Many local businesses encounter a common problem when building backlinks for Google:
The website already has dozens or even hundreds of directory links, and the number of referring domains is increasing, but there’s still no noticeable change in how it performs in Google Maps and local search results when searching for local keywords like “service + city.”
The problem may not be that “there aren’t enough backlinks,” but rather that from the very beginning, Business Citation Links and General Directory Submissions They were treated as the same type of backlink.
Both may come from directory websites and may include company URLs, but their functions are not exactly the same.
For businesses such as dentists, lawyers, repair companies, and restaurants that have specific local customer acquisition needs, a Business Citation serves more as foundational information for a business’s online identity; a General Directory, on the other hand, primarily serves as a supplementary tool for website visibility, backlink sources, and link diversity.
It's not a matter of which one is more advanced, but rather that they solve different problems.
Business Citations and General Directories Serve Different Purposes
Business citations typically focus on a company’s actual business information, including its name, address, and phone number—commonly referred to as NAP—and may also include its website, business hours, business category, and service area.
General directory submission involves listing a website in online directories using information such as its URL, name, category, and description. Many directories also provide a clickable link to the website.
In a nutshell:
| Evaluation Criteria | Business Citation | General Directory |
|---|---|---|
| Primary focus | Business identity and location | Website or URL |
| Key Information | Name, address, phone number, category, etc. | URL, Website Name, Description, Category |
| Is a link required? | No | Usually included |
| Main Functions | Reinforce accurate business and location information | Increase website visibility and diversify link sources |
| Common Sources | Map services, business platforms, and local or industry directories | General and industry-specific directories |
| Key Criteria | Information accuracy, platform credibility, and local or industry relevance | Website quality, relevance, editorial review, and link placement |
| Typical Scenarios | Local SEO and location-based businesses | Foundational link building and source diversification |
However, business listings and directory submissions are not entirely mutually exclusive categories.
For example, a business member page on a local chamber of commerce’s website displays the company’s name, address, and phone number, and provides a link to its official website. This page can serve as a business citation, generate a backlink, and also demonstrate regional relevance.
Therefore, the real question isn't:
“Should this listing be evaluated primarily as a business citation or as a directory backlink?”
Instead, we ask:
“What issue is this submission intended to address?”
If the goal is to establish accurate corporate identity and regional information, the focus should be on corporate citations; if the goal is to expand a website’s referring domains and diversify its backlink profile, the resources need to be reevaluated according to directory linking standards.
Why Is Your Google Maps Visibility Still Weak After Building Numerous Directory Links?
Google's evaluation of local search results isn't simply a matter of comparing which sites have more backlinks.
For a business that needs to serve customers in a specific region, the search system must also understand several more fundamental issues.
Google needs to understand “who you are”
A company may use its official name on its official website, a brand abbreviation on other platforms, and retain its former name in older directories.
If a company has undergone a name change, relocation, or change in phone number, there may even be multiple versions of its information available online at the same time.
Continuing to add links to standard directories at this point will not automatically resolve the issue of inconsistent corporate identity data.
One of the key roles of business citations is to ensure that a company’s name, contact details, and business category are represented accurately and consistently across important third-party platforms.
Google also needs to understand “where you are.”
For local businesses, geographic attributes are very important.
The address and service areas listed on a website, as well as mentions in Google Business Profile, local business platforms, regional directories, and local websites, all help users and search engines understand where a business operates and which areas it serves.
This is why a repair company serving a limited number of cities should not follow the same business citation strategy as a B2B manufacturer serving customers worldwide.
However, business listings are not the sole factor determining Google Maps' performance.
Google states that local results are primarily based onrelevance, distance, and prominence.Therefore, accurate business information is better suited as the foundation for local search, but it cannot replace other factors such as customer reviews, website content, locally relevant links, and business visibility.
Google Also Needs Signals of Local Prominence
Once a company’s identity and position have become fairly clear, competition will move to another level:
Why are users and other websites more likely to recommend you rather than competing businesses in the same area?
At this point, factors such as local media coverage, industry associations, local organizations, links from relevant websites, customer reviews, and brand mentions become even more important to pay attention to.
You can think of the entire process simply as:
Business Identity → Geographic Relevance → Local Prominence
While businesses tend to focus more on the foundational elements mentioned earlier, truly setting themselves apart from the competition usually requires a more comprehensive local SEO strategy and link profile.
The value of a Business Citation cannot be judged solely by Dofollow and DR.
People accustomed to traditional backlink analysis often ask two questions when evaluating a business citation source:
“Is this a dofollow link?”
“What is the website's DR?”
These metrics can serve as a reference for link analysis, but they are not sufficient to fully evaluate Business Citation.
This is because some platforms provide company information and clickable website links, while others provide "nofollow" links, and still others do not include any links at all—they only display the company name, address, and phone number.
If we evaluate these platforms solely by whether their links can pass ranking signals, we may be applying the wrong criteria.
Directory backlinks are evaluated primarily by the quality and relevance of the linking source. Business citations must also be evaluated by the accuracy, consistency, and usefulness of the business information they display.
Therefore, when evaluating the resources a business uses, the following factors should also be considered: Is the platform truly relevant to the target region or industry? Would real customers use this platform to search for the business? Can the business’s profile be displayed in its entirety? Can the information be continuously updated and maintained?
These issues are sometimes more important to consider than the DA and DR values displayed by third-party tools. This is because DA and DR are themselves third-party SEO metrics, not official Google ranking factors.
NAP consistency is important, but don’t fall into the SEO trap of aiming for “word-for-word” accuracy.
Business citations are often discussed in conjunction with NAP consistency—that is, whether a business’s name, address, and phone number are consistent.
This approach is fine, but in practice it’s easy to overinterpret it.
The issues that truly need to be addressed first are usually conflicts in information that could cause actual confusion, such as:
- The company has relocated, but many old web pages still display the original address;
- After a company changes its phone number, major platforms still retain the old number;
- Multiple duplicate business listings for the same company;
- After the brand was renamed, the old and new names coexisted for a long time;
- Addresses or phone numbers for businesses with multiple locations are often mixed up.
These issues are worth addressing through Citation Audit (Corporate Citation Audit) Check and correct.
However, the difference in format between “123 Main Street” and “123 Main St.”—which have the same meaning—is clearly not on the same level as the issue of two completely different addresses.
Therefore, what companies should truly strive for in reference management isbusiness information accurate, clear, recognizable, and free from material conflicts....rather than creating SEO anxiety by suggesting that “a single difference in an abbreviation will affect rankings.”
For established businesses, adding more citations does not necessarily improve local visibility.
Removing duplicate entries, correcting outdated information, and organizing existing company citations is sometimes a higher priority than adding dozens of new directory entries.
Is General Directory Submission Still Worthwhile?
Yes, but we can no longer make that determination based on the “submit if possible” approach.
Directories that lack thorough review, have no real users, and exist primarily to get their URLs indexed are generally not worth submitting in bulk just to increase the number of links. However, this does not mean that all General Directories are worthless.
To determine whether a directory is worth using, evaluate three factors:
Is there a genuine screening and review process?
If a directory automatically publishes every listing submitted through a form, the value it offers in terms of filtering is typically quite limited. Platforms that feature manual review, clear categorization, or specific indexing criteria are more worthy of further evaluation.
Does it have real practical value?
If the directory itself is still being visited—and users are actually using it to find businesses, suppliers, or services—then its value extends beyond just a single backlink; it may also include brand exposure and referral traffic.
Is this related to the industry or region?
A directory of professional trade associations or a regional business directory—even if its third-party ranking metrics aren’t particularly strong—may still be worth considering over a general-purpose directory that has no connection to your business.
For B2B or global websites without a clear need for local search, Business Citations may not be a high priority. Instead, curated industry directories, specialized resource websites, and other relevant citation domains may better meet actual business needs.
So what we really need to avoid isn't directory submission itself, but rather:
Bulk directory submissions made without any filtering criteria, solely to increase the number of backlinks.
Should companies at different stages prioritize citations or directories?
There is no one-size-fits-all answer that applies to all websites.
A more reasonable approach is to first determine what is currently missing.
Newly Established Local Businesses: Start by Establishing a Foundation of Business Information
For local businesses that have just launched—such as clinics, law firms, repair companies, and restaurants—the first step is to optimize their Google Business Profile, key business platforms, and important business citations that are truly relevant to their industry and location.
The goal at this stage is not to quickly acquire hundreds of backlinks, but rather to ensure that the company has accurate, complete, and maintainable information on key channels.
The business has been operating for many years, but the online information is disorganized: Clean it up first, then add more.
If a business has ever relocated, changed its name, updated its phone number, or operates multiple locations, it should first review its current business listings.
Outdated addresses, inactive phone numbers, duplicate business listings, and conflicting information about old and new brand names—all of these issues should be addressed with higher priority than “insufficient citations.”
At this stage, conducting a citation audit usually makes more sense than submitting the business to additional directories.
The company has a solid foundation for citations, but its map visibility has stagnated: Examine other competitive factors
If the business information on major platforms is already accurate and the most relevant industry and local citation sources are covered
At this point, it’s especially important to review your Google Business Profile, customer reviews, local content on your website, page relevance, local backlinks, and the gap in referring domains compared to your competitors.
Once a company has addressed its fundamental issues, competition may have already moved to a new level.
Websites with no obvious need for local customer acquisition: Don't create citations just for the sake of it.
For example, a manufacturer that exports industrial equipment to multiple countries may actually need to build industry-relevant citation domains, professional media outlets, guest posts, and other contextual links, rather than a large number of city-based business citations.
Depending on a website's stage of development and business model, the role of link resources naturally varies.
What Is the Real “Hidden Barrier” to Local Map Rankings?
The so-called “hidden barrier” is not an undisclosed minimum number of citations set by Google.
There is no set formula such as “getting 30 citations will get you into the Local Pack.”
What’s truly easy to overlook is:
Before a local business begins competing for more links and greater market visibility, has it already established a clear, accurate, and credible online presence?
If your competitors’ key business information is already complete—including local reviews, industry citations, and links from regional websites—while your business still has outdated addresses, incorrect phone numbers, and duplicate listings, then continuing to build general backlinks is unlikely to resolve the underlying problem.
The roles of corporate citations and backlinks can be summarized in one sentence:
Backlinks primarily help answer “Who is referencing or recommending you?” Business citations help establish “Who are you, and where do you operate?”
This is precisely why the so-called “hidden barriers” deserve our attention.
How should Business Citations and General Directories be incorporated into the same backlink strategy?
A well-developed Google backlink strategy does not require choosing between Business Citations and General Directories; instead, different resources should be assigned different roles based on the website’s stage of development.
For websites with specific local customer acquisition needs, this concept can be understood in terms of four levels.
Level 1: Establishing the Foundation of Corporate Identity
Update your Google Business Profile and listings on key business platforms to ensure that your core business information is accurate.
First, address:
“Who am I, and where do I do business?”
Level 2: Establishing Links Between Industries and Regions
Look for platforms that are truly relevant to the company’s geographic location, service category, and industry—such as local business organizations, professional associations, and vertical business platforms.
Further answer:
“What is my connection to this industry and this region?”
Level 3: Improve the Link Source Structure
Based on the website’s current backlink profile, set up a selection of directories, company profile pages, and other supplementary sources to avoid over-reliance on any single type of link.
The key isn't the number of links, but whether their sources are reasonable and diverse.
Level 4: Creating Authentic Recommendations That Are Harder to Reproduce
Continue to seek content citations and links from local media outlets, industry websites, community organizations, partners, and sources with a genuine editorial background.
These resources are typically harder to obtain, but they are also more difficult for competitors to quickly replicate through bulk submissions.
Based on this structure, Business Citation and General Directory are not in competition with each other, but rather are resources that serve different functions within Google’s overall link ecosystem.
Finally: First, identify what’s missing, then decide what to build.
The difference between Business Citation Links and General Directory Submissions is not that one is useful and the other is not, but rather that they address different issues.
For local businesses, business listings are primarily used to establish a corporate identity and build a foundation of regional information; the General Directory, on the other hand, can supplement this by providing website visibility, referring domains, and link sources. Some high-quality regional or industry platforms can even serve multiple purposes simultaneously.
LinkFactory, we consider the website’s stage of development, existing referring domains, and competitive environment before determining the roles that business citations, directory backlinks, and other resources should play.
An effective long-term strategy is not about maximizing one type of link. It is about assigning appropriate roles to business citations, directory backlinks, and editorial links based on the website’s actual needs.
Frequently Asked Questions
Not necessarily.
Business citations primarily refer to references to a business’s information on third-party platforms; even without dofollow links, they can still provide value in terms of business discovery, information display, and local data.
Therefore, whether a link is "dofollow" should not be the sole criterion for evaluating a company's cited resources.
Yes, but you'll need to set up your address, service area, and contact information based on your actual business model and the rules of the respective platform.
We do not recommend fabricating an office or using a business address that does not exist in order to obtain more local business listings.
It is generally recommended to check older data on major platforms first.
If a large number of old addresses still exist, simply adding more new business listings may make the online information even more confusing. It’s safer to first address critical errors, duplicates, and outdated information before continuing to expand.
It depends on whether the company relies on local customers.
If your business is a local service provider and your current directory listings primarily consist of website URLs without forming an accurate and complete foundation of business information, it’s still worth reviewing your Business Citations separately.
If a company primarily targets the global market and has no obvious need for local SEO, it should not mechanically build corporate citations just to increase the number of backlinks.
