The Importance of Consistent NAP

When it comes to local SEO for brick and mortar businesses, one of the most critical aspects is consistent NAP on your website and across any listings for your company on the Internet. We’ll leave the sleeping on the job jokes to the other guys, because this is a topic that deserves to be tackled with complete alertness. So wake up, and let’s dive into the importance of consistent name, address and phone number listings.
What is NAP for business?
When it comes to business acronyms, NAP stands for name, address, phone number. This seems simple enough, right? Sure, but if you think about all the places your business’ NAP is listed online, such as your own website, social media sites (Facebook), review based directories (Yelp, Yellowpages, Angie’s List, etc) and of course your Google My Business (GMB) page, there is no shortage of places where errors can be made, even minor ones. Issues such as leaving the LLC off a name in some locations and adding it in others reduces the consistency of your NAP citations, which are the signals sought out by search engines trying to provide correct and trustworthy information to seekers. Typos, incomplete listings, blatantly wrong information, and inaccurate listings created by consumers or automatically generated by directory sites can all result in confusion for consumers and for search algorithms.
How can inconsistent NAP affect my search ranking?
Your business could have tens or even hundreds of listings online, many of which you’re likely not even aware of! Here’s where things get really hairy, NAP is actually one of the top five ranking factors by Google. This means that if some of those listings have errors, there’s a good chance your business won’t show anywhere near the top of results, even if consumers are searching for the specific services you offer in your neighborhood. While you may think that these errors in listings are out of your control, you’ll be pleased to learn there is a method to repair them, which will help boost your search ranking. More on that in a moment.
Inconsistent NAP = negative consumer perceptions
It is necessary to note that reports and surveys have shown incorrect NAP isn’t just bad for search ranking, it can also directly affect consumer perception of your business. When they see your name listed one way on your social media channels and another way on your website, they may get suspicious, causing them to choose another company to handle their needs.
How to fix inaccurate NAP listings
In review, correct NAP listings across social media, directory listing sites, GMB, and your own website is critical to boosting consumer trust and search ranking. So how can you ensure all these listings are correct? MORBiZ offers a directory listing clean up service as part of their Webstar Reputation Management platform. With this service you can rest assured that the most critical business listings will all be synced, ensuring consumers and search engines see your business as trustworthy. To learn more about this service or other web presence tools from MORBiZ, please don’t hesitate to contact our friendly team. Get started by calling 1-855-2MORBiZ , fill out our contact us form, or email us at sales@morbiz.com ! We look forward to helping you grow your business.









