Every new location adds a new set of details to keep correct: an address, a phone number, hours and a page on your website. Across ten or twenty locations, small errors pile up quietly. A citation audit is a structured check of where each location appears online and whether the information is right.
What a citation audit actually checks
A citation is any online mention of your business name, address and phone number, whether in a directory, a map profile or a social page. An audit compares each mention against your official record. It looks for wrong or old addresses, mismatched phone numbers, duplicate listings, inconsistent business names and locations that appear open after they have closed.
Step 1: Build the master spreadsheet
Create one row per location. Include the exact business name, street address with suite number, phone number, hours, website landing page, category and the date the details were last confirmed. This sheet becomes the single source of truth. If your team debates whether it is “Suite 4” or “Ste. 4”, decide once and use that format everywhere.
Step 2: Search for each location
Search for every location the way a customer would, using the business name with the city, and also the phone number and street address. Record every listing that appears, on which platform and what it says. Do not stop at the first page of results. Old addresses often sit on lesser-known sites.
Step 3: Mark the differences
Add a column for each platform and mark every entry as correct, incorrect, duplicate or missing. Sort issues by impact. A wrong phone number on a major profile is urgent. A missing description on a minor site can wait. Pay attention to locations that were renamed, moved or merged, because they leave the most confusing traces.
Step 4: Fix, claim and merge
Correct entries you control directly. For listings you do not control, follow each platform’s claim or edit process, and keep a record of every request. For duplicates, try to merge or remove them rather than leaving both live. For companies that review several directories, the Business and Investment category on Business Web Directory is one place to confirm how a location is presented and whether its details match your master sheet.
Step 5: Set a repeat schedule
Audit quarterly if you open, close or move locations often, and twice a year if you do not. Assign one owner, and require that any change at a location, such as new hours or a new manager phone number, is reported to that person first. Keep dated notes, so you can see what changed and when.
Mistakes that slow audits down
- Tracking only the headquarters and forgetting smaller sites
- Using tracking numbers inconsistently without a documented main number
- Making changes without recording where they were made
- Fixing symptoms in one directory while leaving the source of the error uncorrected
Conclusion
A multi-location citation audit turns scattered details into a clear, maintained record. Start with one master sheet, search methodically, correct what you can and review on a schedule.