Should You Really Pay for an Annual Citation Subscription?
Before renewing an annual subscription for citation services, business owners should evaluate the effectiveness of these services. A surprising case study we did revealed that only 3% of citations managed by a paid service were indexed by Google, suggesting that the majority of such services may not provide the expected SEO benefits. Checking to see if your citations are indexed is crucial in determining whether to continue paying for these services.
Are Citation Services Worth the Cost?
Business owners often question the value of paying for annual citation services. The reality is that while these services promise to keep your citations accurate and up-to-date, they may not deliver significant SEO benefits if the majority of those citations aren’t indexed by Google. We had a law firm client who was paying thousands of dollars a year for one of these services and when we checked to see how may of his listings were indexed, only 16/516 (3%) were.
How Can You Check If Your Citations Are Indexed by Google?
Before deciding whether to renew a citation service subscription, it’s essential to check how many of your citations are actually indexed by Google. This can be done using index checker tools , which allow you to verify the presence of your citations in Google’s index. If a significant number of citations are not indexed, the service may not be worth the investment.
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When Might Citation Services Be Necessary?
While many businesses may find little value in citation services, there are scenarios where these services can be beneficial. For example, large franchises or multi-location businesses might prefer to outsource citation management to avoid the hassle of keeping information consistent across numerous locations. However, even in these cases, it’s important to verify the effectiveness of the service to see if anyone is even using the sites that you are paying to keep updated.
What Should You Do If Your Citation Renewal Is Approaching?
If your citation service renewal is coming up, take a proactive approach by checking how many of your citations are indexed by Google. This can guide your decision on whether to continue with the service. If you find that a low percentage of citations are indexed, it might be time to reconsider the value of the subscription, unless there are other compelling reasons to keep it.
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Your seo expert, who has helped local businesses,websites,apps grow by 10X???? | seo expert | Local seo | ASO | E-commerce seo
2 个月Grateful for such amazing insight
Follow for ?? local SEO tips. Connect to get your local business More TLC: Traffic. Leads. Clients.
2 个月This needs more press!! Thanks for doing the heavy lifting, Joy!!
Marketing Director, Advertising Professor, Franchise Marketing Manager, Media Strategist, Healthcare Marketing, IT Marketing, QSR Marketing, Marketing Consultant
2 个月Yes but be careful if you use certain platforms such as Yext. If you cancel, your citations can revert back!
Local SEO Analyst & Account Manager at Sterling Sky Inc | Twitter: @SukhjitSMatharu
2 个月I was shocked to learn only 3% of these citations were indexed! You might be using a citation subscription but what exactly is the value in them? This what clients and business owners want to know. Super valuable information!
Marketing & Technology
2 个月Joy Hawkins if you are going to sign up for a service. which one would you recommend?