For Local SEO, citations are

Citations are a foundational signal for Local SEO because they help search engines verify a business's name, address, and phone number (NAP) across the web. Consistency in these citations builds trust and authority, which is crucial for local pack and local search rankings. While important, citations are not the most powerful ranking signal; factors like proximity, relevance, and prominence (including reviews and website authority) often carry more weight. Citations are also distinct from backlinks, which are links from other websites to yours that pass authority and relevance.