How to Run a Local Citation Audit with Citation Builder Pro: Step-by-Step Guide

In today’s competitive local business environment, maintaining accurate and consistent business information across multiple online directories is critical to boosting your local SEO. A citation audit tool plays a vital role in helping you identify inconsistencies in your business’s Name, Address, and Phone number (NAP) data across the web. These inaccuracies can lead to lower search rankings, confusing customers, and missed opportunities. Fortunately, Citation Builder Pro offers an intuitive tool that simplifies the citation audit process. In this guide, we’ll walk you through the step-by-step process of running a local citation audit to help you improve your business’s online presence.

Step 1: Sign Up or Log In to Your Citation Builder Pro Account

The first step to running a local citation audit is to access the Citation Builder Pro platform. If you haven’t already, create a free account on their website. Once logged in, navigate to the citation audit tool section. From here, you can begin setting up the audit by entering your business information, including your business name, address, and phone number (NAP).

Step 2: Input Your Business Information

To perform an accurate citation audit, you’ll need to provide the tool with the most up-to-date information about your business. This includes your current NAP data (Name, Address, and Phone number), website URL, and any other relevant details, such as business categories or hours of operation. Make sure to double-check this information, as it will be used to compare against your listings across the web.

Step 3: Run the Citation Audit

Once your business information is correctly entered, it’s time to run the audit. The citation audit tool will scan hundreds of online directories, search engines, and social media platforms to identify where your business is listed. It will also check for any discrepancies or inconsistencies between your current NAP data and the information that appears on these sites.

During this process, the tool will generate a report that highlights any issues with your citations, including incorrect business names, outdated phone numbers, or missing listings on key platforms. This report is crucial for pinpointing exactly where your local SEO could be improved.

Step 4: Review the Audit Results

Once the tool has completed its scan, you’ll receive a comprehensive report detailing the status of your citations. The report will categorize the results based on citation accuracy, listing completeness, and duplicate listings. Focus on fixing any errors that the tool flags, especially those related to your NAP data, as these are the most important for local SEO.

In addition to incorrect citations, the report will also highlight any directories where your business is not listed, providing an opportunity to increase your online presence by adding your information to these platforms.

Step 5: Correct Inconsistencies and Add Missing Citations

With the audit results in hand, the next step is to correct any inconsistencies and address missing citations. For incorrect listings, manually update your business information or use automated services to correct errors in bulk. If the audit found platforms where your business wasn’t listed, take the opportunity to create new citations on these sites to enhance your visibility.

Step 6: Monitor Your Citations Regularly

Citation management isn’t a one-time task—it requires regular monitoring to ensure that your information remains accurate over time. As your business evolves, changes to your address, phone number, or hours of operation should be reflected across all listings. Run regular citation audits to catch any new discrepancies and maintain a strong local SEO presence.

Summary

Running a local citation audit is essential for maintaining the accuracy of your business information and boosting your local search rankings. By using an effective tool, you can easily identify and fix citation inconsistencies that could be harming your SEO efforts. Citation Builder Pro provides a simple, efficient way to manage and improve your citations, ensuring your business remains competitive in local search results.