Story Based Question
Imagine you own a popular yoga studio in town. Business has been steady, but lately, you’ve noticed fewer new clients mentioning they found you online. Curious, you dig into your local SEO strategy and discover that some of your online listings have outdated or incorrect information—like an old phone number from years ago or the wrong address from before you moved.
You realize these inaccuracies could confuse both search engines and potential customers, but you’re not sure where to start. The question pops up: How do you check for local citation accuracy and fix these issues?
Exact Answer
To check for local citation accuracy, start by auditing your business’s Name, Address, and Phone Number (NAP) information across key directories and platforms like Google My Business, Yelp, Bing Places, and Yellow Pages. Use tools like Moz Local, BrightLocal, or Yext to scan for inconsistencies or missing citations. Manually search for your business name and location to identify unstructured citations on blogs or local websites. Once discrepancies are identified, update incorrect listings directly on the platforms or through bulk tools if available. Ensure all future citations match your business’s correct NAP information to maintain consistency.
Explanation
Checking citation accuracy is crucial for maintaining your local SEO health. Here’s a step-by-step breakdown of how you can do it:
1. Start with an Audit
Begin by compiling all your online business listings and citations. This includes structured directories like Google My Business, Yelp, Bing Places, Facebook, and Yellow Pages, as well as unstructured citations like blog mentions or local news articles.
2. Use Local Citation Tools
Several tools can help automate the process of finding citation inaccuracies:
- Moz Local: Scans your NAP information across major directories and identifies inconsistencies.
- BrightLocal: Offers detailed citation audits and helps you clean up inaccurate listings.
- Yext: A paid tool that allows you to manage and sync your citations across multiple platforms.
These tools save time and ensure you don’t miss any critical platforms.
3. Search Manually
For a thorough check, manually search your business name and location in Google. Look for mentions in blogs, articles, or local websites that tools might miss. Check niche-specific directories related to your industry, such as yoga directories or wellness platforms in the case of your yoga studio.
4. Update Inaccurate Listings
Log in to each platform where inaccuracies are found and update your NAP information. For unstructured citations, reach out to the website owners or editors and politely request corrections.
5. Set Up Monitoring
After correcting errors, monitor your citations regularly. Many tools offer ongoing monitoring to alert you if new inaccuracies arise. This ensures your information stays consistent as your business grows.
Example
Returning to your yoga studio, you decide to audit your online citations. Using Moz Local, you find that Yelp has your old phone number, Facebook lists your former address, and a local wellness blog misspelled your studio’s name.
You correct these by:
- Logging into Yelp and Facebook to update your NAP information.
- Contacting the blog editor to fix the name and include your new address.
Additionally, you claim listings on a few directories you hadn’t used before, like Bing Places and niche yoga directories. You also set up BrightLocal to monitor your citations going forward.
A month later, you notice that your studio ranks higher for “yoga classes near me,” and new clients report finding you online more frequently. The consistent citations reassured search engines and customers that your business is legitimate and easy to find.
Checking for local citation accuracy involves auditing your business’s NAP details across directories, using tools to identify discrepancies, and updating incorrect listings. Regular monitoring ensures your local SEO remains strong and reliable.