Auditing Citations

Regular citation audits identify problems before they hurt your rankings. Here's how to systematically review your citations.

Why Audit Citations

Find Inconsistencies

Discover NAP variations across the web.

Identify Duplicates

Find and merge duplicate listings.

Spot Outdated Info

Locate listings with old addresses or phone numbers.

Discover Opportunities

Find directories where you're not yet listed.

Manual Audit Process

Step 1: Search for Your Business

Search Google for:

• "Your Business Name"
• "Your Business Name + City"
• Your phone number
• Your address

Step 2: Document Findings

Create a spreadsheet tracking:

• Site name
• URL
• NAP as listed
• Correct? (Y/N)
• Claimed? (Y/N)
• Login credentials
• Last updated

Step 3: Check Major Sites

Manually verify these important sites:

• Google Business Profile
• Apple Maps
• Bing Places
• Facebook
• Yelp
• Yellow Pages
• BBB

Step 4: Search Variations

Search for common misspellings or variations:

• Old business names
• Abbreviated names
• Common typos

Automated Audit Tools

Free Tools

• Moz Local (free check)
• Google search operators

Paid Tools

• BrightLocal
• Whitespark Citation Finder
• Moz Local (full version)
• Yext

Tool Benefits

• Faster than manual
• More comprehensive coverage
• Ongoing monitoring
• Inconsistency alerts

What to Look For

NAP Issues

• Wrong address (even partial)
• Wrong phone number
• Wrong business name variation
• Mixed old and new info

Listing Issues

• Duplicate listings on same platform
• Wrong business category
• Wrong hours
• Missing website

Quality Issues

• Incomplete profiles
• No photos
• Outdated description

Prioritizing Fixes

Priority 1: Critical

• Google Business Profile errors
• Apple Maps/Bing errors
• Major directory errors (Yelp, Facebook)

Priority 2: Important

• Data aggregator errors
• Industry-specific directory errors
• Duplicate listings

Priority 3: Maintenance

• Minor directories
• Incomplete profiles
• Missing optional info

Fixing Citations

Listings You Can Claim

1. Find claim/edit option
2. Verify ownership
3. Update information
4. Save and verify changes

Listings You Can't Claim

1. Find site contact info
2. Send correction request
3. Include correct information
4. Follow up after 2 weeks

Data Aggregators

Submit corrections to major aggregators—fixes propagate to many sites:

• Foursquare
• Data Axle
• Localeze
• Acxiom

Handling Duplicates

Same Platform Duplicates

If you have 2+ listings on one platform:

1. Identify the "real" listing
2. Claim the real one
3. Request removal of duplicates
4. Report through platform's help system

Google Duplicates

For Google Maps/GBP duplicates:

1. Report as duplicate through Maps
2. Claim your correct listing
3. Mark duplicates as "not a real place" or report

Audit Frequency

Full Audit

• Annually for stable businesses
• After any business changes
• When rankings drop unexpectedly

Spot Checks

• Monthly for major sites
• After address/phone changes
• When building new citations

Audit Spreadsheet Template

After the Audit

Create Fix List

Prioritize issues to fix:

1. Critical platform errors
2. NAP inconsistencies
3. Unclaimed listings
4. Incomplete profiles

Track Progress

Monitor:

• Fixes completed
• Fixes verified
• Remaining issues

Schedule Next Audit

Set calendar reminder for next audit.

Key Takeaways

1. Audit citations at least annually
2. Use both manual and automated methods
3. Prioritize fixing critical platforms first
4. Submit corrections to data aggregators
5. Track all listings in a central spreadsheet