Did you know that inconsistent business information across the web can actually hurt local SEO efforts? Many businesses unknowingly lose customers because Google isn't confident in their address, phone number or other key factors for their business.
NAP Consistency refers to maintaining the accuracy of a business’s Name, Address, and Phone number across all online sources. Search engines rely on NAP consistency to verify the trustworthiness of a business. If they find different information from a range of different sources, they may hesitate to show your business in search results.
One might think, "Well, I have my address and phone number listed, what more is there to do?" The answer: Plenty. Here we will dig into the different ways your NAP could be inconsistent across local directories, business listings, social profiles and even your own website, and why this matters for your business.
What is NAP?
Name
Address
Phone Number
Seems simple, right? Actually, I can almost guarantee that your business is not consistent with the way it is listing these three factors across the web right now. Especially if more than one person has been responsible for updating your website, Google Business Listing or Social Media over the last decade.
When we say consistent, we don't just mean that the address is right, or the phone number dials your line. How is it displayed on Facebook for example? Do you use parentheses around the area code? Do you use dashes or periods to separate the numbers? Are users who are located across the globe able to click your call buttons and ring through to you? The following are examples of the same phone number, with little attention to formatting, and therefore considered inconsistent.
Example 1: (720) 432-6738
Example 2: 720-432-6738
Example 3: 720.432.6738
Example 4: +1 (720) 432-6738
Search engines trusting the NAP of your business across multiple profiles and multiple listings or mentions of your business is all part of ranking for local SEO queries. This is often an oversight by those who are not SEO Specialists or are not professional search specialists.
Over the years, you have no doubt acquired listings for your business on all of the major (or minor) business listings that are out there such as Manta, Apple Maps, Google, Bing, YellowPages.com, Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, and the list goes on and on. Now think of all the different people or marketing agencies who created those profiles. What are the chances they all got this right and listed your phone number every time correctly? And who has been going back to update all of those after a move or a new phone number?
73% of consumers lose trust in a business if their online information is incorrect. (Source: BrightLocal)
That is one of the more simple and obvious ways that your NAP is inconsistent across the web. Now lets take a look at your address. Your address is your address, right? Your mail reaches you with no issues, people get directions easily by clicking on your business in Google Maps, so what could be so inconsistent about it? The following addresses are examples of the same address, without taking into consideration the importance of NAP consistency:
14405 West Colfax Ave Suite #278 Lakewood, CO 80401
14405 W Colfax Avenue Ste #278 Lakewood, CO 80401
14405 West Colfax Ave. #278 Lakewood, Colorado 80401
There are many different ways to write the above address, and displayed are only a handful of them. Now think of if every directory that lists your business uses a period after the avenue. Or if they spell Suite out or if they abbreviate it by using Ste. Or do they only use the # sign before the Suite number and don't write Suite at all. Yes, this all matters.
You probably also think that the name of your business should be an easy one. However, this is where we see the most discrepancy and also where it is the most crucial to get your data accurate. For example,
NeverSettle
Never Settle
Never Settle, LLC
These are all the same to us, however they are each different to Google and could represent a different business. When all citations and mentions of your business are the same and accurate, Google has strong signals that they are giving people trustworthy results.
Impact of Inconsistent NAP Information on Search Results
Could these factors contribute to your business outranking competitors in search results? Possibly. Keep in mind, you don’t always need to secure the #1 spot for every query—you just need to rank higher than your competition. In some cases, this may come down to the consistency of their NAP information. If Google isn’t confident in the accuracy of your data, it can impact how frequently and in what position your business shows up for your top keywords.
Having consistent business information across the web helps reinforce the credibility of a local business and improves its visibility in search. (Source: John Mueller, Google)
Google’s local ranking algorithm looks at three factors: Relevance, Distance, and Prominence. If Google isn’t confident about your NAP information, it may not surface your business — even if you’re the best option for a searcher’s query.
Other factors to consider are:
- Be sure to claim your profile on directory websites. Leaving a profile unclaimed can indicate your business is not still open or active.
- Incorrect information will ultimately affect local search and SEO the most.
- Consider including NAP info on each page of your website in the footer.
Simple NAP Audit Process:
Step 1: Identify All Listings
- Google your business name + phone number and note down all the places it's listed.
- Use tools like Moz Local, SEMrush, or BrightLocal to scan for inconsistencies.
Step 2: Standardize Your Format
- Choose a single format for your business name, address, and phone number.
- Example:
- ✅ Business Name: Never Settle, LLC
- ✅ Phone: (720) 432-6738
- ✅ Address:
14405West Colfax Ave Suite #278 Lakewood, CO 80401
Step 3: Update Your Key Listings
- Fix your Google Business Profile, Facebook, and major directories first (Google, Bing, Yelp, Apple Maps, etc.).
Step 4: Monitor for Changes
- Set a calendar reminder to check your NAP listings every 3–6 months.
- Use tools like Google Search Console or Ahrefs to track any discrepancies.
Helpful tools for NAP audits and edits:
- Majestic: Scans the web for all the backlinks that lead users to your website.
- Moz Local: Helps find and fix incorrect listings across the web.
- Yext: Allows you to edit multiple listings across the web all at once.
- Ahrefs: Monitors and finds new mentions of your business.
- Google Search Console: Lists backlinks to your website and what pages they link to.
Your business can’t afford to lose rankings due to something as simple as inconsistent information. Take a few minutes to audit your NAP information and look for inconsistencies today, or ask our team for help.
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