Question 1

What is a citation?

Accepted Answer

A citation is any online mention of your business name, address and phone number. The more consistent, high-quality citations you have on trusted UK directories, the better Google ranks you in local search.

Question 2

How many citations does my business need?

Accepted Answer

Most UK local businesses see strong results from 40–60 core citations on trusted directories. CitationHQ lists you to 30+ in one campaign, every directory on our list that applies to your business.

Question 3

How long do citations take to impact rankings?

Accepted Answer

Most businesses see noticeable movement in local rankings within 6–10 weeks, with the full effect materialising over 3–6 months as Google re-crawls and weighs the new signals.

Question 4

Are citations still relevant in 2026?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Every major local SEO industry study (Moz, Whitespark, BrightLocal) continues to rank citations among the top local ranking signals. Google has refined the algorithm but citations remain foundational, particularly for Google Maps and the local pack.

Question 5

How does the submission process work?

Accepted Answer

You fill out your business details once. We normalise it, then build your listing on each directory on your list and track the status of every one. Nothing is auto-posted to whatever will accept it. Every week we check the whole list: that each site still answers, that it is still the directory we think it is, that its certificate is valid, and that its Domain Rating has not collapsed. Anything that fails comes out of the plans before it reaches you. You get a dashboard showing completion, verification, and any directory that needs a step from you.

Question 6

How do you decide which directories make the list?

Accepted Answer

Four tests, and a directory has to pass all of them. It must be live and answering. It must still be the directory we think it is, checked by reading the page rather than trusting the name. It must be free to list on, or cheap enough that we pay the fee ourselves. And it must have a Domain Rating we are willing to publish next to it, which you can see on every directory page. We reject far more than we add: of roughly 200 candidates reviewed in September 2026, seven made it. Two sites we already carried were removed the same month, one because it had quietly become a gambling affiliate and one because it had stopped working entirely.

Question 7

How long does a campaign take?

Accepted Answer

Most campaigns complete within 5–10 working days. Some directories (like Yell) require postcard verification which can take a further 2–4 weeks, this is a directory requirement, not something we can speed up.

Question 8

Do I need to verify each listing myself?

Accepted Answer

We handle most verifications by email or phone for you. Directories that require postal verification will send a postcard to your business address, we flag these in your dashboard so you know what to expect.

Question 9

Can I edit my details after the campaign?

Accepted Answer

Yes, two ways. The accounts are created in your name, at your email address, so you can sign in to any directory with a password reset and change the details yourself. Or we do the whole set in one pass for £15, which is the safer option: a phone number updated on some listings and not others is worse than leaving it alone, because consistency is the entire mechanism. A handful of directories take a plain form with no account, and those we have to write to on your behalf either way.

Question 10

How much does CitationHQ cost?

Accepted Answer

Two done-for-you tiers, both paid once. Starter is £59 and covers the 11 general directories every UK business should hold. Complete is £149 and covers every general directory that suits you, plus the specialist directories for your trade, plus instructions for the seven only you can create. Monitoring is a separate £24 a year. See /pricing for full details.

Question 11

Are there hidden or recurring fees?

Accepted Answer

The build is a one-off payment, with nothing recurring unless you choose it. Monitoring is the only subscription we sell, at £24 a year, and it is optional: it keeps the two listings that carry a renewal fee paid, re-checks everything weekly, and rebuilds any listing whose directory closes or breaks. A details update, if you move or change your number, is £15 per change. Nothing is charged automatically.

Question 12

What is listing monitoring, and do I need it?

Accepted Answer

Directories break. In one month this year Tupalo stopped answering entirely, having been a perfectly healthy Domain Rating 56 site, and B2BIndex kept its authority and its traffic while quietly turning into a gambling affiliate. Central Index, which powers around thirty UK newspaper directories, announced it is switching off. None of that shows up in a score. Monitoring is £24 a year: we check every listing on your plan each Monday, and when one breaks we rebuild it somewhere that has not. It also keeps the two listings that carry a small renewal fee paid. You do not need it, and the build works without it, but it is the difference between a citation profile that decays and one that does not.

Question 13

Who owns the listings, you or me?

Accepted Answer

You do. Accounts are created in your name at your email address, not ours, so you can sign into any of them with a password reset and we are not holding anything hostage. If you stop paying us, nothing gets taken down. We think that is the only honest way to sell this, and it is worth checking whether whoever else you are considering does the same.

Question 14

Do you offer refunds?

Accepted Answer

Yes. If we cannot deliver the contracted number of citations for any reason, we refund the difference. Your completion report lists every directory with its status and live URL, so you can check the count yourself. Because the submission work starts as soon as you send your details, anything beyond a shortfall is considered case by case. Contact us within 14 days of campaign completion.

Question 15

What if a directory rejects my listing?

Accepted Answer

Rejections are rare and usually fixable. We retry with adjusted details where possible and flag the directory in your dashboard with the reason if not. No refund is needed, rejections are counted against our delivery target.

Question 16

Do you handle review monitoring?

Accepted Answer

Not as part of a citation build. We build and verify your listings, and that is a one-off piece of work rather than an ongoing service. Review monitoring is a separate discipline with its own tools, and we would rather point you at a good one than half-do it. Ask us and we will tell you what we use.

Question 17

Can I use CitationHQ for multiple locations?

Accepted Answer

Yes, though each order covers one business address. Multi-location and franchise businesses need one build per location, because the whole point is a distinct, consistent NAP for each. Get in touch before ordering and we will sort a bulk arrangement rather than have you place them one at a time.

Question 18

How do I contact support?

Accepted Answer

Email hello@citationhq.co.uk or use the contact form. We reply within 24 hours on business days, usually faster. If your build is already running, include the business name so we can pull up your order and answer properly first time.

Frequently asked questions

About citations

How CitationHQ works

Pricing & plans

Technical & support