Local citation finder that checks your name, address and phone
Old addresses and wrong phone numbers on directory sites confuse customers and weaken your local rankings. This prompt has your todo.is agent search for your business across directories, maps and local sites, compare each listing with your real details, and list the places your competitors appear but you do not.
The prompt
- Find local citations for my business. Name: [BUSINESS NAME]. Address: [ADDRESS]. Phone: [PHONE]. Website: [WEBSITE]. We are a [BUSINESS TYPE] in [CITY]. Search the web for listings of my business on directories, map sites, review sites, local chambers and industry sites. For each one record the URL, the name, address, phone and website shown, and mark anything that differs from my details (including old addresses, old phone numbers and duplicates). Then look at [COMPETITORS] and list directories where they are listed and I am not, ranked by how relevant they look for my industry and city. Save everything as an Excel file with tabs "My listings", "Fix these" and "Missing", with source links.
What to change
- [BUSINESS NAME]: Exactly as it appears on your sign and Google Business Profile, e.g. "Harbor Street Dental".
- [ADDRESS]: Your current address, e.g. "212 Harbor St, Suite 4, Portland, ME 04101". Mention an old address too if you moved.
- [PHONE]: Your main number, e.g. "(207) 555-0142".
- [WEBSITE]: e.g. "harborstreetdental.com".
- [BUSINESS TYPE]: e.g. "family dental practice", "plumber", "yoga studio".
- [CITY]: Your city or area, e.g. "Portland, Maine".
- [COMPETITORS]: 2–3 local competitors by name or website.
Example result
- Local citations · Harbor Street Dental, Portland (example)
- Listings found: 46 · Competitors compared: 3
- Summary
- • 33 listings correct
- • 9 listings show the old address (88 Fore St, before the 2024 move)
- • 2 duplicates on the same directory (one with the old phone number)
- • 2 use a different name ("Harbor St Dental Care")
- • 14 relevant sites list your competitors but not you
- Fix these first
- • Main map and review listings with the old address: these are the ones people see most. Update them directly in each site's business dashboard.
- • Duplicate listing on a regional business directory: ask the site to merge the old listing into the current one rather than deleting it, so you keep the reviews.
- • Name mismatch: use "Harbor Street Dental" everywhere, matching your sign and Google Business Profile.
- Missing directories (sample, ranked)
- • State dental association member directory · both main competitors listed · industry
- • Portland chamber of commerce directory · 2 competitors listed · local
- • A national dentist-finder site · all 3 competitors listed · industry
- • Neighborhood business association page · 1 competitor listed · local
- Your NAP to copy everywhere
- • Name: Harbor Street Dental
- • Address: 212 Harbor St, Suite 4, Portland, ME 04101
- • Phone: (207) 555-0142
- • Website: https://harborstreetdental.com
- Notes
- • Some directories show data pulled from others. Fixing the big map and review listings first often corrects smaller sites over time.
How to do it with todo.is
- Copy the prompt and fill in your exact business details, including any old address or phone.
- Paste it into todo.is or send it to your agent on WhatsApp.
- Your agent searches for your listings and your competitors', and checks each one against your details.
- Use the Excel tabs to fix wrong listings first, then add the missing ones. Ask your agent to repeat the check every quarter.
Tips for a better result
- Decide on one exact version of your name, address and phone, including "Suite" vs "Ste", and use it everywhere.
- Mention your old address and phone in the prompt. Stale listings from before a move are the most common problem.
- Quality beats quantity: a few relevant industry and local directories matter more than hundreds of generic ones.
- Ask your agent to draft the correction request for sites that do not have a self-service dashboard.
local citation finder: FAQ
- What is a local citation? Any online mention of your business name, address and phone number, such as a directory listing, map listing, review site or local news page.
- Do citations still matter for local SEO? Consistent, accurate listings help customers and support trust in your business data. They matter most on major map, review and industry sites.
- Can todo.is update my listings for me? It finds and checks them and drafts update requests. You log in to each site to make changes, or connect your Chrome with the todo.is Connector so your agent can fill forms with your OK.
- Will it find every citation? It finds listings it can discover through web search and the directories it checks, not every mention on the internet. Major and local sites are covered well.
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