How do local backlinks and citations differ?
A local backlink is a link from a relevant site to the client's website, ideally placed in context. A citation is a mention of the business name, address and phone on a directory or similar site. Keeping name, address and phone consistent across listings is a widely used practice in local SEO.
Google says local results are based mainly on relevance, distance and prominence, and prominence includes links, articles and directories. We treat both link types as supporting signals, not as a shortcut.
