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Business App Pro is a recommended package that contains five amazing software products by Vendasta that work together in harmony for your local business client, inside of Business App: Inbox Pro  Campaigns Pro Reputation Management Premium Local SEO Social Marketing Pro These products work seamlessly with the features that come with the ‘standard’ Business App that all clients also get including:  CRM Integrations  Automations  Marketplace & Store Executive Report …and much more. How to activate

The listing score per source has a maximum attainable value but we don’t have a maximum listing score for a location or a maximum total. This is a dynamic value that keeps changing as we add more sources, and is compared directly to the industry average. The maximum listing score per source can be found on the listing table under the Listing Sync tab of Local SEO.

Show SEO proof-of-performance in the Executive Report! Automatically prove that the work you're doing for your customers is helping their business show higher in Google search results. By connecting Google Search Console to Business App, you can show detailed, automatic proof-of-performance analytics for searches happening on Google: How many queries their website appears on page one of Google? How many clicks their website is getting? How many impressions their website is getting? Which queries are getting the most clicks, and their average position in search results? Which website pages are getting the most clicks and impressions? With this powerful no-cost feature, you can show how all the hard work you do on a business’s marketing (website content, blog, listings, reviews, social media, etc) is resulting in real improvements in their SEO – to help you retain your clients for longer! What is Google Search Console? Google Search Console is a tool that Google provides at no charge to website owners to measure a website's search traffic and performance, fix issues, and make your site shine in Google Search results. Your customer will have the ability to see detailed analytics about the organic ‘SERP’ (Search engine rank position) of a website, what search queries (keywords) are being typed into Google, and what pages are appearing the most via organic search. Our integration brings these features into the Business App Executive Report. Visit the Google Search Console website for more info. Why connect to Google Search Console? Our reporting provides a unique KPI that is not available from within Google Search Console itself: “Queries on 1st page of Google Search”. This number is calculated daily and reveals if a business is making progress in the outcome they truly want: to show up on the first page of a Google search and get more website visits from potential customers.  This metric tracks exactly that, with no extra noise. Best of all, this reporting is automated. Connect it once to deliver automatic, ongoing proof-of-performance reporting to your clients. How do I set it up? 1. Setup Google Search Console Ensure you or your client has a Google Search Console connected to their website and fully verified. If your client doesn’t yet have a Google Search Console account, you can set one up in a few quick steps here. Note: it takes 24-48 hours after a new property is connected to Google Search Console for data to start to appear on Google’s side. 2. Connect Search Console to Business App In Business App > Administration > Connections > Browse Integrations, you’ll find a card to connect to Google Search Console. Click the card to add an account. Only one connection per account is permitted at this time. Log into Google with an account that has permission to access this Search Console account. All accounts that can be connected will appear in this list. Choose the account you want to connect. Once connected, it will take up to just a few minutes for existing data to appear in the Executive Report. 30 days of history is pulled in when an account is first connected. Note: If the account you want to connect does not appear here, make sure it is fully verified. Also, make sure the Google account you are connecting with has sufficient permissions to view this Search Console account. 3. Customize the queries tracked in the Executive Report You can completely customize the keywords that are tracked and reported on in the Executive Report via Search Console. When Google Search Console is first connected, Business App will automatically pull in the top 10 search queries for this business by clicking for reporting. You can customize these keywords, remove them, or add, up to 20 keywords to be reported in the Executive Report. Go to Business App > Administration > Connections and click on the Google Search Console card to edit the search queries. FAQs How do I put this Search Console data at the top of my Executive Reports? You can customize the order of the sections for the single-location Executive Report, from Partner Center > Administration > Customize > Business App Settings > Executive Report Page Layout > Edit Default Executive Report Template. From here, we recommend dragging the SEO section to the top of your report.  This can be configured on a market-by-market basis. I’ve connected Search Console to Business App, but I don’t see any data in the Executive Report. Do you see data in Google Search Console itself yet? It can take a few days for a newly connected Search Console account to begin to collect data. Check back the next day – after connecting, our data collection happens once per day around midnight CST. It can take a few minutes for Business App to pull in data to display in the Executive Report. The app automatically pulls in 90 days' worth of data, and you should usually be able to see data in the most recent weekly exec report within an hour of connecting to Search Console. If the website is new, there may be low or no data to report on yet. With no data yet, the cards will not appear. As you work at improving the SEO of this website, and it starts to receive organic clicks, data will appear in the report. Do you have sufficient permissions on your Google user to connect this data? Ensure you have admin privileges in Google Search Console. How are the ‘Queries on 1st page of Google Search’ cards calculated? We created a new custom metric that is a great way to show proof of improvement over time to a business owner. Each day, we count the number of queries where: They each have an average position of between 1.0 and 10.0 (the first page of Google). The business’s website received at least one click within the last 30 days for that keyword. We created this definition to eliminate the noise that can come from the hundreds of keywords a business might appear for but never get a click, because of poor relevancy.  This number is calculated once every 24 hours and then plotted on a trendline, to show a trend over time. As a website’s SEO is improved, so will this number on this card. Why aren’t Average CTR or Average Position metrics in the reporting? Average CTR (click-through-rate) and Average Position are helpful metrics to look at on a per-keyword level, but when rolled up as an overall stat, they are not helpful in proving performance to an SMB client, because they are averages that will continually be dragged down by every new keyword that the website appears for.  Essentially, these are two metrics a business will never be able to win at, and will never go “up and to the right”. So we decided to not include them in our Executive Report of high-level performance metrics. Do you support Domain Properties? Yes! We support connecting both Domain-properties and URL prefix properties. We recommend using Domain properties, as they collect a wider view of all search activity from all variations of a domain (www vs non-www, etc.) Learn about the difference here.

What are Hours of Operation?  Businesses with hours of operation past midnight can easily update their hours in the Business Profile on the Vendasta platform. Under the 'Hours' tab, clients can enter business hours like 11:00 am - 3:00 am in Local SEO's Business Profile or in Business App, or you may update their hours in Partner Center under Account Management.  Please note: Changes to hours typically occur quickly, but in some cases, hours can take 3-5 days to sync to Google. Please plan updates to hours accordingly. 

If a prospect or client has a great onboarding experience, that gives them an understanding of the value they can get and they will want to see more.  When a prospect enters their Business App for the first time, it is important that they don’t feel overwhelmed and can quickly understand what they are looking at. Onboarding tools such as the walkthrough video help make a better experience and prospects are more likely to become paying clients. A complete walkthrough video is available in your client-facing app, Business App, as an onboarding tool. When your prospects or clients enter their app for the first time, they will be prompted to watch the walkthrough video. The video shows them: Their app’s dashboard features include the marketing funnel, business profile, and customer journey. A walkthrough of connecting their Google Business Profile, Google Analytics, and Facebook accounts to the app. A brief introduction of each product (Reputation Management, Local SEO, Social Marketing, Website E-Commerce, Customer Voice, and Advertising Intelligence). An overview of the Executive Report. If you’d like to see the video, see this resource article. The first video in this article is what will appear in your clients’ Business App. You can also download and use either video as you wish.  

You can view and edit the sources that appear for your clients in Local SEO and Reputation Management by logging into Partner Center and selecting Administration > Customize > Listing Sources. The selected sources will be available for all accounts created on your platform. You can also remove sources on a per-account basis (in Reputation Management only) by logging into/impersonating an account and editing the selected Listings. View Vendasta's Review and Listing Sources below. Please be advised that these sources are subject to change at any time. 

The Advertising section of the Snapshot report can be a powerful tool to help sell your clients SEO services but it can also lead to many questions from your prospects. Below are some answers to common questions about this section. What keywords does the Advertising section use?The Advertising section of the Snapshot Report currently identifies the top 5 keywords for your prospect's business based on content gathered from their website and business information. Why don't these keywords match the ones my prospect is currently running?If these keywords don't match your prospects, it could mean that their current keywords are not ones that are considered in the top 5 for their business based on their location, business information, and the content of their website. How does the Advertising section analyze these keywords? The Advertising section analyzes the search results for the first 10 results per page, which means we analyze the top 8 ad results. We then compare with the top keywords of your prospect to determine the data that's displayed in this section. Why aren't my prospect's keywords in the top 8 results?Your prospect's keywords may not be in these top 8 ad results for a number of reasons. If your prospect is using unique keywords, these likely won't fall under those top ad results. Keywords that are considered unique and may not be in those ad results could be your prospect's company name, the names of their unique products, common misspellings of their brand or product, or unique long tail keywords.  What should I tell my prospect if they're running ad campaigns but the Advertising section isn't showing any data? This is likely due to the fact that they're still not showing up within the top 8 ad results. This could be happening if your prospect is using unique keywords or their keywords just don't fall within these top 5 keywords our system identified. If this is the case, this could be a great opportunity to let them know they may want to consider changing their keywords on active campaigns or start a new campaign for those top 5 keywords that the report identified.  What if their ad campaign is showing engagement but the Advertising section is showing an F? The Advertising section only gathers keyword analytics data at the national level which is most likely the cause of this. If Snapshot Report is showing an F but your prospect is seeing engagement from their ad campaign, they're probably ranking at the local level. Because our system is limited to the top 100 results for around 500 million global keywords, we are unable to display keyword data from the local level. 

Your website’s speed and reliability directly impact user experience and SEO. This FAQ answers common questions about caching, page speed, image optimization, content delivery, and why some visual updates may not appear immediately. Q: Why is my Google PageSpeed score low, especially on mobile? Google PageSpeed scores often differ between mobile and desktop and can appear low even if your website feels fast. This is because PageSpeed scores are based on technical metrics like Core Web Vitals—not just real-world loading speed. Several factors can influence scores: Theme builders (like Divi, Elementor, WPBakery) are heavier and impact mobile scores more. Excess plugins and unused themes can slow the site. Locally hosted videos significantly affect performance. Host videos on YouTube and embed them. Poor Core Web Vitals scores will impact your overall PageSpeed. How to improve performance: Use the "Improve Desktop/Mobile Speed" buttons in the Website Pro or Standard dashboard. Remove unnecessary plugins and themes. Use a lightweight theme, or build with clean HTML (note: hardcoded sites are not supported by Marketing Services). Use Google PageSpeed Insights to view actionable suggestions. Monitor Core Web Vitals in the Website dashboard. Contact Marketing Services for help with image optimization, caching setup, or plugin audits. Even with a low PageSpeed score, try loading your site manually on both desktop and mobile—you’ll likely find that it performs well. Q: What is caching, and how does it work in Website Pro? Caching stores parts of your website so they can load faster for visitors. Website Pro uses multiple caching layers, including: Nginx reverse proxy caching (active for 1 hour) Google Cloud CDN (serves content from nearby servers) Optional plugin-level caching (e.g., from Divi) Website Pro caches public-facing pages that meet all the following conditions: HTTP status is 200 (OK) Request is a GET or HEAD No URL parameters Visitor is not logged in Visitor does not have a special cookie (e.g., wp-postpass) Caching is bypassed for: Admin areas (/wp-admin) Logged-in sessions URLs with query parameters To clear your site’s cache: Go to Website Pro > Overview Click the Flush Cache button You can also bypass the cache by appending a query string to any URL (e.g., example.com/page?v=123). If you're using Website Pro’s staging environment (available on Pro only), cache is automatically cleared when updates are pushed live. Q: Why aren’t my site changes showing up right away? If your changes only appear when logged in as an admin or after waiting an hour, this is likely due to caching. To resolve: Click Flush Cache in your Website Pro dashboard Wait one hour (the default cache expiration time) Use staging to make changes and then push to live (cache clears automatically) Tip - If you would like to access the un-cached version of a page, use a query param, i.e., add a ?v=12345 to the page URL you’d like to access (so www.mysite.com becomes www.mysite.com?v=123456, bear in mind any random number will work) to the end of the URL. This will be slower to load the page, but it will bypass the NGINX cache. Q: Why aren't my CSS changes in Divi Builder taking effect? Divi Builder uses Static CSS File Generation by default, which can cause CSS changes not to apply immediately. To fix this: Temporarily disable Static CSS File Generation in the Divi theme options. After editing, you can re-enable the feature to improve site performance. More information here:Divi's Static CSS Generation Guide Q: How do I optimize images in WordPress? WordPress compresses images by default (to 82% quality), but further optimization is recommended. Recommended image dimensions: Blog posts: 1200×630 px Headers: 1048×250 px Logos: 200×100 px Featured images: 1200×900 (landscape) or 900×1200 (portrait) Backgrounds: 1920×1080 px To optimize images: Resize and compress using tools like TinyPNG or ImageOptim before upload Use lazy loading Choose descriptive filenames and alt text Use optimization plugins like Smush, EWWW Image Optimizer, or ShortPixel You can also reach out to Marketing Services for support with image cleanup and lazy loading setup. Q: What is a CDN, and how does Website Pro use it? A Content Delivery Network (CDN) speeds up your site by storing and serving content from servers that are geographically close to your visitors. All Website Pro sites use Google Cloud CDN by default, which provides: Faster global load times Better performance in mobile and remote environments Built-in security and privacy protections 1-click cache clearing for global content updates To disable the CDN: Visit your Website Pro dashboard Toggle Enable CDN off More about CDN functionality:What is Cloud CDN? (Google) Q: Why is my bounce rate extremely low in Google Analytics? A bounce rate below 10% may suggest a technical issue rather than high engagement. One common cause is duplicate Google Analytics tags—often from both a theme and a plugin. To troubleshoot: Install the Google Tag Assistant Chrome extension Visit your site and click through a few pages Use the Tag Assistant to identify tag errors: Red: Major issue Yellow: Minor warning Blue: Non-standard implementation Green: Tags working properly Fix any duplicate tracking codes and retest to ensure proper data collection. For additional performance testing:GTMetrix Site Speed Test

Please follow the following steps to change the title separator icon on your WordPress site. 1. Install a plugin called Yoast SEO.    Click here for steps on how to install a plugin2. Open the search appearance tab on Yoast SEO3. Select the required Icon and then scroll down, and click on Save changes.  

Search Console tools and reports help you measure your site's search traffic and performance, fix issues, and make your site shine in Google Search results. A page is indexed by Google if it has been visited by the Google crawler ("Googlebot"), analyzed for content and meaning, and stored in the Google index. Indexed pages can be shown in Google Search results.(If they follow Google's webmaster guidelines). Proper website indexing allows search engines to see all of your important pages and gives your site a major boost. It can even send you on your way to page one of the search results! Enter your domain into the Google Search Console: Type your website URL into "URL prefix". Please note, that the URL must have the "https://" prefix. For checking an entire domain, you will need access to your domain registrar to enter a TXT record. This will take time as DNS Records take time to propagate (6-12 hours). Either way, you will need to verify that you own the domain in order to view the results: Step 2: Once the Records are Verified, you would need to add the XML sitemap in the Sitemap section in the Google console. Where to Find the XML sitemap? Log in to your WordPress website. Click on ‘SEO’ Click on ‘General’. ( Here we will be able to find the XML sitemap URLs). Yoast SEO: https://yoast.com/help/xml-sitemaps-in-the-wordpress-seo-plugin/Rank Math SEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bK2DHBhUUOoPlease note: The location to find the Sitemap will vary depending on the Plugin that is used. Step 3: The Sitemaps must be added here once the TXT records are verified successfully.Login here: https://search.google.com/search-console/ Step 4: Submit a Page URL to Google In Search Console, Go to the inspection URL - https://search.google.com/search-console/ and paste in the page URL you want to index. If the page isn’t indexed, you’ll see that GSC says ‘URL is not on Google.’ To get it crawled, just click on Request Indexing. Please note: Google Crawling takes 7-15 days to show accurate results in the search engine.

When a business moves locations, Apple will create a new listing for the new location as opposed to updating the previous listing. To prevent confusion, clients may need to report their previous listing as "Permanently Closed". To mark an Apple lisitng as permanently closed, you will follow these steps: Navigate to the live listing through Local SEO > Lisitng Sync. Select Apple Select the linked Apple listing Select "Open in Maps" Select the three dots on the listing Report an issue It's closed It's closed permanently Submit Over time Apple will remove any listings marked as "Permanently Closed".

Overview The Multi-Location Keyword Reporting feature allows business owners with multiple locations to view and track keyword performance across all their locations in one centralized dashboard. This provides brand managers with a clear view of which locations are excelling and which may need additional SEO efforts. Why is Multi-Location Keyword Reporting important?  Previously, brand managers had to review keyword performance for each location separately or rely on external tools or custom reports. With Multi-Location Keyword Reporting, they can easily see all their keyword data in one place, streamlining their SEO strategy and decision-making process. How to Use Multi-Location Keyword Reporting Step 1: Create Single Location Local SEO Accounts Begin by creating individual Local SEO accounts for each location. These accounts will later be added to the Multi-Location group. Step 2: Ensure PRO Account Status For businesses that want access to the heat map feature within Multi-Location Keyword Reporting, the individual Local SEO accounts must be PRO accounts. The heat map is exclusive to these accounts and provides additional insights into keyword performance. Step 3: Add Keywords to Locations Make sure you’ve added all relevant keywords to each location’s Local SEO account. These keywords will be visible in the Multi-Location Keyword Reporting dashboard. Step 4: Add Locations to the Multi-Location Group After setting up the individual accounts and adding keywords, group the locations under the Multi-Location Group. This will aggregate the keyword data from all locations in one place. Step 5: View Keywords in Multi-Location Group Once all the locations have been grouped, you can access the Multi-Location Keyword Reporting dashboard to view all keyword data in one comprehensive report. By using Multi-Location Keyword Reporting, brand managers can easily identify SEO successes and areas needing improvement, all without the hassle of navigating between multiple accounts or tools.

The Snapshot Report is a powerful tool that allows you to get to the heart of your client's online presence and reputation. To better speak to the report itself, it is useful to understand how our carefully tuned algorithm determines its grades. Overall Score The overall score is calculated by averaging the primary grades you've received in each section within the Snapshot Report. These grades are converted into numerical values: A = 4 B = 3 C = 2 D = 1 F = 0 The converted values are then summed and then divided by a perfect score (24). When a section is disabled, the overall score will adjust accordingly. Example In the above Snapshot Report, the score would be broken down as follows: Section  Grade Score Ecommerce D 1 Advertising F 0 Listings B 3 Social D 1 Reviews C 2 SEO D 1 Website D 1 Total N/A 9 Once we have the total score, 9 in the above case, we then divide it by the perfect score of 28 (4 x # of section grades, giving us the overall score for the Snapshot Report. 9/28 = 0.321 This is then rounded to the nearest whole number. In the example provided, this would be the 32% shown in the screenshot. Sections For each section in the Snapshot Report, we use the following percentile grading system: A = 90 - 100th percentile B = 75 - 89th percentile C = 50 - 74th percentile D = 30 - 49th percentile F = 0 - 29th percentile Listings The Listings grade is a reflection of your business’s online listings. Each listing source is assigned a score based on how popular the site is. For example, having an accurate listing on a popular site like Google will have a greater influence on your Listing Score. The Listings grade is determined by the percentile range your business falls into when compared to other businesses in the same industry. Example: This business was in the top 25% compared to other businesses in the same industry, so therefore it was graded at a B.  Reviews We first calculate the scores for each subsection contained under the Reviews heading. We then take those combined scores and divide them into the maximum possible score. Example: The above business's grades are broken down as follows: Reviews Found | Top 50% = C Reviews Found Per Month | Top 50% = C Average Review Score | Top 50% = C # of Review Sources | Top 50% = C If we convert these to point values, we have 2, 2, 2, and 2. Adding these together gives a total point value of 8. Since there are 4 sub-grades, we would divide this by 4 which gives us a score of 2, resulting in an overall grade of C. Social We first calculate the grades for each subsection under the Social heading. From there, we convert those scores to numerical values, then divide them by the total number of grades available. Example: The above account has Facebook, X, and Instagram enabled on their Snapshot Report. Their subsections (Likes, Average Posts / Month, etc.) are calculated using the same method as other sections. Facebook has ratings of C, C, C, and F. Converting these to numerical gives us 2, 2, 2, and 0 = 6/4 = 1.5 = D X was not found, equalling a grade of F. Instagram has two B ratings, giving us 3, and 3 = 6/2 = 3 = B.  If we take the letter grade for each social site, we get Facebook = D (1), X = F (0), Instagram = B (3)  Total = 4/# of grades 4/3 = 1.3 = D grade overall  Website We use Google's PageSpeed Insights to analyze websites for the Snapshot Report. The Website section is comprised of three separate subsections. The grades from each of these are added together, then divided by the total number of grades available. We will break down these sections below. Example: In the above report, the website has received the following grades: Mobile - F Desktop - F Homepage Content - B These convert to scores of 0, 0, and 3 respectively. Adding these together, we get a total of 3. If we divide this by 3 (the number of sections available), we receive a value of 1, which gives us a total grade of D. Note: PageSpeed scores can vary as they are estimates of the website's performance and not exact numbers. Many factors can influence the performance such as internet traffic, the types of ads being served, the type of device being used, and antivirus software.  Mobile Google's PageSpeed Insights scores both your speed and UX scores. We combine these scores, then compare the business to its industry percentiles to retrieve the Mobile grade. Desktop For the Desktop score, we take your Google PageSpeed Insights score (out of 100) and compare it to the industry percentiles. Homepage Content Each line within the Homepage Content subsection is given point values based on if the element is or is not detected. We add these scores together, then compare these to the industry percentiles. Ecommerce This section breaks down 4 important categories that are relevant when it comes to eCommerce: Online storefront - This checks to see if your prospect has the ability to sell their products/services through their website using a recognized commerce platform. Online payments - This checks to see if your prospect is able to accept transactions through their site using recognized payment software.  Lead engagement - This scan's the prospects' website to see if it is set up to properly engage customers with relevant content, encouraging them to either move down the sales funnel or purchase from them again.  Online scheduler - This crawls the prospect's website to see if they have included any scheduling software that makes it easy for customers to book an appointment with the business.  This grade is weighted to match the insights of sales professionals, giving you a score that helps you focus on the areas that matter most. These areas are weighted as follows: Online storefront = highOnline payments = mediumLead engagement = low Advertising & SEO The SEO and Advertising sections are backed by a deep catalog of keywords. Every month, we run millions of searches for these keywords, then take the top 50 organic results and the top 2 pages of ads and save those to our database. From there, we use those results to calculate the following: Advertising: Estimated cost per click = Estimated monthly ad budget / Estimated monthly paid clicks SEO: Estimated value per click = Estimated monthly value of clicks / Estimated monthly clicks It is important to stress that these are estimates and may not always accurately reflect the actual value of those clicks. For more information on the Advertising section, check out this article. Local SEO  The local SEO subsection score is based on where the business appears in the search results for each of the vicinities (9 each for near me and city).  1st = A 2nd or 3rd = B 4th - 20th = C 21st - 100th = D  Outside top 100 = F  The grade is then combined with the value per click grade to get the overall section grade.  Note: We are unable to perform localized searches. We search from a centralized location, so if the business you are targeting has ads set up for only their local area, you may not see results. For more information on the SEO section, check out this article.

You have the option to hide your physical business address in Listing Sync Pro, Citation Builder, and Listings Grade in the Snapshot Report. Clients will be able to list their business as a "Service Area Business" rather than a service in one physical location. This feature is also available as a “Bulk Update” action. Partners will be able to accommodate existing and prospective clients who run service area businesses. These businesses offer local services without a physical location, such as those that offer mobile or online services, operate from home, or use third-party locations. Service area providers will now be able to accurately sync their listings with sources that support a hidden physical address, which will result in a more accurate listing score. This will also improve the accuracy of the listing grade in the snapshot report for these businesses.Certain listing sources do not currently support this feature. This will affect the number of Listing Sync Pro sources that show up as available to sync with, in Local SEO. Though this will reduce the number of sources that are available to sync with, it will not impact your listing score negatively. How Does it Work? When creating a new account in Partner Center > Accounts > Manage Accounts:  Under “Business Profile”, check the box next to Service Area Business (hide physical address). This can be found under the “Zip/Postal Code” field. This option will be set to Off by default. To hide the physical address for an existing account: In Partner Center, select Businesses > Accounts. Select the business you would like to edit. Click on the "View all data" button  Under “Location”, below the “Zip/ Postal Code” field, check the box next to Service Area Business (hide physical address). Scroll to the bottom of the page and click Save. To hide physical addresses for multiple existing accounts: In Partner Center: Select Businesses > Accounts Click the menu icon next to Create Account > Select Update Accounts (CSV Upload). Upload a CSV file with the new data, either by first exporting a list to a CSV, or using the provided template.[*Note — The template features a column titled Service Area Business. Include in the template all the accounts that need their address hidden, and write Yes in this column, next to each account.] Upload the CSV file and click Next. Select the box next to Address. Choose if you would like the empty cells to overwrite existing data in the spreadsheet and click Next. 7. Review the updated changes and click Update. The suppressed address update will take 6 to 8 weeks to be synced on all listing platforms.

How does Citation Builder work? Citation Builder submits your client’s business information to the main data aggregators, TransUnion's Neustar/Localeze and Foursquare. These aggregators distribute the data to hundreds of directories, search engines, navigation systems, voice assistants, and mobile apps. Over time, these sources query the aggregators to retrieve updated business information, ensuring accuracy and consistency across the web. When multiple sources contain the same business data, two key benefits occur: Improved search engine confidence – Google’s web crawlers detect consistent business details across multiple sites, reinforcing trust in the business’s legitimacy. SEO improvements – Backlinks are created as more directories reference the business, enhancing local search rankings.   What is a data aggregator? Data aggregators collect and distribute consumer and business data to directories, review sites, search engines, and apps. They play a crucial role in ensuring business information remains accurate and up-to-date across a wide range of online sources. Aggregators also power modern applications like Apple’s Siri and personal navigation systems.   How long does Citation Builder take to update business data? Business data is submitted within 24 hours of being entered in Citation Builder. Aggregators confirm data acceptance within 6–8 weeks. Aggregators distribute data to various citation sources, which may take 2–3 months to publish updates. Search engines and directories pick up updates over time, based on their own refresh cycles. Since data distribution is not instant, keeping Citation Builder active long-term ensures business details remain updated across sources.   Why is Citation Builder a yearly subscription? Citation Builder is designed as an ongoing service to maintain and build online presence over time. Once a business’s data is distributed to aggregators, individual directories and search engines reference it at varying intervals. If a business discontinues Citation Builder, data consistency may degrade due to user-generated edits, outdated sources, or conflicting third-party updates. By keeping a yearly subscription active, your client ensures: Their business data remains accurate and refreshed every month. Their search engine trust and rankings remain strong. They avoid data degradation over time.   How often can updates be made to the business profile? Your clients can update their business profile information at any time while their Citation Builder subscription is active. These changes will be submitted to the aggregators within 24 hours.   What if a business has duplicate listings? How does Citation Builder handle them? Citation Builder does not delete duplicate listings directly. Instead, it ensures that authoritative data sources reference the correct business information. Over time, directories and platforms that rely on data aggregators will adjust their records to reflect accurate business details, reducing inconsistencies.   What countries is Citation Builder available for? Currently, Citation Builder is available only for US-based businesses.   Why does Foursquare show 'Not Applicable'? If 'Not Applicable' appears in the Foursquare column of Citation Builder, it means the business is hiding its physical address (operating as a Service Area Business). Foursquare requires a visible address to process business data. If the address is hidden, the entire business submission will be excluded from Foursquare’s database.   What happens to a business’s citations if they cancel Citation Builder? If Citation Builder is canceled: Vendasta stops submitting updates to data aggregators. Business citations will no longer be actively monitored. Over time, third parties may override existing citations, leading to inconsistencies. Vendasta does not remove business citations from sites, but clients can manually claim their citations if they wish to maintain control.   Who has access to the Citation Builder page? Channel partners have full access to the Citations Page for clients with Local SEO and Reputation Management Pro active on their accounts. Clients can access the Citations Page to track citation growth unless the feature is disabled in Partner Center.   Can I disable the Citations Page for my clients? Yes, the Citations Page is enabled by default in Local SEO. To disable it: Go to Partner Center > Administration. Select Customize. Click on Vendasta Product Settings. Select the pencil icon next to Local SEO. Uncheck the option for Show 'Citations' Tab. Save your changes to remove client access.

This article explains how to order Vendasta’s Citation Builder for a local business client and provides a step-by-step tutorial on using Citation Builder from the client’s perspective. Note: If this is your first time ordering a Vendasta product, you must add the business as an account before proceeding. Instructions can be found here.   How to Order and Activate Citation Builder for a Client Account Citation Builder is an add-on to Vendasta’s Local SEO product. To activate Citation Builder, you must first ensure Local SEO is enabled in the Vendasta Marketplace. Step 1: Enable Local SEO Log in to Partner Center. Navigate to Marketplace > Discover Products. Search for Local SEO. Click Start Selling to enable it. In most cases, this product is already enabled. Step 2: Order Citation Builder Go to Manage Accounts and select the client account. Click Order Products. Search for Citation Builder and select it. If Local SEO is not already active for the account, it will be added automatically. Click Proceed to Next Step and complete the purchase. After the purchase, navigate back to the account view by clicking View Account Details. Step 3: Access Citation Builder Clients: Once purchased, the client can log in to Business App and find Local SEO in the left-hand navigation. Clicking Launch in the top navigation bar opens the Local SEO dashboard, where Citation Builder is available. Partners: In Partner Center, Citation Builder can be accessed directly from the client’s Local SEO product page.   Walkthrough of Citation Builder for an SMB Client Once inside Citation Builder, clients will see how their business profile and NAP data (Name, Address, Phone Number) are being submitted to data aggregators. Key Setup Steps for SMB Clients: Complete the Business Profile Ensure essential details are accurate: Business name Address Phone number Website Business category Keeping information up to date is critical for local SEO rankings. Data Submission to Aggregators Citation Builder automatically submits business information to TransUnion’s Neustar/Localeze and Foursquare. These aggregators distribute data to hundreds of directories, search engines, and mapping services. Tracking Citations As directories reference data aggregators, the business’s online citations will expand over time. Clients can track this by clicking View All Citations. Google cross-checks business details across multiple sources. Consistent information improves rankings and builds credibility. Businesses gain valuable backlinks from trusted directories, strengthening their SEO. It typically takes 6 to 8 weeks for data aggregators to process and distribute business information. Citation Builder operates continuously to: Maintain accurate business data. Protect against outdated or conflicting information. Refresh client NAP data every month. Making Updates: Clients can update business details (e.g., address or phone number) anytime in their Business Profile. Citation Builder will automatically push these updates to aggregators. By using Citation Builder, businesses ensure their online presence remains accurate, visible, and optimized for local search.

Note:As of February 21st, 2025, Customer Voice has become a legacy Vendasta product. Start using Reputation Management Premium to automatically collect reviews and NPS via email and SMS. Turn customer experiences into stars Online reviews are critical to the success of a local business. In fact, nearly 90% of consumers say they’ll only consider using a business if they have an average rating of 3-5 stars. Your clients know that it’s important to capture their customers’ feedback, but they need your help. That’s why you activated Customer Voice! With this new product, your clients have the power to gather customer experiences to boost online star power and drive more business. With just a couple of clicks, they can reach their customers via email or text, and collect reviews on the sites that are most important to their business.    Product description Customer Voice is a feedback tool that allows you to invite customers to leave reviews, boost online star ratings, and improve SEO. With just a couple of clicks, you can reach customers via email or text, and collect reviews on the sites that are most important to your business. Don’t forget to use the Customer Voice recommended email campaign in Partner Center to start generating hot leads!    

There are three places where you can connect a Google Business Profile account in the platform. Once you've connected a Google Business Profile account in one of these three areas, it will be connected in all of them. To authenticate a Google Business Profile account in Reputation Management: Go to the Listings tab of Reputation Management. Click the Google listing. In the dropdown, click View Possible Matches. Click Connect Google Business Profile. Log into your Google account and select a location (this location must be verified on Google). To authenticate a Google Business Profile account in Reputation Management Settings: Connect a Google Business Profile account in Reputation Management > Settings > Connect Accounts To authenticate a Google Business Profile account in Local SEO > Listing Sync: Go to the Listing Sync tab in Local SEO. Click Sync to fix Google on the Google listing source. Authenticate a Google account. Select a Google business listing. The Google account must already have access to this listing. Click Turn on Syncing to sync to the Google Business Profile within seconds. You must verify the listing in the Google Business Profile dashboard for changes to display on Maps, Search, and other Google services. Follow these instructions. Changes to location info via Business App or Partner Center will automatically syndicate to Google Business Profile! Contact support@vendasta.com if you experience any trouble completing the steps above.

This FAQ provides answers to frequently asked questions about Marketplace > Products. Where can I manage daily digest notifications for product activations? Within the top navigation bar on the right side of Partner Center, navigate to the Notifications icon  > Settings > Accounts > Daily Activity and deselect "Emails" as a platform wide or user level setting.   Can I change the 1-year commitment on a product? You can adjust the retail pricing and billing frequency (one-time, monthly, or yearly) for your clients to suit your billing strategy. In the product settings for a yearly billed product, you can update the retail price to reflect a monthly cadence. I.e. in Partner Center > Marketplace > Products > Local SEO > Add Ons > Listing Sync Pro Canada > Product Info > and set the billing period to Monthly. Please note that the wholesale frequency can't be changed. Example:  Citation Builder's wholesale price will be charged to you annually, even if you change the retail cadence to monthly. How can I automatically activate Standard products when an account is created? If you would like to automatically activate Standard products when an account is created, you can toggle "Automatic Activation" on for each product. Here's how:  In Partner Center, navigate to Marketplace > Products. Click on one of the following products: Local SEO, Reputation Management, Campaigns Pro, Social Marketing, Website, or Advertising Intelligence. Select "Product Info." Toggle on "Automatic Activation." If you change your mind while creating the account, simply uncheck the box next to the product you don't want to be activated. This activation process doesn't work for Bulk account upload through CSV and new account creation from the store. These actions usually don’t grant automatically charging customers, which is why it is disabled for these features. How do I disable auto product activation? In Partner Center, go to Marketplace > Products, then choose the desired product. Under the "Product Info" tab, toggle off "Automatic Activation." How can I rename products in the Marketplace? These settings can be accessed in Partner Center under Marketplace > Products: Go to the Marketplace > Products > Select the product, and click Product info, 'White-label Branding.' If a product is not white-labellable, this feature is not available. Turn on the toggle, add your preferred name, then click 'Save.' If you would like to learn more about the white-label products in the Marketplace, click here.

When a customer clicks on a Pro feature in Business App, they are prompted to upgrade from the Standard edition of the product to the Pro edition. Business App displays the Pro edition Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) by default. This article provides instructions on how to set the retail price to a new value. Set retail prices A. Reputation Management, Customer Voice, Website, and Social Marketing B. Advertising Intelligence C. Local SEO  Reset retail prices Set retail prices A. Reputation Management, Customer Voice, and Social Marketing To set the retail price for a Reputation Management, Customer Voice, or Social Marketing product upgrade: Go to Partner Center > Marketplace > Products. Search for the product you want to set the retail price for. Click on the product name. Click on the Product Info tab. If applicable, select a Market. Click on the Lock icon  under the Retail Price heading. Set the retail price: Select a currency from the dropdown menu. Enter a retail price. Select a billing frequency from the dropdown menu. Click on the Unlock icon  to submit the new retail price. The new retail price will now appear in Business App. You have the option to reset the retail price to the default MSRP if desired.   Set retail price   B. Advertising Intelligence To set the retail price for an Advertising Intelligence product upgrade: Go to Partner Center > Marketplace > Products. Search for the Advanced Reporting product. Click on the product name. Follow Steps 3-7 in Section A. The new retail price will now appear in the Business App when a user clicks Upgrade to Pro in Advertising Intelligence. You have the option to reset the retail price to the default MSRP if desired.   Set retail price   C. Local SEO Within the Local SEO product, a customer can request an upgrade for Citation Builder or Listing Sync. Citation Builder Listing Sync Citation Builder To set the retail price for a Citation Builder product upgrade: Go to Partner Center > Marketplace > Products. Search for the Citation Builder product. Click on the product name. Follow Steps 3-7 in Section A. The new retail price will now appear in the Business App when a user clicks Upgrade now in the Citation Builder tab. You have the option to reset the retail price to the default MSRP if desired.   Set retail price   Listing Sync To set the retail price for a Listing Sync product upgrade: Go to Partner Center > Marketplace > Products. Search for the Listing Sync Pro product. Click on the product name for the location you want to set the retail pricing. Follow Steps 3-7 in Section A.  Repeat Steps 2-3 for each Listing Sync Pro product (each location). The corresponding retail price (based on the location of the user) will now appear in Business App when a user clicks Upgrade now in the Listing Sync tab. You have the option to reset the retail price to the default MSRP if desired.   Set retail price   Reset retail prices To reset a retail price to the MSRP: Follow Steps 1-5 in Section A. Click Reset to MSRP. The default MSRP will now appear in Business App.   Reset retail price