it should be. In addition, it’s important to make sure the information is consistently formatted between all of the listing sites. You should also monitor for duplicate listings, which can cause problems with your search rankings.
Online content writers can help you choose the right keywords and boost your search rankings through valuable content. However, this isn’t the only factor in whether your customers or prospects will be able to find you. In fact, mentions and citations both play a critical role in reaching your target audience. Small local businesses need to pay careful attention to all of these factors because every minor piece of information adds up to greater benefits for your site.
If you’re looking for web content writers who can help you manage your mentions and citations, contact us. We can provide the services you need to ensure your website ranks well and attracts more traffic.
