You've claimed your Google Business Profile. Your website has the right keywords. But there's a third pillar of local SEO that most small business owners overlook: citations and schema markup.
These two elements work quietly in the background — and getting them right can meaningfully improve where you appear in local search results.
What Local Citations Are
A citation is any mention of your business on the internet that includes your Name, Address, and Phone number (NAP). Every time a directory, review site, or local website lists your business with this information, that's a citation.
Why they matter: Google cross-references your business information across hundreds of sources to confirm you're a legitimate, established business. Consistent citations signal trustworthiness. Inconsistent ones — where your address is listed differently on different sites, or your old phone number still appears somewhere — create confusion and can suppress your local rankings.
The Core Citation Sources
Not all citations are equal. These are the most important:
Tier 1: Must-Have (Free, High Authority)
| Directory | Why It Matters |
|---|---|
| Google Business Profile | The most important. Controls your Maps listing. |
| Bing Places for Business | Microsoft's search engine — still significant volume |
| Apple Maps | iPhone users searching locally see this |
| Yelp | High domain authority, often ranks above your site |
| Facebook Business Page | Major trust signal, also drives direct traffic |
| Better Business Bureau | Trust signal, especially for service businesses |
Tier 2: Important Secondary Sources
- Foursquare (feeds dozens of other apps and directories)
- Yellow Pages / YP.com
- Angi (formerly Angie's List) — especially for home services
- HomeAdvisor — home services
- Houzz — home improvement, design, landscaping
- TripAdvisor — restaurants, hospitality, tourism
- Healthgrades / Zocdoc — healthcare
Tier 3: Industry-Specific and Local
- Local Chamber of Commerce websites
- Kitsap-specific business directories
- Industry association member directories
- Local newspaper business listings
The NAP Consistency Rule
Your Name, Address, and Phone number must be identical across every citation. This is where most businesses have problems.
Common NAP inconsistencies that hurt rankings:
- "Main Street" vs. "Main St" vs. "Main St."
- Suite numbers sometimes included, sometimes not
- Old phone number on a few directories from when you changed numbers
- Business name sometimes including "LLC" or "Inc." and sometimes not
- Former address still listed somewhere
How to audit your citations:
- Search Google for your exact business name in quotes:
"Your Business Name" - Check the first 5–10 pages for directory listings
- Compare each listing against your "master" NAP information
- Note any discrepancies — these need to be corrected
Make a spreadsheet. It's tedious but important. Inconsistencies you've had for years are actively suppressing your rankings.
Building New Citations
Once your existing citations are clean, you can build new ones. Prioritize:
- Complete any Tier 1 directories you haven't claimed. These are free and high-value.
- Claim industry-specific directories relevant to your business type.
- Get listed in local directories: Kitsap Chamber of Commerce, local business associations, neighborhood business groups.
- Sponsor local events or organizations — the backlink and citation from a .org or .gov domain carries real weight.
The right pace: Add 5–10 new citations per month. A sudden flood of new citations looks unnatural to Google's algorithm.
What Schema Markup Is
Schema markup is structured data — code added to your website that tells search engines exactly what your business is. Instead of Google having to interpret your page, you tell it directly: "This is a local business. This is our address. These are our hours. This is what we do."
It's invisible to visitors but read by search engines. Businesses with properly implemented schema often see richer search results (called rich snippets) and improved local rankings.
The Most Important Schema Types for Local Business
LocalBusiness Schema
This is the foundational schema for any local business. It tells Google:
{
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "LocalBusiness",
"name": "Your Business Name",
"address": {
"@type": "PostalAddress",
"streetAddress": "123 Main Street",
"addressLocality": "Port Orchard",
"addressRegion": "WA",
"postalCode": "98366",
"addressCountry": "US"
},
"telephone": "+1-360-555-0100",
"url": "https://yourbusiness.com",
"openingHours": ["Mo-Fr 08:00-17:00", "Sa 09:00-14:00"],
"geo": {
"@type": "GeoCoordinates",
"latitude": 47.5451,
"longitude": -122.6310
}
}
Where it goes: In a <script type="application/ld+json"> tag in the <head> of your homepage and contact page.
Business type matters: Instead of generic "LocalBusiness," use the most specific type that applies: LandscapingBusiness, DentalClinic, Restaurant, AutoRepair, RealEstateAgent, etc. Full list at Schema.org.
FAQPage Schema
If your page includes a FAQ section, marking it up with FAQPage schema makes it eligible for expanded search result displays — where the questions appear directly in Google results, taking up much more screen space.
This significantly increases click-through rates from search.
Review / AggregateRating Schema
If you display customer reviews on your site, this schema tells Google your average rating and review count. It can trigger star ratings to appear in your search result — another click-through rate booster.
BreadcrumbList Schema
Tells Google the hierarchy of your site pages. Helpful for larger sites with multiple levels of navigation.
How to Add Schema to Your Website
Option 1: WordPress (or other CMS) Plugins like Yoast SEO, Rank Math, or Schema Pro handle the basics automatically. For local business schema, you'll still need to configure your business details manually.
Option 2: Manual implementation
Copy the JSON-LD template above, fill in your business details, and paste it into your site's <head> section. Most website builders allow custom code injection.
Option 3: Google Tag Manager Paste the schema code as a Custom HTML tag, triggered on all pages (or specific pages for page-type schema).
Validating Your Schema
After implementing schema, always validate it:
- Google Rich Results Test: search.google.com/test/rich-results — paste your URL or code and see exactly what Google reads
- Schema.org Validator: validator.schema.org — broader schema validation
- Google Search Console: The "Enhancements" section shows if Google has detected schema on your site and whether it has any errors
Fix any errors the validator flags before moving on.
The Local SEO Trifecta
Citations and schema are two of three pillars that support your local search visibility:
- Google Business Profile — your primary local listing (complete guide →)
- Citations — consistent NAP across the web (this article)
- On-page SEO — your website optimized for local keywords (complete guide →)
These three work together. A strong GBP with weak citations underperforms. Great citations with a slow website underperform. All three at a consistent level is where you start dominating local search.
A Practical Citations Checklist
Month 1: Audit and fix - [ ] Document your "master" NAP (exact business name, address, phone as you want them everywhere) - [ ] Search for existing citations and log inconsistencies - [ ] Correct any inconsistencies you find - [ ] Claim any unclaimed Tier 1 directories
Month 2: Build - [ ] Submit to remaining Tier 2 directories relevant to your industry - [ ] Submit to Kitsap County / local business directories - [ ] Implement LocalBusiness schema on your website - [ ] Validate schema with Google Rich Results Test
Ongoing: - [ ] Add 5–10 new citations per month - [ ] Check for new inconsistencies quarterly - [ ] Update all citations immediately if your address, phone, or hours change
Need help with your local SEO setup? Buzz Cue works with Kitsap County businesses on the full local SEO stack.
Kitsap County business? Want to put these local SEO tactics to work? We offer SEO services built for Kitsap County businesses.
