{"id":57,"date":"2012-09-13T02:45:12","date_gmt":"2012-09-13T02:45:12","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.marketerscenter.com\/blog\/?p=57"},"modified":"2024-03-15T05:21:42","modified_gmt":"2024-03-15T05:21:42","slug":"testing-the-ranking-effects-of-citations-on-local-business-websites","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.marketerscenter.com\/blog\/testing-the-ranking-effects-of-citations-on-local-business-websites\/","title":{"rendered":"Testing the Ranking Effects of Citations on Local Business Websites"},"content":{"rendered":"

Just within the last couple of weeks, I have been running an experiment on the effects of local citations on the rankings for local businesses. Because of the results of this experiment, I am hoping to launch a unique citation service within the next couple of weeks.<\/p>\n

Why These Work Well Post-Panda<\/h2>\n

These citations are basically raw or branded linked URLs with the business address below.<\/p>\n

There’s no need to worry about over-optimization or getting tagged for unnatural link building. These are for the most part nice authority business directories in which every business should be listed.<\/p>\n

What The Data Tells Us<\/h2>\n

Preliminary results look really promising. For businesses that are already on the map, I’ve already been tracking some pretty decent results from landing about 40+ solid citations.<\/p>\n

Here are a couple of screenshots of some of my test subject’s results.
\n<\/p>\n

\"Just<\/a>
4th – 2nd page<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Bottom of page 1 to #1<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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40-something to top of 2nd page<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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#6 to #3 – this was an interesting project. We were given 4 keywords all on the front page and got raises across the board.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

((Sorry these screenshots above\u00a0were lost sometime in 2013 after this WordPress install was hacked))<\/strong><\/p>\n

Keep in mind, while the keywords themselves are usually what you’d consider being the most un-competitive in the marketing space, this ranking right here is perfect for your local clients. It’s all 100% safe ranking suitable for client work.<\/p>\n

September 2013 Update<\/h2>\n

How Many Citations Do You Really Need To Front-Page A Local Business?<\/h3>\n

It’s difficult to say exactly how many because it all depends on the competition, but I can share a quick case study that is insightful.<\/p>\n

A few quick takeaways:<\/p>\n