Create the audit source of truth
Document the exact current business name, full address, primary phone, website, hours, and location identifier. Add previous names, addresses, and phone numbers as historical search clues.
Do not start correcting listings until the current data has been approved.
Search systematically
Search the business name plus location, phone number, address, and historical variants. Check the major local platforms directly. Citation-audit tools can automate part of this process and make competitor-gap research easier.
BrightLocal's Citation Tracker, for example, is designed to find business citations, identify inconsistent NAP data, and surface competitor citation opportunities.
Classify each result
Use statuses such as correct, incorrect, duplicate, missing fields, inaccessible, pending verification, and not our business. Record the profile URL and the exact problem.
Separate a true duplicate from a legitimate listing for another department, practitioner, or location.
Prioritize remediation
Fix high-visibility and high-trust sources first, then work outward. Wrong phone numbers and addresses are more urgent than cosmetic profile gaps because they can directly create bad customer experiences.
Once the footprint is clean enough, use the missing-listing list to plan new citation work.