Links and citations that get you ranked — and recommended
For businesses with a good website that still trail competitors: links and citations that build the authority Google and AI tools look for.
5.0 from 5 Google reviews (opens in a new tab)Campaigns from $799
Packages
Simple, transparent pricing
First link campaign? Starter. Up against strong competitors? Growth.
Links & Citations Starter
For businesses building authority for the first time
CAD, plus tax
One-time payment at checkout. No ongoing contract.
- 8 guest-post links: 5× DR30+, 3× DR45+
- 2 AI citations (brand mentions on sources AI tools quote)
- Do-follow, no duplicate domains
- Pre-approval of every site
- Live URL report · delivered in ~30–45 days
Links & Citations Growth
For competitive markets where rivals already have strong links
CAD, plus tax
One-time payment at checkout. No ongoing contract.
- 9 guest-post links: 5× DR30+, 3× DR45+, 1× DR60+
- 4 AI citations
- Do-follow, no duplicate domains
- Pre-approval of every site
- Live URL report · delivered in ~30–45 days
Smaller campaign
Links & Citations add-on
A smaller authority boost alongside an SEO or Local SEO plan
- 4 guest-post links: 2× DR30+, 2× DR45+
- 1 AI citation (a brand mention on a source AI tools quote)
- Do-follow, no duplicate domains
- Pre-approval of every site
- Live URL report · delivered within 30 days
$799 per campaign
CAD, plus tax
One-time payment at checkout. No ongoing contract.
Choose Links & Citations add-onAll prices in CAD, plus applicable taxes. Ad spend (where relevant) is paid directly to the platform.
Why links and citations matter
Rankings come down to two things: relevance and authority. Your pages can be perfectly optimised, but if a competitor has more trusted websites pointing to them, they'll usually outrank you.
Citations work the same way for AI. When someone asks ChatGPT or Google's AI Overviews for "the best roofer in Hamilton", the answer is built from roundups, "best of" lists and industry sites. If you're not on those pages, you're not in the answer.
What we build
Step 1
Links on real, relevant sites
Guest posts on websites with real traffic in or near your industry. Do-follow links, no duplicate domains, no private blog networks or link farms.
Step 2
Citations in AI answers
Brand mentions on the sources AI tools quote: industry roundups, "best of" lists and niche publications, written so AI picks up your name, services and location.
Step 3
Local citations and listings
Consistent name, address and phone number across the directories Google and AI tools check. (Local citations are included in our Local SEO plans; this campaign adds authority on top.)
How a campaign works
Plan
We review your backlink profile and your competitors', then propose the sites and angles.
You approve
Every site is pre-approved by you before anything is published.
We publish
Content is written, placed and indexed over about 30–45 days.
You get the report
A live URL report: every link and mention, where it is and when it went live.
Pairs well with
- Digital PR — earns press coverage and high-authority mentions
- GEO & AI Visibility — tracks whether AI tools are mentioning you
- Local SEO — includes local citations and Google Business Profile management
What clients say
5.0 on Google · 5 reviews · Read our Google reviews →“Best customer service I really appreciate and recommend people to use Vasp digital services.”
Swati Singh
Google review · Jul 2025
“We were looking for a budget-friendly SEO solution and VASP Digital delivered beyond expectations. They’re transparent, professional, and committed to helping businesses succeed online.”
Gunjan Sarda
Google review · Jul 2025
Free audit
What you get in your free backlink audit
Know where your authority stands, and which links and mentions would move the needle.
- Backlink profile summary: referring domains, authority trend, anchor text
- Toxic or spammy links to watch
- Link gap: sites linking to your competitors but not to you
- Citation check: your listings on the main directories and data aggregators
- AI citation check: whether the sources AI tools quote mention you
- 10 link and mention opportunities matched to your industry
Delivered as a short PDF report + a 10-minute video walkthrough, within 3 business days.
backlink audit report
- Referring domainsNeeds work
- Anchor text mixGood
- Competitor link gapFix first
- Directory listingsNeeds work
Request your free backlink audit
Citations and links: what's the difference?
People use the two words as if they mean the same thing. They don't, and you need both.
A citation is any place online that lists your business name, address and phone number, often called your NAP. A citation doesn't need a clickable link. Its job is to confirm that your business is real and is where you say it is.
A link is a clickable reference from another website to yours. Links pass authority. When a relevant, trusted site links to you, search engines take it as a sign your pages deserve to rank.
Citations mainly help you show up in Google Maps and other local results. Links mainly help your website pages rank in the regular results. A local business usually needs a clean citation base first, then steady links on top.
Why NAP consistency matters
Search engines and AI tools compare what different sites say about your business. If one listing shows your old suite number, another has a call-tracking number and a third spells your name differently, they can't be sure which version is right. That doubt can hold back your Maps rankings and send customers to an old address.
Small differences add up: "St." against "Street", a missing unit number, an old toll-free line, a business name with extra keywords stuffed in. We pick one exact version of your name, address and phone number, match it to your Google Business Profile, then find and fix every listing that disagrees.
The Canadian and Ontario directories that count
Not every directory is worth a listing. We focus on the ones search engines, AI tools and customers actually use.
Core platforms
Google Business Profile, Apple Business Connect and Bing Places. These feed the maps people use on phones, in cars and through voice assistants, so they come first.
Read more about Core platformsCanadian directories
Yellow Pages Canada, Canada411 and other well-established national directories. They're long-running sources of Canadian business data, and other sites often copy from them.
Trade and industry sites
HomeStars for home services, the Better Business Bureau, and the associations and directories specific to your field. Customers in your industry check these, and they show search engines what kind of business you are.
Local organizations
Your Chamber of Commerce, Business Improvement Area (BIA) and city or regional business directories. These tie your business to a real place, and many include a link as well as a listing.
What makes a good local link
Strong local links come from real relationships you already have or can build. They're relevant, they make sense to a human reader, and they come from sites people in your area visit.
Sponsorships
Local sports teams, charity runs, school events and festivals often list sponsors with a link. Pick causes you actually care about.
Suppliers and partners
The brands you install, the wholesalers you buy from and the businesses you refer work to often have "find a dealer" or partner pages. A short email is sometimes all it takes.
Associations and memberships
Trade associations, professional bodies and business groups usually have member directories. These links are highly relevant because they confirm what you do.
Local news
Local news sites, community papers and city blogs link to businesses they write about.
Read more about Local newsCommunity events
Workshops, open houses, charity drives and meetups get listed on event calendars and community sites. Hosting something useful is one of the most natural ways to earn a local link.
What we never do
Some link tactics work for a while, then cost you rankings or a manual penalty from Google. We don't use them, and we tell you if a past agency did.
- Buy links from link sellers, marketplaces or "guaranteed DR" packages
- Use private blog networks (PBNs): sites built only to link out
- Submit you to hundreds of spam or foreign directories with no real visitors
- Hide links in footers, widgets or website templates
- Use exact-match keyword anchor text over and over
- Place links on sites you haven't approved
We'll list your current citations and links, and the gaps against your top competitors, before you spend anything. Get my free backlink audit
How links and citations help in AI answers
When someone asks ChatGPT, Gemini or Google's AI Overviews for a recommendation, the answer is built from what the web says about businesses like yours. AI tools lean on sources they see as trustworthy: well-known directories, industry roundups, local news and sites that are well linked themselves.
That makes the same work count twice. A clean, consistent set of citations helps AI tools get your name, location and services right. Links and mentions on relevant sites make it more likely you're one of the businesses they bring up at all. Neither is a guarantee, because AI answers change often. If you want to track how AI tools describe you, our AI visibility service measures it.
What happens each month
If you run campaigns back to back, or pair one with an SEO or Local SEO plan, this is the monthly rhythm.
Step 1
Check what changed
We review new and lost links, any new competitor links, and whether your key listings still match. Lost links get followed up.
Step 2
Fix listings first
Any citation that has drifted, such as old hours, a wrong phone number or a duplicate, gets corrected before we build anything new.
Step 3
Shortlist sites for your approval
We send a list of proposed sites and local opportunities with the reason each one fits. Nothing goes ahead until you approve it.
Step 4
Write and place
We write the content, place the links and mentions, and check that each page is live and can be found by search engines.
Step 5
Report and plan the next round
You get the report, and we suggest what to target next based on what's working for you and your competitors.
What you get in the report
Every campaign ends with a live report you can click through.
- The full URL of every link and AI citation, with the date it went live
- The site's name, topic and why we chose it
- The Domain Rating of each site, plus whether it gets real search traffic
- The anchor text used and the page on your site it points to
- Whether each page has been indexed by Google
- Your citation list: each directory, its status, and any fixes made
- Lost or changed links since the last report, and what we did about them
Who it's for
This service fits businesses whose website and profile are in good shape but still sit behind competitors.
Local businesses stuck below the map
Your profile is complete and your reviews are steady, but competitors still rank above you in Maps. Cleaner citations and local links help close that gap.
Businesses on an SEO or Local SEO plan
Your pages are optimized and now need more authority behind them. A campaign adds links faster than a plan alone.
Read more about Businesses on an SEO or Local SEO planBusinesses that moved or rebranded
A new address, name or phone number leaves old details scattered across the web. A citation cleanup puts them right.
Businesses that want to be named by AI tools
If AI assistants don't mention you when people ask for your service in your city, citations and mentions on trusted sources are the place to start.
Read more about Businesses that want to be named by AI toolsFAQ
Each campaign combines link building (guest posts on real, relevant websites) with AI citations (brand mentions on the sources AI tools quote). Starter ($1,399 + HST) includes 8 links and 2 AI citations, and Growth ($1,799 + HST) includes 9 links, one from a higher-authority site, and 4 AI citations. All links are do-follow, with no duplicate domains.