What Is NAP Consistency and Why Does Google Care?

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NAP stands for Name, Address, Phone. It's the most basic information about your business -- and it needs to be identical everywhere it appears online.

Not similar. Not close. Identical.

Why NAP Consistency Matters

Google verifies your business identity by cross-referencing your information across the web. If your website says "Smith's Plumbing," Facebook says "Smiths Plumbing Ltd," and Yell says "John Smith Plumbing," Google isn't sure whether these are the same business or three different ones.

This confusion directly affects your local ranking. Google has confirmed that "prominence" -- part of their local ranking algorithm -- is based on information about your business from across the web.

Common NAP Inconsistencies

Name Issues

"Smith's Plumbing" vs "Smiths Plumbing" (apostrophe)

"Smith's Plumbing" vs "Smith's Plumbing Ltd" (legal suffix)

Old business name still showing on directories you forgot about

Address Issues

"123 High St" vs "123 High Street" (abbreviation)

Suite/unit/floor numbers included on some, missing on others

Old address from before you moved (still on listings you never updated)

Phone Issues

Mobile number on some, landline on others

0113 vs +44 113 (format difference)

Old phone number on forgotten listings

Where to Check Your NAP

Check these platforms first (most important for UK businesses): 1. Google Business Profile 2. Your website (header, footer, contact page) 3. Facebook 4. Bing Places 5. Yell.com 6. Thomson Local 7. Apple Maps 8. LinkedIn 9. Industry-specific directories 10. Companies House (if limited company)

How to Fix It

1. Pick your canonical format. Decide on the exact name, exact address format, and exact phone number you'll use everywhere. 2. Update your website first. Your site is your primary source of truth. 3. Update Google Business Profile. Must match your website exactly. 4. Work through your directory listings. Update each one. Some require claiming the listing first. 5. Search for old listings. Google your business name in quotes. Check for old directories, review sites, or mentions with wrong information. 6. Set a reminder to check quarterly. New listings appear, old ones get scraped into new directories with stale data.

The NAP Format Template

Write this down and use it every time:

``` Business Name: [exact name, every time] Address Line 1: [street address, consistent format] Address Line 2: [town/city] Postcode: [with correct spacing] Phone: [one number, one format] Website: [https://www.yourdomain.com - with or without www, pick one] ```

We Check This

Our local SEO section evaluates whether your website has consistent NAP information and proper LocalBusiness schema. While we can't check every directory listing (that requires manual verification), we flag any inconsistencies between your website's structured data and visible contact information.

*Check your NAP and local SEO. [Get your audit](https://seorankmasters.com) -- from GBP 29.*