Inconsistent business information across the web tells Google your listing can't be trusted. The same name, address, and phone number — locked identically across every directory — is a foundational local ranking signal. This service finds every mismatch, fixes it, and makes sure it doesn't drift back.
✓ Typically included in the $400 Implementation package · Standalone scope available
Google cross-references your business information across dozens of sources. When they disagree, Google's confidence in your listing drops — and so does your map pack ranking. Here's what the same business looks like before and after a NAP cleanup.
The standard audit covers the 15 platforms with the highest local search relevance and domain authority. Industry-specific and geo-specific directories are added based on your market.
+ Industry and geo-specific directories added based on your business type and market
Citation cleanup is methodical — done in sequence so no corrections are made before the canonical NAP is agreed.
Citation cleanup works best when it's part of a complete implementation — and when it's maintained monthly so the cleanup doesn't drift back.
Google uses business listing data from across the web to verify that a business is legitimate and consistently located. When your name, address, or phone number appears differently across directories — different spelling, old address, wrong number — Google's confidence in your listing drops. This directly suppresses map pack rankings, even if your GBP itself is well-optimised.
The standard audit covers 15 directories: Google Business Profile, Bing Places, Apple Maps, Yelp, Facebook, Foursquare, Yellow Pages, BBB, Angi, Nextdoor, Thumbtack, MapQuest, Hotfrog, Manta, and CitySearch. Industry-specific and geo-specific directories are added based on your business type and market — law firms, healthcare providers, and home services businesses all have relevant vertical directories worth including.
The submission work is typically completed within 5–7 business days. Major platforms like Yelp and Bing Places update within days. Aggregator networks — Foursquare, for example, which feeds dozens of smaller directories — can take 4–8 weeks to fully propagate. The citation summary report includes a platform-by-platform expected timeline so you know what to watch for and when.
A canonical NAP is the single agreed version of your business name, address, and phone number — identical character-for-character across every platform. It must be agreed before any corrections are made, because correcting different listings to slightly different formats creates a new form of inconsistency. The canonical NAP document is yours to keep and use any time a new listing is created.
Yes. Citation cleanup can be scoped as a standalone engagement if your GBP is already well-optimised and on-page fixes have been handled elsewhere. Contact via the form or book a free call to discuss the scope — a rapid NAP audit will establish what needs doing and at what cost.
Yes, they can. Directory aggregators periodically re-populate data from old sources, and new directories appear that pull from aggregators rather than your GBP. The Monthly SEO Management package includes citation monitoring to catch drift before it accumulates. If you're not on monthly management, a citation re-audit every 12 months is recommended — especially after any change to your address or phone number.
Data aggregators are companies that collect business information and distribute it to hundreds of smaller directories, apps, and mapping services. Foursquare, for example, feeds business data to Apple Maps, Uber, and dozens of smaller platforms. If your information is incorrect in a major aggregator, it propagates those errors across the entire network — meaning correcting 15 individual directories still leaves hundreds of downstream sources with wrong data. The cleanup process includes checking the major aggregators specifically and correcting them at source, which cascades correct information downstream automatically.
A business address or phone number change requires a full citation re-audit and cleanup — the same process as the initial cleanup, but focused on updating from the old NAP to the new one. This is one of the most important times to invest in citation management, because old information in directories actively contradicts your new GBP listing and suppresses rankings. The sooner the update is made across all directories after a change, the less damage accumulates. If you're planning a move, get in touch before it happens so the process can be timed correctly.
Both matter, but in different ways. Major general directories (Yelp, Bing Places, Apple Maps) carry high domain authority and are checked by Google's local algorithm as trust signals for any business type. Industry-specific directories — Avvo for law firms, Healthgrades for healthcare, Checkatrade for UK tradespeople, Houzz for home services — carry domain authority specifically relevant to those search categories and often appear in vertical-specific search results independently. The citation audit includes both tiers, with the industry-specific platforms selected based on your business type and market.
Citation building and link building are distinct SEO disciplines that are often confused. Citations are mentions of your business name, address, and phone number — they don't need to include a clickable link to have value. Their purpose is to verify to Google that your business is legitimate, consistently located, and correctly named. Link building acquires clickable hyperlinks from other websites to yours, primarily to build domain authority for organic search rankings. For local SEO, citation building is the higher priority because it directly influences map pack rankings. Link building has less direct influence on local map pack position but affects organic rankings below the map pack.
Citation cleanup is most effective as part of the full implementation package — GBP optimisation, on-page fixes, and citation work together. Get in touch to discuss your situation.