How to Conduct a Local Listing & SEO Audit: A Step-by-Step Guide to Updating Your Local Listings

When a business changes location, it is crucial to update your local listing & SEO by updating its Name, Address, and Phone Number (NAP) across all online platforms is critical. Inconsistent listings can mislead customers, harm local SEO rankings, and weaken trust. This guide will walk you through a practical local SEO audit process to fix your NAP listings and regain control of your business’s online visibility.

Why NAP Consistency Matters for SEO

NAP consistency plays a pivotal role in how search engines validate and display business information. Google and other search engines cross-check your business details across multiple sources to determine legitimacy. If your NAP is inconsistent, your visibility may suffer, and potential customers may lose trust in your brand.

Step-by-Step: Conducting Your Local Listing & SEO Audit

1. Open an Incognito Browser

To get unbiased search results, open a private/incognito window. This disables cookies and personal browsing data, giving you a more accurate view of what others see when they search for your business.

TIP: Use variations of your business name and old address to uncover outdated listings.

3. Check for Accuracy

Go through each listing and check the following:

• Business Name: Is it spelt correctly and consistently? If you have changed your business name, ensure it is exactly the same across all listings.
• Address: Does it reflect your current location? Have you changed locations? Ensure you are updated on all listings.
• Phone Number: Is it accurate and formatted consistently? If you have changed your number, ensure it’s the same across all listings.

Pro Tip: Record your business details all on one document to help you through this process. (Click Here to download our template)

Mark each listing as one of the following:

• ✅ Correct and up to date
• 🔄 Needs updating (accessible)
• 📄 Needs documentation (not directly editable)

Use a spreadsheet to track URLS, platform names, status, and notes.

4. Recheck and Reconfirm

After making updates, give search engines a few days to crawl and reflect the changes. Then run another incognito search to verify that the correct details are appearing.

NAP Consistency Tips for Long-Term Success

• Use a master NAP template to ensure consistency when adding your business to new platforms.
• Schedule quarterly audits to avoid future discrepancies
• Encourage happy customers to leave reviews on platforms with the most visibility, eg: Google.

Stay Found and Trusted Online

Maintaining NAP consistency is more than an SEO task; it’s about keeping your business trustworthy and discoverable. If your business has recently moved, don’t leave your digital footprint behind. Previously, we wrote the Local directory listings Blog, which provides you with two downloadable tools that you can use to help you manage these listings.

Need help with a local SEO audit or fixing outdated listings? Reach out to our team for professional support.

Author Bio

Ellie Clare is a digital marketer, content strategist, and the founder of CLP Advertising & Photography Services. Specialising in SEO, social media strategy, content marketing, and visual storytelling, Ellie helps businesses grow with authentic, data-driven marketing that actually connects.

After a life-changing accident led her to start CLP, Ellie turned a personal challenge into a purpose-led career. Her mission is to make the internet a better, more human place; one piece of content at a time. She’s passionate about helping others find their voice online, and her efforts have earned her multiple local business awards.

When she’s not working with clients or behind the lens, you’ll find her hiking, mountain biking, or kayaking with her loyal sidekick, Monty, the retired working dog who still has plenty of energy to spare.