A lot more citations than competitors OK?
-
Is it OK to have 2 times as many citations as competitors?
I want to make up for factors such as less reviews.
-
Hi BobGW,
Provided you are getting them from quality sources, then, no, I would not be concerned about having more citations that competitors. However, if you have far surpassed your competitors in the number of citations you've earned and it isn't achieving a defined goal (like rankings for certain target keywords), then I would recommend that you devote effort to other pieces of the puzzle. So, for example, if it's obvious that a business is lacking reviews, turning your attention there would likely be a wiser use of time/budget than continuing to build citations if you've already outdistanced the competition in that area.
*Nota Bene: Though you didn't ask about this, Bob, I will add - don't get a ton more reviews than any of your competitors. While you want to have more reviews than your direct competitors, you don't want to earn a TON more as this can look spammy.
-
It shouldn't hurt unless you are stooping to the low end secondary citation sites and spam directories. They can hurt you just like any spammy source sites can hurt.
You might be at a point of diminishing returns if you have covered the majority of high authority citation sites, industry-specific sites, and hyperlocal directories (BBB, Chamber, etc).
The best way to make up for "factors such as less reviews" is to start focusing more energy on that. A diversified strategy is always going to be better than a lopsided one. I think we all get into a little creative avoidance when it comes to getting more reviews, but it is an important part and it sounds like it is time for you to put your energies there.
-
I'd say just don't make it look spammy, uncle G is going bananas with spammers and may just roll out punishing updates for citations in a few years if people abuse this too.
i mean, who is to know after them two dreaded double P updates they pulled
-
I don't see how this can hurt. Since citations are just simply mentions, and you can't really insert your self into other pages (unless your a hacker).
In fact I think it could help in a small way.
Just make sure that it not a listing, not that listings are bad or anything. Just know the difference. If it a listing on a site like Yelp or yellow pages or something like that the create an account and claim that listing.A great tool for this is (recently purchased by SEOMOZ), getlisted.org
Got a burning SEO question?
Subscribe to Moz Pro to gain full access to Q&A, answer questions, and ask your own.
Browse Questions
Explore more categories
-
Moz Tools
Chat with the community about the Moz tools.
-
SEO Tactics
Discuss the SEO process with fellow marketers
-
Community
Discuss industry events, jobs, and news!
-
Digital Marketing
Chat about tactics outside of SEO
-
Research & Trends
Dive into research and trends in the search industry.
-
Support
Connect on product support and feature requests.
Related Questions
-
How do you deal with Google knowledge graph showing competitor for a generic query?
Search for keywords like criminal defense lawyer detroit or criminal defense lawyer detroit mi and Google knowledge graph is highlighting one competitor. No maps results are shown. How have others dealt with this situation? I know others have noticed this too: http://www.webpronews.com/sometimes-googles-knowledge-graph-highlights-brands-for-generic-queries-2013-10
Image & Video Optimization | | AdamThompson0 -
Citation building for service area businesses?
Hi Mozzers, Just recently came up with a situation where a business has a service area, but no address that would be displayed. Can you do citation building for a service area business like this, and if so, how? Would you just use the (otherwise hidden in Places) address? Thanks!
Image & Video Optimization | | TechWyse4 -
Local Citation Sites
After searching through many local citation site I find that most only apply to the US. Are there any really good ones in Canada?
Image & Video Optimization | | casper4340 -
Does anyone have experience with ecinity.com as a vehicle for populating local search directories? If yes, how would you rank it as a competitor to Localeze and UBL?
I've been approached by the company to use their tool. It has functionality beyond just populating local data sources which I'm not concerned with. I just want to know how it ranks in terms of local directory coverage. They claim 85% of the local directories will be populated.
Image & Video Optimization | | DonnaDuncan0 -
Local citations | Local search
What is the best way to find local resources to gain reviews and citations from to help with strengthening your position in Google Places?
Image & Video Optimization | | echo10 -
Is my Google Places page ok?
Hey everyone, Google Places is incredibly frustrating for me. One day we are listed, the next we are gone. If I am logged in to my Gmail we rank differently altogether. I have a few questions... http://maps.google.com/maps/place?hl=en&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.&biw=1421&bih=726&um=1&ie=UTF-8&q=pet+medical+center+of+las+vegas&fb=1&gl=us&hq=pet+medical+center+of&hnear=0x80beb782a4f57dd1:0x3accd5e6d5b379a3,Las+Vegas,+NV&cid=13431404354265657899&ei=wbQITujpFpSLsALbuenkDQ&sa=X&oi=local_result&ct=placepage-link&resnum=1&ved=0CCoQ4gkwAA First off, does the page look to be optimized for the best results? Trying to rank for vet las vegas (ideally. Any tips or thoughts? Are there any sites that will track your rankings in Google Places for different listings? Is my places description ok? How often does Google Places update their listings - find new reviews, update their "find our more about this place" section, etc.? Anything else? Thanks for your help! Brant
Image & Video Optimization | | PMC-3120870 -
Citations have dissapeared from places listing
This site citations have dissapeared from the 'more about this place' and looks to have effected the maps ranking by dropping the listing a few places: http://maps.google.com.au/maps/place?hl=en&ie=UTF8&q=stella+settlements&fb=1&gl=au&hq=stella+settlements&hnear=Perth+WA&cid=9895804169495459418&z=14 The citations that have been removed are: http://www.truelocal.com.au/business/stella-settlements/burswood http://www.hotfrog.com.au/Companies/Stella-Settlements http://www.yellowpages.com.au/wa/burswood/stella-settlements-13951907-listing.html (all of these are listed on other competitors citations currently) (also the places page is using the reviews on Truelocal.com.au listing above which is strange) Do you know why these citations listings have been removed, however these have not been removed on competitors places pages by Google? thanks
Image & Video Optimization | | nickydunin0 -
Will linking to my citation sources help google recognize them / credit my places account?
Or does google treat this behavior the same way as a reciprocal link and discount any credibility of the citation?
Image & Video Optimization | | adriandg0