Once you start fixing Local citations with correct NAP, is it normal for your rankings to plunge at first?

[jonnyholt]

I strongly believe that I have received the most solid Local advice I could from these forums and have started (in just a few days) to make the needed corrections.  At the same time I'm somewhat excited and optimistic that it will be a long journey but that it's a learning process.

About 5 days ago, I set my website up with "City landing pages" and I started plundering through google, fixing and claiming and correcting as many citations as I could with correct NAP.  The journey still continues today as I just got my Bing Local card in the mail and verified.  I went to check my rankings on Google Maps, just to see if anything had changed and sure enough it had.  My listing had been holding strong at page 10 (which drives me nuts) and now after 5 days of solid work its on page 18.  I have to assume that because I'm stirring the dust perhaps Google is confused and maybe in a month or so things might start moving the other way?  Thoughts?

[gazzerman1]

I would say you are correct, I have had this happen many many times. Sometimes things are not correct to begin with and you make some changes and Google just treats you like a new listing and you have to start again.

My theory is this:-

1. Your listing has a set of details

2. Google has a list of sites with citations that match that set of details

3. You make changes to your listing and now they do not match the citations you have out there.

4. Google re-crawls your citations over time and as they start to match again your result return and because of those changes your results are stronger then ever before.

That's my theory of why this happens.

I would love to hear if anyone agrees with my ramblings

[MiriamEllis]

Hi Jonathan,

I think this article by Mike Blumenthal will really hit the spot for you:

http://blumenthals.com/blog/2012/09/13/can-a-citation-campaign-cause-a-drop-in-google-local-rankings/

Hope this helps!

[jonnyholt]

Thanks Miriam, you have an article for everything!

[jonnyholt]

Thanks Gary,

We are for sure on the same page.

[MiriamEllis]

I try! Thanks, Jonathan.