Traffic down 80% overnight.
No algorithm update.
No penalty.
No obvious cause.
Citation audit revealed the problem.
Here's what happened: π§΅
Repost + Comment βCITATIONSβ for the full audit template.
No algorithm update.
No penalty.
No obvious cause.
Citation audit revealed the problem.
Here's what happened: π§΅
Repost + Comment βCITATIONSβ for the full audit template.
1/ The Symptoms:
Week 1: Rankings dropped
Week 2: GMB views down 75%
Week 3: Phone calls nearly stopped
Week 4: Panic
No changes to website.
No Google updates announced.
What was happening?
Week 1: Rankings dropped
Week 2: GMB views down 75%
Week 3: Phone calls nearly stopped
Week 4: Panic
No changes to website.
No Google updates announced.
What was happening?
2/ The Discovery:
Ran a citation audit.
Found: Competitor had hijacked their listings.
On 18 directories:
- Phone number changed to competitor
- Address modified
- Business name altered
Sophisticated attack.
Ran a citation audit.
Found: Competitor had hijacked their listings.
On 18 directories:
- Phone number changed to competitor
- Address modified
- Business name altered
Sophisticated attack.
3/ How This Happens:
Most businesses don't claim their listings.
Directories auto-generate from data sources.
Anyone can "claim" an unclaimed listing.
Competitor claimed them as their own.
Google saw:
- NAP inconsistency
- Conflicting information
- Trust signals broken
Most businesses don't claim their listings.
Directories auto-generate from data sources.
Anyone can "claim" an unclaimed listing.
Competitor claimed them as their own.
Google saw:
- NAP inconsistency
- Conflicting information
- Trust signals broken
4/ The Verification Process:
Checked each major directory:
β Correctly listed: 23
β Hijacked: 18
β Incorrect info: 10
β Duplicate listings: 8
No wonder Google stopped trusting them.
Checked each major directory:
β Correctly listed: 23
β Hijacked: 18
β Incorrect info: 10
β Duplicate listings: 8
No wonder Google stopped trusting them.
5/ The Recovery Process:
Week 1-2: Claim all listings
- Verify ownership
- Dispute fraudulent claims
- Upload proof of business
Week 3-4: Correct information
- Update NAP everywhere
- Remove duplicates
- Add missing info
Week 5-8: Monitor + reinforce
Week 1-2: Claim all listings
- Verify ownership
- Dispute fraudulent claims
- Upload proof of business
Week 3-4: Correct information
- Update NAP everywhere
- Remove duplicates
- Add missing info
Week 5-8: Monitor + reinforce
6/ The Proof Documents Needed:
To reclaim listings:
π Business license
π Utility bills
π Bank statements
π Tax documents
π Incorporation docs
Most directories require 2-3 forms of proof.
Have these ready.
To reclaim listings:
π Business license
π Utility bills
π Bank statements
π Tax documents
π Incorporation docs
Most directories require 2-3 forms of proof.
Have these ready.
7/ The Protection Strategy:
Prevent future hijacking:
β Claim ALL listings immediately
β Set strong passwords
β Enable 2FA where possible
β Monitor listings monthly
β Lock down your GMB
β Trademark your business name
Prevent future hijacking:
β Claim ALL listings immediately
β Set strong passwords
β Enable 2FA where possible
β Monitor listings monthly
β Lock down your GMB
β Trademark your business name
8/ The Monitoring System:
Set up alerts for:
- Your business name + reviews
- Your phone number
- Your address
- Brand mentions
Google Alerts (free)
BrightLocal ($50/mo)
Yext ($200/mo)
Know when your citations change.
Set up alerts for:
- Your business name + reviews
- Your phone number
- Your address
- Brand mentions
Google Alerts (free)
BrightLocal ($50/mo)
Yext ($200/mo)
Know when your citations change.
9/ The Citation Audit Checklist:
Run monthly:
β‘ Google Business Profile
β‘ Bing Places
β‘ Apple Maps
β‘ Yelp
β‘ Facebook
β‘ Top 20 directories
β‘ Industry-specific directories
β‘ Local directories
Each should have:
β Correct NAP
β Your ownership
β Complete information
Run monthly:
β‘ Google Business Profile
β‘ Bing Places
β‘ Apple Maps
β‘ Yelp
β‘ Facebook
β‘ Top 20 directories
β‘ Industry-specific directories
β‘ Local directories
Each should have:
β Correct NAP
β Your ownership
β Complete information
10/ The Results (Recovery Timeline):
Week 1: Corrected 50 listings
Week 4: Corrected 96 listings
Week 6: Rankings started recovering
Week 8: Traffic at 60% of original
Week 12: Traffic at 95% of original
Total recovery: 3 months
Could have been prevented with monitoring.
Week 1: Corrected 50 listings
Week 4: Corrected 96 listings
Week 6: Rankings started recovering
Week 8: Traffic at 60% of original
Week 12: Traffic at 95% of original
Total recovery: 3 months
Could have been prevented with monitoring.
11/ The Cost Breakdown:
Citation hijacking cost:
- Lost revenue: $87,000 (3 months)
- Recovery service: $2,500
- Lost opportunities: Immeasurable
Prevention cost:
- Monthly monitoring: $50/mo
- Annual: $600
$600 vs $87,000.
Monitor your citations.
Protect your assets.
Your citations are your business reputation online.
Repost + Comment βCITATIONSβ for the full audit template.
Citation hijacking cost:
- Lost revenue: $87,000 (3 months)
- Recovery service: $2,500
- Lost opportunities: Immeasurable
Prevention cost:
- Monthly monitoring: $50/mo
- Annual: $600
$600 vs $87,000.
Monitor your citations.
Protect your assets.
Your citations are your business reputation online.
Repost + Comment βCITATIONSβ for the full audit template.
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