BrightLocal Citation Builder Campaign

BrightLocal Citation Builder Campaign

Last Updated: 2026-07-07
Owner: GBP Specialist
Status: Active

What

Use this SOP when a client is ready for a BrightLocal Citation Builder campaign. Client onboarding is already the source of truth, so this is not a research packet or approval packet. The job is to sign into BrightLocal, use the completed onboarding information, choose the citation package, and submit the campaign.

Tekton is not using BrightLocal as the client’s location management system. BrightLocal may still require a location record, but that record is only the business profile Citation Builder uses to place the citation order and produce reports.

If there are not enough BrightLocal credits, stop and ask Nick if we can purchase more. Do not buy credits or pay by card without asking Nick first.

Who owns it

GBP Specialist owns the BrightLocal Citation Builder setup, submission, weekly check, and closeout note.

CSM or onboarding owner owns the client information before this SOP starts. If BrightLocal conflicts with onboarding, do not guess. Ask the onboarding owner or Nick.

Steps

1. Log into BrightLocal

1. Go to BrightLocal.
2. Sign in with the Tekton BrightLocal login.
3. Go to Citation Builder first.
4. Search for the client if BrightLocal asks for a location.
5. If the client record already exists, select it.
6. If the client record does not exist, add it using the completed onboarding information.

Do not treat the BrightLocal location as the source of truth. It is only the Citation Builder record.

2. Confirm the business information

Quickly confirm the main fields are present:

• Business name
• Address or service-area setup
• Phone number
• Website URL
• Main business category
• Opening hours
• Business description
• Logo or photos, if BrightLocal asks
• Social links, if available from onboarding
• Payment methods, if BrightLocal asks

If a field is blank, pull it from onboarding. If a field conflicts with onboarding, stop and ask.

3. Start the Citation Builder campaign

1. Open Citation Builder.
2. Click Start Now or New Campaign.
3. Select the correct client/location record if asked.
4. Let BrightLocal scan for existing listings.
5. Wait for the scan to finish.

4. Choose campaign settings

1. Confirm the correct client is selected.
2. If this is a service-area business and the address should not be shown publicly, turn on the address-hiding option.
3. Choose the citation package or manual submission count requested for the client.
4. Use BrightLocal’s recommended citation options unless something is obviously wrong.
5. Leave the campaign on the normal manual setup unless Nick gave different instructions.

5. Check credits

Before confirming the order:

• If there are enough BrightLocal credits, use credits and continue.
• If there are not enough credits, stop and ask Nick.
• Do not purchase credits or pay by card without asking Nick first.

Use this message:

BrightLocal needs more credits for [Client Name] citation campaign. Current campaign cost is [amount/credits shown]. Can I purchase more credits?

6. Submit the campaign

1. Review the order summary.
2. Check the terms and conditions box if required.
3. Click Confirm, Confirm and Pay, or Continue to Payment, depending on the screen.
4. Wait for the success confirmation.
5. Note the campaign name, package, date submitted, payment method, and status.

7. Finish any post-payment details

BrightLocal may ask for extra campaign information after payment. Fill or confirm from onboarding:

• Business details
• Contact information
• Category
• Description
• Opening hours
• Payment methods
• Social links
• Images
• Email alerts

For campaign notes, use NA unless onboarding has a specific note.

Turn on email alerts if BrightLocal offers them so Tekton gets notified when the campaign updates or completes.

8. Log the submission

Add a simple note to the client work log or task:

BrightLocal citation campaign submitted for [Client Name].
Date submitted: [date]
Package: [citation count/package]
Payment: BrightLocal credits
Status: [status shown]
Next check: [date]

9. Check weekly until complete

Once per week, check Citation Builder for:

• Campaign status
• Actions required
• Notes from BrightLocal
• Live listing links
• Completion status

If BrightLocal asks for a simple verification action and Tekton has access, complete it. If it asks for client access, phone verification, extra credits, card payment, or something unusual, ask Nick.

10. Close out the campaign

When BrightLocal marks the campaign complete:

1. Open the campaign report.
2. Download the PDF or CSV if needed.
3. Save the report in the client folder or work log.
4. Add the closeout note.

BrightLocal citation campaign complete for [Client Name].
Completed: [date]
Report saved: [link/path]
Open actions remaining: [none/list]

Definition of done

The campaign is done when:

• The correct client record was used or created in BrightLocal.
• The campaign was submitted through Citation Builder.
• BrightLocal credits were used, or Nick approved any needed credit purchase first.
• The submission was logged in the client work log or task.
• The campaign was checked weekly until BrightLocal marked it complete.
• The report was saved or linked in the client record.

Do not do this

• Do not create a large approval packet for a normal citation campaign.
• Do not rebuild the client’s business information from scratch.
• Do not treat BrightLocal as the client source of truth.
• Do not buy credits or pay by card without asking Nick.
• Do not ignore service-area address hiding.
• Do not mark the campaign complete until BrightLocal shows it is complete.
• Do not share BrightLocal credentials in client-facing messages.

Related SOPs

• Citation Building and NAP Management
• GBP Management
• Special Request Intake and Closeout