Citation Clean-Up Process

Note and initial all completed steps and dates in client’s SEO log.

 

Citations are anywhere around the internet that your business listing shows up. The first step is ensuring the GMB, FB, and Yelp listings have the correct business Name, Address, and Phone (NAP) before moving forward. We then put enter them into Yext, a service that will create listings.

Then comes the audit and cleanup process. The citation audit is an investigation into what directory listings already exist, and identifying if they have the correct NAP information. This is a two-step process; after the audit is complete, we move onto the clean-up phase. This entails correcting and NAP issues for consistency! We work with Duke in the Philippines to do these.

Step 1 – Set Up

• Be sure that Google My Business, Facebook, and Yelp are 100% verified, claimed, correct, accurate and match EXACTLY.
• If no Yelp page exists, move to step two. Yext will create a page that will need to be claimed in phone verification step.

Step 2 – Yext

• Order Yext, run Power Listings subscription for 30 days
  • Refer to “How to Enter Client into Yext” on BigWestWiki.com
  • Add client’s name and date to cancel to Asana, Yext list
• After 30 days, cancel the Power Listings subscription 
  • Refer to “How to Cancel Yext” on BigWestWiki.com
  • delete from Asana, Yext list

Step 3 – The Audit

• From the Citation Clean-up Templates folder (Drive > SEO > Citation Clean-up Templates), choose the Directory Listings Report Template for the appropriate country.
  • Download template: File > Download as…> Excel File
• Open on your desktop and enter client’s info from their SEO log NAP tab – business name, address, phone and website. 
• Then file > save as > Business Name Directory Listings Report
• Send Excel sheet to Duke ([email protected]) with instructions to save the completed audit in the SEO Citation Audits folder (Drive > SEO > SEO Citation Audits) and notify us to review before proceeding with clean-up.
• Add client’s name and the audit start date to Asana, Duke: Audit Stage list
• Duke will email indicating the audit portion is complete.
• Download the client’s spreadsheet (delete any new login information Duke created) and email client the “Directory Listings” velvet rope email and attach spreadsheet
  • Drive > SEO > Velvet Ropes Emails > Velvet Ropes Email 2 – Directories
• Review audit spreadsheet and email Duke to proceed to clean-up.

Step 4a – Clean-Up

• Move spreadsheet to Cleanups in Process folder (Drive > SEO > SEO Citation Audits > Cleanups in Process)
• Delete client from Asana, Duke: Audit Stage list and add them to Asana, Due: Clean-up Stage list
• Duke will email us to notify when clean-up is completed. 

Step 4b – Phone Verifications

• Review the notes and determine which citations require phone verification and edit notes accordingly
  • If phone verification(s) are necessary, move spreadsheet into Citation Cleanups Awaiting Phone Verification folder
    • Drive > SEO > Citation Cleanups Awaiting Phone Verification
  • If phone verifications are NOT needed, move spreadsheet into client SEO folder
    • Drive > SEO SEO Client Folders
• Download spreadsheet and save as an Excel file. Keep “DIRECTORY SITE” , “LIVE LINKS” and “NOTES” columns.
  • Email Client “Phone Verification” message and attach spreadsheet
    • Drive > SEO > Citation Clean-up Templates
• 30 minutes before scheduled verification appointment, log into the directory sites and be ready to initiate phone calls.
• Complete phone verification process
• Ok and initial completed tasks and move spreadsheet to clients SEO client folder
• If you are unable to complete the phone verification process, note the reason in the client’s SEO log. Verify that the unclaimed listings have the correct information. 
• If the phone verification process has not been completed within 30 days, move Directory Report spreadsheet into client’s SEO folder

 

Questions

• what do we email client if there are no phone verifications required?