{"id":8791,"date":"2017-09-22T04:00:19","date_gmt":"2017-09-22T09:00:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.advicelocal.com\/?p=8791"},"modified":"2017-09-22T04:00:19","modified_gmt":"2017-09-22T09:00:19","slug":"fix-local-business-citations","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.advicelocal.com\/blog\/fix-local-business-citations\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Find and Fix Inaccurate Citations for a Local Business"},"content":{"rendered":"

When it comes to improving visibility and getting found online, local citations<\/a> play a critical role for local businesses. Remember, a local citation is any mention of a business\u2019 name, address, and phone number (NAP) online. There are several ways to optimize business listings online, but consistent NAP data is at the basis of all high-quality citations. In fact, 73% of consumers lose trust in a local business when they find incorrect information about the business online.<\/p>\n

When a consumer searches from their mobile device, a citation is often one of the first results that appears. This could be a Google Map listing, Yelp review or even the Facebook Page. This occurs because these citations have more influence than the business\u2019 website. If multiple NAP variations appear when searching, it can have a significant effect on the business.<\/p>\n

The amount and quality of these citations also impact how search engines evaluate and rank the business\u2019 websites. The more high-quality citations a business has from high-authority websites, the better.<\/p>\n

Steps a Business Owner Can Take to Find and Fix Inaccurate Local Citations<\/h2>\n

Step 1: Find the Business\u2019 Citations<\/h3>\n

It\u2019s impossible to clean up citations if you don\u2019t know where to look for them. Fortunately, there are plenty of tools to help businesses locate their online listings. Our free Online Visibility Report<\/a> is a great starting point for identifying these citations. Local businesses can also search online to see if their information is up-to-date in individual directories.<\/p>\n

Step 2: Identify Inconsistencies<\/h3>\n

Depending on how \u201cdirty\u201d a business\u2019 citations have become, there may be several variations of its NAP data online. Before bad data can be corrected, all variations should be identified and recorded \u2013 ideally in a spreadsheet for easy tracking. When looking for inconsistencies that need to be cleaned up, consider whether the physical address, phone number or website address have changed over the years.<\/p>\n

Next, determine exactly how you want the business\u2019 information to appear online. Inaccurate NAP directly affects local search rankings, so it\u2019s vital that all information found in business listings matches the information provided on the business website.<\/p>\n

Tips for Locating Bad Data that Needs to be Fixed<\/h4>\n