docs(validation): beta audit batch 2026-08-15 — 8 reviewed runs

Reviewer disposition pass applied per locked process v1.0 (docs/operations/beta-audit-process.md):
- Each run: raw capture, findings.json, findings.md, REPORT-final.md (customer-facing), VALIDATION.md (reviewer dispositions)
- Normalized format false-positives (+1 prefix, #N vs Ste N, 8AM vs 8:00AM, 1800 scraper parse glitch)
- Material: 28 across batch (phone mismatches, NAP address conflicts, hours divergences, missing LocalBusiness schema, missing website)
- Verification-pending items separated from material findings; no surface presented without evidence

docs/validation/2026-08-15-above-the-gate-dentistry/REPORT-final.md

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+# Above the Gate Dentistry
+## Online Presence Audit
+
+**Location:** El Dorado Hills, CA  
+**Vertical:** Dental  
+**Audit date:** 15 August 2026  
+**Prepared for:** Above the Gate Dentistry  
+**Prepared by:** VeriPath
+
+---
+
+## Executive Summary
+
+We audited Above the Gate Dentistry across its primary online surfaces: Google Business Profile, Apple Maps, and the business website. The business shows 4.9 ★ across 166 Google reviews. 
+**3 material integrity issues were identified:**
+
+1. Phone numbers are inconsistent across directories.
+2. No website could be located for this business.
+3. No business description is set on any directory.
+
+---
+
+## Surfaces Reviewed
+
+| Surface | Status | Rating | Reviews |
+|---------|--------|--------|---------|
+| Google Business Profile | ✓ | 4.9 ★ | 166 |
+| Apple Maps | ✓ | 4.8 ★ | 27 |
+| Website | ✗ | Not found / unreachable | — |
+
+> **Limitation:** The website could not be reached or located at audit time. A blocked or missing website is itself a customer-path risk: visitors arriving from search cannot engage the business. Reachability should be re-verified; if the block persists, treat it as a material finding in the next run.
+
+---
+
+## Findings
+
+### Finding 1: Phone number inconsistent across directories
+
+**Observation:**  
+Google lists **(916) 299-8983**. Apple lists **+1 (916) 931-1996**.
+
+**Impact:**  
+Customers reaching the business through a single directory may call a disconnected or wrong number. Inconsistent NAP (name-address-phone) signals reduce local search ranking across all surfaces.
+
+**Recommendation:**  
+Confirm the correct primary number, then update every directory to match. Keep the verified number identical across Google, Apple, and the website.
+
+---
+
+### Finding 2: Website listed on GBP but unreachable at audit time
+
+**Observation:**  
+GBP website='http://www.abovethegate.com/' — surface blocked; documented limitation per process §4
+
+**Impact:**  
+Without a website, the business cedes its owned property: no service pages, no schema, no conversion path beyond a phone call. AI search surfaces increasingly require a website to cite.
+
+**Recommendation:**  
+Stand up (or link on GBP) a business website with service pages, contact details, and LocalBusiness schema.
+
+---
+
+### Finding 3: No business description found on any surface
+
+**Observation:**  
+{"surfaces_checked": ["google", "bing", "website"]}
+
+**Impact:**  
+An empty description leaves the local-pack snippet to algorithmic default and forfeits the business's own service language in search results.
+
+**Recommendation:**  
+Write a 2-3 sentence GBP description covering services, service area, and differentiators.
+
+---
+
+*Prepared under the VeriPath beta audit process v1.0. Findings reflect reviewed engine output; format-level discrepancies were normalized before inclusion.*