The Easiest Thing You're Not Doing to Get More Clients

Almost nobody in the tattoo industry knows what local citations are.

That's not an exaggeration.

We're talking about 93% of tattoo artists out there, completely unaware that this thing exists. And because they don't know, they don't do it.

And because they don't do it, there's a gap wide open for you.

That gap is on Google.

When someone in your city types "tattoo artist near me" or "best tattoo studio in [city]" Google decides who shows up first. That decision is based on a lot of factors. But one of the most powerful ones is something most of your competitors have never touched.

Local citations.

This post is going to explain exactly what they are, why they matter, and what you should do about it. No tech background needed. If you can fill out a form online, you can do this.

And here's why it's worth your attention: people searching on Google are not just browsing.

They are looking to book.

They already decided they want a tattoo. They just need to find someone.

Your only job is to make sure that someone is you.

And remember. This works both for Google Search and for Google Maps.

A local citation is any place on the internet where your business information appears.

That's it. Simple as that.

More specifically, it's your business name, your address, and your phone number listed somewhere online. This could be a big directory like Yelp or Google. It could be a tattoo-specific platform. It could be a local business listing for your city.

Every time your information shows up somewhere on the web, that's a citation.

Think of it like digital word of mouth. The more places your name appears, the more Google sees you as a real, established, trustworthy business. And the more Google trusts you, the higher it ranks you.

There are two types of citations worth knowing about:

Structured citations are the ones you fill out on directories and listing sites. You submit your info, it shows up in a clean, consistent format.

These are the ones you're going to build intentionally.

Unstructured citations are mentions of your business that appear naturally. A local blog writes about the best tattoo studios in your city and drops your name. A forum post recommends you. You didn't submit anything, but your info is out there. These help too.

For now, focus on structured ones. That's where the real work and the real results happen.

NAP stands for Name, Address, Phone number.

These three pieces of information are the foundation of your entire local presence online. And if they're not consistent everywhere, you're quietly hurting your own rankings without knowing it.

Here's what happens behind the scenes.

Google finds your business listed across dozens of websites. It starts cross-referencing. It checks if the name matches. If the address matches. If the phone number matches. When everything lines up, Google gets confident. It thinks: "This is a real, established business. I can trust it. I'll rank it higher."

But when things don't match? Google gets confused.

And confused Google does not reward you.

This happens more often than you'd think. Your studio is called "Bing Bong Tattoo" on Google but "Bing Bong Studio" on Yelp.

Your old phone number is still sitting on a directory you forgot about.

Your address says "St." on one site and "Street" on another.

These feel like tiny details. To Google, they're red flags.

Before you build a single new citation, decide on your exact NAP format.

Write it down.

Copy and paste it everywhere. Same capitalization, same abbreviations, same everything.

Your NAP should also include:

Get this right once, and it works for you for years. Get it wrong, and every new listing you add just adds more noise.

Claiming a listing is not enough. A half-filled profile is almost as bad as no profile at all.

When you submit your business to any directory, go all in. Fill out every single field they give you. Here's what a complete citation looks like:

The must-haves:

The extras that actually move the needle:

Most artists, if they've ever submitted to a directory at all, just put their name and phone number and move on. That's leaving a lot of ranking power on the table.

The description is especially important. It's one of the few places where you can tell Google exactly what you do and where you do it. Don't write a generic bio. Write something like: "Custom tattoo studio in [city] specializing in blackwork and fine line tattoos. Book online."

Short. Specific. Full of the words people actually search for.

One more thing.

There are probably listings out there with your business information that you didn't create. Old directories, auto-generated profiles, outdated entries.

Find them. Claim them. Fix them.

An incorrect listing you don't own is hurting you right now.

Google wants to show people the most trustworthy, relevant local businesses. Citations are one of the main ways it figures out who deserves that spot.

When you build citations, two things happen.

First, your Google Business Profile gets stronger.

This one is the big one, and it applies to every tattoo artist. Whether you have a website or not.

You know those three businesses that show up with a map when you search for something local? That's called the local map pack. It sits right at the top of the page, before everything else.

It gets the most clicks. It sends the most clients.

Getting into that map pack is the goal.

And citations are one of the most important ranking factors for it.

You do not need a website to benefit from this. Your GMB profile alone can rank higher, get more views, and bring in more calls just from building strong citations.

Every time Google sees your NAP listed correctly on another trusted website, it counts as a vote of confidence. The more votes you have, the more Google believes you're a real, active, established business.

And real, active, established businesses get shown first.

Second, if you do have a website, citations help that rank too. More citations pointing to your site means more authority. More authority means higher positions in organic search, below the map. So having a website amplifies the results even further.

But it is not a requirement to get started.

Here's what this means in practice. Artists who build solid citation profiles consistently see more profile views, more website clicks, more calls, and more people asking for directions. The traffic compounds over time.

Some artists see it double or triple after cleaning up their NAP and building 20 to 30 quality listings.

And here's what makes this different from any other marketing. The people finding you through Google are not passively scrolling.

They already want a tattoo.

They are ready to book.

You are not convincing them of anything.

You are just making sure you are the first name they see.

That's the most valuable position you can be in.

Now you know what citations are. You know why they matter. You know what needs to be in them.

The hard part is not understanding it.

The hard part is actually sitting down and doing it. Finding the right directories, submitting to each one, writing descriptions, uploading photos, keeping everything consistent.

It takes time.

And time is the one thing most tattoo artists don't have.

So here are two options, depending on your budget.

I recommend Randy M on Fiverr Pro. He's a vetted pro, Top Rated with 2,700+ reviews, and an ex-Googler who does full-stack digital marketing. He knows exactly how Google thinks. That matters when it comes to citations and local rankings.

This is the guy I'd hire if it were my studio.

Jit has 14 years of local SEO experience, 1,400+ reviews, and a 4.9 rating. He specializes specifically in USA citation listings and Google Business Profile ranking. That's exactly what you need.

For the price, he's hard to beat.

The next section breaks down exactly where to get listed.

There are hundreds of directories where you can submit your business. Every single one helps. But let's start with the ones that matter most.

The top 5 to do first:

Once those are done, move into tattoo-specific platforms like Inkppl, Tattoswizard, theBtad and others. Then local directories for your city. Then niche business listing sites.

Here's the reality. You can get listed on hundreds of directories. And the more you have, the stronger your presence gets.

It compounds.

Twenty citations are good. Fifty are better. A hundred is where things really start to move.

The catch is that doing this manually takes a serious amount of time. Finding every directory, filling out every form, keeping everything consistent across all of them. It's not complicated work, but it's slow.

It's worth it though. These listings don't disappear. You build them once and they keep working for you.

No overwhelm. Just do these steps in order.

Step 1: Lock down your NAP format.
Write it down right now.

Exact business name, exact address, exact phone number. This is the version you use everywhere, forever. No variations.

Step 2: Claim and complete your Google Business Profile.
If you haven't done this yet, stop everything and do it first.

Fill out every single field. Add photos. Add your booking link. Add your description with your city and style mentioned naturally.

Step 3: Submit to the top 5 directories.
Google Business Profile, Yelp, Facebook, Apple Maps, Bing Places. Use your exact NAP every time.

Step 4: Find listings you didn't create.
Search your business name on Google. See what comes up.

If there are old or incorrect listings, claim them and fix them.

Step 5: Keep building.
After the big ones, move to tattoo platforms and local directories. Add more over time. It compounds.

That's it. No complicated strategy. No ad budget. No algorithm to chase. Just consistent information, in as many places as possible, telling Google that you are real and you are here.

Most tattoo artists are pouring energy into content, posting every day, chasing trends, fighting algorithms. And that stuff has its place.

But local citations? Nobody is doing them.

Your competitors almost certainly aren't.

That means right now, today, you have a clear path to outrank them on Google without spending a single dollar on ads.

The people searching on Google are not window shopping. They want a tattoo. They want to book. They just need to find someone.

Do the work once, build your citations, get your NAP consistent, and let Google send them straight to you.

If you want to skip the hours of manual work and just get it done, I personally trust Randy to handle this the right way. Quality work, done for you, so you can focus on tattooing.

Either way, don't sleep on this.

It's the simplest, most overlooked move in tattoo marketing. And the artists who do it now will be the ones dominating local search for years.