Picture this: your potential customer is all set to visit your store, but Google Maps has your old address, another directory shows a different phone number, and your Yelp listing leads nowhere. Congratulations, you’ve just confused not only your customer but also the search engines. When your citations are inconsistent—maybe spelled differently or pointing to outdated info—Google’s like, “Is this even the same place?” This confusion can knock you down in local rankings faster than you can say “404 error.” Even if you’re the best business in town, inconsistent listings make you look disorganized. People bail, and search algorithms take the hint: “Avoid.” Keeping every citation in perfect alignment isn’t glamorous work, but it’s absolutely essential. Think of it like vacuuming your house—nobody writes home about it, but if you don’t do it, things get messy real quick.