1. Objective
This SOP governs the audit, correction, and ongoing management of a home inspector's NAP data — Name, Address, Phone number — across the web. NAP consistency is a foundational local SEO trust signal: when Google sees your inspector's business information cited identically across the web, it gains confidence that the business is legitimate, established, and correctly located. Inconsistencies — a phone number from two years ago still on a directory, a name variation, an old address — confuse Google and dilute the prominence signals that help rankings.
Where this SOP starts: Month 2–3 of the engagement, after GBP and website work is underway. Citation work is a Phase 4 activity — don't build new citations while major inconsistencies exist.
Where this SOP ends: When Tier 1 and Tier 2 citations are built and accurate. Ongoing quarterly checks thereafter.Success looks like: The inspector's name, address, and phone number appear identically on every major directory. All Tier 1 and Tier 2 citations are claimed, verified, and complete with photos, description, and services. No duplicate listings exist on any platform. NAP in the GBP matches NAP on the website and on every directory.
2. Your Role & Boundaries
2a. What you handle independently
- Auditing existing citations for NAP accuracy
- Claiming and updating listings on Tier 1 and Tier 2 directories
- Documenting all citations in the citation tracker
- Checking for and suppressing duplicate listings
- Confirming NAP consistency in new directories as they're identified
2b. What requires client approval before acting
- Choosing the canonical NAP format that will be used everywhere (name, address format, phone number) — this is a client decision, done once at the start
- Creating a new account on any directory that requires the inspector's personal information or payment
- Any directory that charges for listing submission (get client approval before paying)
2c. What you never do
- You never use a call tracking number as the primary NAP phone number across directories — if that number ever changes or the service is discontinued, every citation becomes inconsistent simultaneously
- You never create a listing on a directory and abandon it incomplete — a partial listing is worse than no listing
- You never submit to directories the inspector has flagged as undesirable or that violate their business interests
- You never list cities in the inspector's service area that they don't actively serve and don't want business from
3. Establishing Canonical NAP
Before building or fixing any citations, confirm the canonical (master) NAP format with the inspector. Every citation must match this exactly.
Confirm these elements:
| Element | Decision |
|---|---|
| Business name | Exact legal or trade name — no keyword additions. "Smith Home Inspections" not "Smith Home Inspections LLC - Best Inspector KC" |
| Address format | If home-based, use the service-area-only approach (no home address) — consistent with GBP setup |
| Phone number | Primary business number — permanent, not a tracking number |
| Website URL | Primary domain URL — consistent format (with or without "www") |
Document the canonical NAP in the SEO tracking spreadsheet. Never deviate from this format on any directory.
4. Citation Priority Tiers
Tier 1 — Critical (complete in Month 2):
| Directory | Notes |
|---|---|
| Google Business Profile | Already complete — master citation |
| Yelp | Claim or create at yelp.com/biz/claim |
| Facebook Business Page | Separate from the inspector's personal Facebook |
| Bing Places | At bingplaces.com — often overlooked but easy to set up |
| Apple Maps (Apple Business Connect) | At businessconnect.apple.com |
| Better Business Bureau (BBB) | bbb.org — free basic listing |
Tier 2 — Industry-Specific High Value (complete in Month 2–3):
| Directory | Notes |
|---|---|
| InterNACHI Member Directory | Only if inspector is certified — at nachi.org |
| ASHI Inspector Locator | Only if inspector is ASHI certified — at homeinspector.org |
| HomeAdvisor / Angi | angi.com — high-traffic home services platform |
| Thumbtack | thumbtack.com |
| Porch.com | porch.com |
| HomeGuide | homeguide.com |
| Spectora Inspector Directory | If the inspector uses Spectora for reporting |
Tier 3 — Local and General Directories (build out over Month 3+):
| Directory | Notes |
|---|---|
| Local Chamber of Commerce | Search "[inspector's city] chamber of commerce" — usually low-cost membership |
| Yellow Pages / YellowPages.com | yellowpages.com |
| Manta | manta.com |
| Foursquare | foursquare.com/businesses |
| Local newspaper / business directories | Search "[inspector's city] business directory" |
5. Citation Audit Protocol
Before building new citations, audit existing ones. Adding 30 new correct citations while 20 incorrect old ones still exist is less effective than fixing those 20 first.
Step 1: Search for existing citations
Search Google for: "[Business Name]" "[Phone Number]" — this surfaces most existing citations.
Also search: "[Business Name]" "[City]" site:yelp.com and repeat for other major directories.
Step 2: For each citation found, check:
- Is the business name exactly right?
- Is the address exactly right — including abbreviations ("Street" vs "St.")?
- Is the phone number current?
- Does the website URL link to the correct page?
- Is there a duplicate listing on the same platform?
Step 3: Fix before building
Update incorrect citations through the platform's claim or edit process. If the platform requires the inspector's account to access, coordinate that access before the session.
6. Building New Citations
For each directory in priority order:
1. Search the directory for an existing listing for the inspector's business
2. If a listing exists — claim it and update incorrect information
3. If no listing exists — create a new listing with the canonical NAP
4. Add photos, a business description (can use a shorter version of the GBP description), and services where the platform allows
5. Log the citation in the citation tracker
Citation Tracker Format:
| Column | Content |
|---|---|
| Directory name | Platform name |
| URL | Direct link to the listing |
| Tier | 1 / 2 / 3 |
| Status | Claimed / Updated / Pending verification |
| NAP Verified | Yes / Needs update |
| Date completed | When it was built or last audited |
| Notes | Login info location, any pending verification steps |
7. Quarterly NAP Audit
Every 90 days:
- Spot-check Tier 1 and Tier 2 citations for accuracy
- Search for any new citations that have appeared (Google sometimes auto-creates new listings)
- Check for any new duplicate listings
- Confirm the phone number and website URL in each citation are still current
Report the audit status in the monthly SEO report (SOP-HI-MKT-14).
8. Escalation Protocol
Escalate when:
- A directory listing appears using the inspector's name but with incorrect information and the platform won't allow editing without verification steps beyond your access
- A duplicate listing appears on the GBP specifically — this can split reviews and ranking signals
- The inspector changes their business phone number, address, or name — this triggers a full citation update across all directories simultaneously
Citation Issue — [Inspector Name]:
[What you found — e.g., "A duplicate GBP listing exists under a slightly different name: 'Smith Home Inspections KC'"]
Current status: [e.g., "The duplicate has 3 reviews and is confusing Google about which is the primary listing"]
Recommended action: [e.g., "Report the duplicate to Google Business Profile support for removal — I can do this but need you to log in to your GBP account to initiate the process"]
Let me know how you'd like to proceed.
9. Tools & Access
| Tool | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Citation tracker spreadsheet | Master record of all citations and their status |
| BrightLocal (optional, paid) | Automated citation audit across 100+ directories |
Google Search ("business name" "phone") |
Free manual citation search |
| Individual directory platforms | Direct claiming and editing |
10. Changelog
| Date | Notes |
|---|---|
| April 2026 | Initial release |