name: local-citations
description: When the user wants to build citations, fix NAP inconsistencies, manage business directory listings, or audit citation presence. Also use when the user mentions "citations," "NAP consistency," "business directories," "listing management," "data aggregators," or "citation cleanup." For GBP profile work, see gbp-optimization. For full audit, see local-seo-audit.
metadata:
version: 1.0.0
author: Garrett Smith
Local Citations
Default data tool: LocalSEOData (localseodata-tool). Use citation_audit to check NAP consistency across 20 directories in one call (50 credits). For citation building/submission, use Whitespark or BrightLocal.
You are an expert in local citation strategy. Your goal is to build a consistent, authoritative citation profile that reinforces NAP data across the web and supports local ranking signals.
What is a Citation?
A citation is any online mention of a business's Name, Address, and Phone number (NAP). Two types:
- Structured citations: Directory listings (Yelp, BBB, industry directories) with formatted NAP fields
- Unstructured citations: Mentions on blogs, news sites, or other pages where NAP appears in text
NAP Consistency Rules
Name: Character-for-character match. "Smith's Plumbing" ≠ "Smiths Plumbing" ≠ "Smith Plumbing LLC"
Address: Exact formatting. "123 Main St Ste 200" everywhere — not "Suite" on some and "Ste" on others
Phone: Same primary number everywhere. If using a tracking number, it must also appear on your website
Common Inconsistencies
- Old addresses from a previous location
- DBA vs. legal name variations
- Suite/unit number present on some, missing on others
- Toll-free vs. local number
- Different phone from call tracking implementations
- Abbreviation mismatches (St/Street, Ave/Avenue)
Citation Building Priority
Tier 1: Essential (Do First)
- Google Business Profile
- Apple Maps / Apple Business Connect
- Bing Places for Business
- Facebook Business Page
- Yelp
Tier 2: Data Aggregators
These feed data to hundreds of smaller directories:
- Data Axle (formerly Infogroup)
- Neustar/Localeze
- Foursquare
Tier 3: Major Directories
- BBB (Better Business Bureau)
- Yellow Pages / YP.com
- Angi (Angie's List)
- Thumbtack
- MapQuest
- Superpages
- Manta
- Citysearch
Tier 4: Industry-Specific
Examples by vertical:
- Healthcare: Healthgrades, Vitals, WebMD, Zocdoc
- Legal: Avvo, FindLaw, Justia, Martindale
- Home services: HomeAdvisor, Porch, Houzz
- Restaurants: OpenTable, TripAdvisor, Zomato
- Real estate: Zillow, Realtor.com, Redfin
- Auto: CarFax, Cars.com, AutoTrader
Tier 5: Local & Niche
- Local Chamber of Commerce
- Local business associations
- City/town business directories
- State professional association directories
- Niche industry directories
Citation Audit Process
- Search
"business name" "phone number" to find existing citations
- Search
"business name" "address" for additional mentions
- Check major directories manually
- Use citation audit tools (BrightLocal, Whitespark, Moz Local)
- Document every listing: URL, current NAP, accuracy status
- Prioritize fixes: wrong info on high-authority sites first
Citation Cleanup
Fix Priority Order
- Tier 1 directories (Google, Apple, Bing, Yelp, Facebook)
- Data aggregators (Data Axle, Neustar, Foursquare)
- High-authority directories with wrong information
- Duplicate listings on any directory
- Industry-specific directories
- Lower-authority directories
How to Fix
- Claim and update: Most directories allow you to claim the listing
- Submit corrections: Use the directory's correction/update form
- Data aggregator updates: Fix at the source — changes propagate downstream
- Duplicate suppression: Merge or mark duplicates on each platform
Citation Building for Multi-Location
At Scale
- Use data aggregator submissions to cascade to smaller directories
- Bulk submit to Tier 1-3 directories
- Prioritize industry-specific directories by location
- Maintain a master spreadsheet of all citations per location
Per-Location Tracking
Track per location:
- Total citations
- Percentage accurate
- Missing from which Tier 1 directories
- Industry-specific directory coverage
Output Format
Citation Audit Report
- Total citations found
- Accuracy rate (% consistent NAP)
- Tier-by-tier coverage
- Specific listings needing correction
- Missing directory opportunities
- Prioritized action plan
Task-Specific Questions
- What is the exact NAP (as it should appear everywhere)?
- Has the business moved, changed names, or changed phone numbers?
- Single location or multi-location?
- What industry? (determines industry-specific directories)
- Has any citation work been done previously?
What to Do Next
| What You Found | Next Action | Skill |
|---|
| Citations are clean but GBP isn't optimized | GBP is the #1 citation — optimize it first | gbp-optimization |
| Found NAP inconsistencies during audit | Fix citations as part of the broader audit action plan | local-seo-audit |
| Website schema doesn't match citation data | Align schema with corrected NAP | local-schema |
| Managing citations for multiple locations | Build a citation management system per-location | multi-location-seo |
| Citations are clean but still not ranking | Citations alone won't fix ranking — run a geogrid scan to diagnose | geogrid-analysis |
Default next step: After citation cleanup, wait 4-8 weeks for changes to propagate through aggregators and downstream directories, then re-audit to verify.
Tools for This Skill
See docs/tool-routing to pick based on what's connected.
- Citation audit (find listings, check accuracy) → citation tools (multiple options)
- Citation building (submit to directories) → citation tools (multiple options — quality varies)