Module 7

Auditing Your Citations

If your business has been around for a while, you probably have existing citations — some accurate, some outdated. Finding and fixing incorrect citations is just as important as building new ones.

Why Audit Your Existing Citations?

What to do

Understand why finding and fixing old citations matters.

Step by step

  1. Inconsistency hurts rankings. If Google finds conflicting information about your business across the web, it reduces trust in all your citations.
  2. Old citations persist. Moved premises? Changed phone number? Your old information is probably still on many directories.
  3. You may not know what's out there. Data aggregators, previous owners, or well-meaning employees might have created listings you don't know about.
  4. Duplicate listings cause problems. Multiple listings for the same business on one directory confuse Google and customers.
  5. Customers find old information. Even if Google's smart enough to figure it out, customers might find old listings with wrong phone numbers or addresses.

How to Audit Your Citations (Manual Method)

What to do

Search for your business across the web to find existing citations.

Step by step

  1. Search your business name. Google your exact business name (in quotes for exact match). Look through several pages of results for directory listings.
  2. Search your phone number. Google your phone number. See which directories and websites have it listed.
  3. Search your address. Google your address to find businesses listed there. Useful for catching old business names at your location.
  4. Search name variations. If your business could be spelled differently, search variations. "Smith's" vs "Smiths" for example.
  5. Check major directories directly. Go to Yell, Thomson Local, Yelp, and your key industry directories. Search for your business and verify your listing is correct.
  6. Record what you find. Note each citation: where it is, what information is shown, whether it's correct/incorrect.

Tools for Citation Auditing

What to do

These tools can help find citations faster, though manual checking is still recommended.

Step by step

  1. Moz Local Check (free): Go to moz.com/local and search your business. Shows your listing status on key directories.
  2. BrightLocal (free scan, paid service): brightlocal.com offers citation tracking tools. Free scan shows some citation issues.
  3. Whitespark Local Citation Finder (paid): Professional tool for finding all your citations. Worth it for businesses with complex histories.
  4. Semrush Listing Management (paid): Part of Semrush's local SEO tools, audits citations across major sites.
  5. Free options get you started. The free scans from Moz or BrightLocal show major issues. Manual searching fills in the gaps.

Fixing Incorrect Citations

What to do

When you find incorrect citations, here's how to fix them.

Step by step

  1. Claim the listing if possible. Log in and update the information yourself. This is the fastest, most reliable method.
  2. Use 'Suggest an edit' features. Many directories have options for anyone to suggest corrections. Use these for listings you can't claim.
  3. Contact the directory directly. If there's no self-service option, find the directory's contact form or email and request the correction.
  4. Be patient. Some directories are slow to update. Keep a record of what you've requested and follow up if needed.
  5. Prioritise by importance. Fix high-authority directories (Yell, Thomson, industry sites) first. Minor directories can wait.

Handling Duplicate Listings

What to do

If you find multiple listings for your business on one directory, consolidate them.

Step by step

  1. Identify which listing to keep. Usually the one with more reviews, more complete information, or the one you can access.
  2. Claim the keeper. Make sure you control the listing you want to keep and it's fully optimised.
  3. Request removal of duplicates. Most directories have processes for reporting duplicate listings. Use their help or contact forms.
  4. Mark as 'Permanently closed' if possible. If you can claim the duplicate, mark it as closed/out of business before requesting removal.
  5. Be persistent. Duplicate removal can take multiple requests. Follow up if nothing happens.

Ongoing Citation Maintenance

What to do

Keep your citations accurate over time.

Step by step

  1. Annual audit. Once a year, do a quick search for your business to check citation accuracy.
  2. Update immediately when things change. Change of phone, address, or business name? Update your top citations right away.
  3. Keep your tracking spreadsheet updated. When you update a citation, note the date. Makes future auditing easier.
  4. Monitor for new citations. Set up Google Alerts for your business name to catch when you're mentioned somewhere new.

Citation audit complete: