How to Create a Local Citation Audit for your Business

Like most business owners, you want to ensure your local citations are in order. A local citation is any mention of your business on the internet, including your website, social media profiles, and online directories. Having accurate and up-to-date local citations is essential for two main reasons: first, it helps potential customers find your business when they’re searching online; second, it signals to search engines that your company is reputable and trustworthy.

Not sure how to create a local citation audit for your business? Don’t worry – we’ve got you covered! This blog post will walk you through everything you need to do to get started. Let’s get started!

Local Citation Audit Checklist

1. Create a master list of all your local citations

The first step in conducting a local citation audit is compiling a master list of all the places your business is mentioned online. This includes your website, social media profiles, and any online directories or listings you may be included in.

2. Check for accuracy

Once you have your master list, it’s time to check for accuracy. For each local citation, you’ll want to ensure that your business name, address, and phone number (NAP) are all correct and up-to-date. This is important because even a tiny error can lead potential customers astray – or worse, cause them to question your business’s credibility.

3. Update any outdated or incorrect information

If you find any inaccurate or outdated information in your local citations, don’t panic! Instead, reach out to the appropriate website or directory and request that they update your listing. In most cases, they’ll be happy to oblige.

4. Fill in any missing citations

Once you’ve updated all your existing local citations, it’s time to focus on filling in any that are missing. This can be challenging, but there are a few ways to go about it. One is to search for online directories that list businesses in your industry or location. Another is to reach out to local media outlets and ask if they would be interested in featuring your company.

5. Monitor your local citations

Once you’ve created and updated all your local citations, it’s essential to keep an eye on them to make sure they stay accurate. This can be a bit of a daunting task, but a few tools can help, like Moz Local and Whitespark.

A local citation audit is essential to ensuring your business’s online presence is accurate and up-to-date. By checking for accuracy, updating any incorrect information, and filling in any missing citations, you can ensure that potential customers can easily find your business online. It’s also essential to monitor your local citations over time to ensure they stay accurate. So use the checklist we’ve provided to get started today!

What Is a Local Citation Audit and Why Do You Need One?

A local citation audit is simply an analysis of all the online listings for your business to ensure the accuracy of your NAP (name, address, phone number). Why does this matter? Because if potential customers can’t find you online or find incorrect information about your business, they’re likely to take their business elsewhere.

Not only that, but incorrect NAP information can also hurt your SEO (search engine optimization) ranking. Google and other search engines use citations as one of the factors they consider when determining where to rank a business in their search results. So if your citations are inaccurate, they could cost you valuable customers and good search engine placement.

To do a citation audit, you’ll need to compile a list of all the places your business is listed online. You can use a tool like Moz Local or Whitespark to help with this. Once you have your list, you’ll need to check each listing for accuracy. Ensure your NAP information is correct and up-to-date and each listing is consistent with the others.

If you find any inaccurate listings, you’ll need to correct them. This can be done by contacting the website or directory directly and asking them to update your listing. In some cases, you may need to create a new listing altogether.

Performing a local citation audit regularly is an excellent way to ensure your business information is accurate and up-to-date across the web. This will help potential customers find you quickly and improve your chances of ranking well in search engine results.

The Benefits of a Local Citation Audit

There are several benefits to performing a local citation audit, including the following:

1. Ensure the accuracy of your NAP information

When customers are searching for your business online, you want to make sure they’re getting the correct name, address, and phone number. Incorrect NAP information can lead to customers contacting the wrong location or calling the wrong number. A local citation audit will ensure that your NAP information is accurate and up-to-date across all your listings.

2. Improve your SEO ranking

Search engines use citations as one of the factors they consider when determining where to rank a business in their search results. So if your citations are inaccurate, they could cost you valuable customers and good search engine placement. A local citation audit will help ensure your listings are accurate and consistent, improving your SEO ranking.

3. Help potential customers find you

If potential customers can’t find your business online, they’re likely to take their business elsewhere. A local citation audit will help to ensure your listings are accurate and up-to-date, making it easier for customers to find you.

4. Save time and money

Fixing inaccurate listings can be time-consuming and costly. However, a local citation audit will help to ensure your listings are accurate from the start, saving you time and money in the long run.

5. Get more customers

Ensuring your business information is accurate and up-to-date across the web will help potential customers find you quickly and improve your chances of ranking well in search engine results. This can lead to more customers for your business.

What Happens If There’s No Proper Local Citation Audit?

If you don’t have a local citation audit, your business could be at risk in several ways. 

1. Customers May Not Find You Online

If your NAP information is inaccurate or incomplete, potential customers may not be able to find you online. This can lead to lost business and revenue.

2. You Could Lose Valuable Search Engine Rankings

Inaccurate NAP information can also hurt your search engine rankings. Google and other search engines use citations as one of the factors they consider when determining where to rank a business in their search results. So if your citations are inaccurate, they could cost you valuable customers and good search engine placement.

3. Your Business Could Suffer From Reputation Damage

It could damage your reputation if potential customers don’t find accurate information about your business online. This is especially true if they see incorrect or outdated information.

4. The Government Could Find You

If you’re a business that requires a license or permit, inaccurate NAP information could lead to fines from the government.

5. You Could Be Sued

If your business is sued, and the court can’t find accurate information about your business online, you could be at risk of losing the case.

A local citation audit is vital to any business’s online presence. By ensuring that your NAP information is accurate and up-to-date, you can avoid many risks associated with inaccurate or incomplete business listings.

How to Conduct a Local Citation Audit

You can conduct a local citation audit in a few different ways.

1. Use a Tool like Moz Local or Whitespark

Moz Local and Whitespark are two tools that can help you quickly and easily compile a list of all the places your business is listed online. Once you have a list of all your listings, you can go through and check each for accuracy.

2. Do a Manual Search

You can also do a manual search for your business online. Start by searching for your business name in Google. Then click on the “More” button and select “Maps.” This will include a list of all the places your business is listed on Google Maps. You can then click on each listing and check the NAP information for accuracy.

3. Hire a Professional

If you don’t have the time or resources to conduct a local citation audit yourself, you can hire a professional to do it for you. Several companies specialize in local citation audits and can help you ensure your listings are accurate and up-to-date.

No matter how you choose to conduct your local citation audit, you must do one regularly. The internet landscape is always changing, and new listings are constantly being created. Completing a local citation audit regularly can help ensure your business information is always accurate and up-to-date.

Finding a dependable local citation service is vital to the success of your business. The professionals will take care of everything and ensure all your citations are accurate. This way, you can focus on other aspects of running your business.

What Is Included in a Local Citation Audit?

A local citation audit should include a review of all the places your business is listed online. This includes listings on major directories like Google, Yelp, and Bing, as well as smaller niche directories. The goal is to identify any inaccuracies in your NAP information and correct them.

In addition to reviewing your listing information, a local citation audit should also include a review of your business’s online presence. This includes ensuring your website is optimized for local search and that your social media profiles are up-to-date. A local citation audit can also help you identify any other areas where your business might be missing out on valuable citations.

What to Do with the Results of Your Local Citation Audit

If you’re like most business owners, you don’t have the time to track down every citation your business has. That’s where a local citation audit comes in handy. A local citation audit will comb the internet for any mention of your business and ensure that your information is correct and up to date.

Once you have the results of your local citation audit, it’s essential to do something with them. Here are a few tips on what to do with the results of your local citation audit:

1. Fix the Inaccuracies

One of the most important things to do with your local citation audit results is to fix any inaccuracies. For example, if you find that your business name, address, or phone number is listed incorrectly on a website, reach out to the site and ask them to update your information. This can be time-consuming, but ensuring that your data is correct across the internet is essential.

2. Create New Citations

If you find that your business is not listed on some of the most popular citation sites, take the time to create new listings. Creating new citations can help improve your SEO ranking and help customers find your business.

3. Monitor Your Citations

Once you’ve fixed the inaccuracies and created new citations, you must monitor your citations regularly. This way, you can be sure that your information is always up-to-date and accurate.

Monitoring your citations doesn’t have to be a time-consuming task. There are several citation management tools available that can help you keep track of your citations.

4. Claim Your Business Listings

If you find that your business is listed on some sites but don’t have control of the listing, take the time to claim your listing. This way, you can be sure that your information is accurate and up-to-date.

5. Ask for Reviews

Once you’ve claimed your business listings, take the time to ask your customers for reviews. Reviews can help improve your SEO ranking and provide potential customers with valuable information about your business.

As you can see, there are several things you can do with the results of your local citation audit. First, by taking the time to fix inaccuracies, create new citations, and monitor your listings, you can help improve your SEO ranking and make it easier for customers to find your business.

The Future of Local Citations and How Businesses Can Stay Ahead of the Curve

Local citations are an essential part of any business’s online presence. They help customers find your business and can also improve your SEO ranking. But with the ever-changing landscape of the internet, it can be hard to keep up with the latest local citation trends.

Citation building is an essential part of SEO and is especially important for local businesses. Consider conducting a citation audit to ensure your company gets the most out of its online presence. This involves looking at all the places your business is listed online and providing correct and up-to-date information.

You can do this yourself or hire a professional citation-building service to take care of it. Either way, following these steps, will help improve your website’s ranking and bring in more traffic from potential customers in your area. Have you ever conducted a citation audit for your business? What tips would you add?