# of citations rule of thumb

[Dave_Whitty]

I understand that different markets have different levels of competition and on site SEO plays a role. But, has anyone seen a general rule of thumb as to the number of citations needed to rank well?

[Dave_Whitty]

Thanks for the tip! We have a pretty decent review campaign set up for initial and post site launch, so that isn't much of a worry. Thanks again!

[Audiohype]

Hi Dave, there's too many variables to give a round about figure. Sometimes you need thousands, sometimes you don't need any. This is really an unanswerable question.

But, you can get a good idea on the level of competition for a specific keyword by using SEOmoz's keyword difficulty report, as it breaks down the amount of links to both the domain and page that ranks.

[Mark_Jay_Apsey_Jr.]

dave-

When we are doing a local geo-targeted campaign we find that in an uncompetitive market as little as 3 citations can provide good results with a local google places result. In a more competitive market it really is the more the merrier because remember, every time a competitor gets another citation, the bar goes up....

Our goal for a new client that wants to be relevant is an initial 10 citations to build a solid foundation.

After you have built a solid baseline, figure out how to build a scaleable citation process that encourages individuals to participate with citations and reviews. Contests and the opportunity to be showcased on a website are good starting points to create a culture where it makes sense for additional citations and reviews to be left by customers without alot of work on your part.

Good luck. Hope this helps..

Mark