Local citation
A listing of your business name, address and phone number on another site, like Yelp or a chamber directory.
In plain English
In local SEO, “citation” means a directory listing, not an AI source link. Consistent listings across trusted directories help search engines and AI tools confirm your business is real, where it is and what it does.
In practice
A bakery’s address is old on two directories. AI tools give the wrong location until the listings match.
Local citationvsCitation
A local citation is a directory listing of your name, address and phone. An AI citation is a source an AI answer credits.
Related terms
Citations & visibilityStarter Citation A source an AI answer links to or credits. For buyers who ask AI, it is the new page one. In practice, and related terms → Content & structurePro Entity A real, distinct thing AI can recognise, like your company, a service, a person or a city, rather than just a word. In practice, and related terms → Citations & visibilityStarter Third-party mentions What other sites say about you: reviews, news stories, directories, forums and industry lists. In practice, and related terms →