# of citations rule of thumb
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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?
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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!
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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.
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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
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