Blog Post

You wouldn’t trust a store that lists three different addresses on three different platforms, right? Neither does Google. I’ve seen businesses lose customers just because their phone number was wrong on Yelp.

NAP—short for Name, Address, and Phone number—isn’t just a boring acronym. It’s a local SEO heavyweight. And if you’re ignoring it, you’re practically ghosting Google.

• What NAP consistency really means (without jargon)
  
• Why your rankings and customer trust depend on it
  
• How bad data creeps into your listings
  
• My go-to methods for checking and fixing NAP
  
• Tools that save time (and your sanity)
  
• A few insider tips to keep your info clean across the web
  

Here’s the short version: NAP consistency means your business name, address, and phone number appear exactly the same everywhere they show up online. I mean letter-for-letter, comma-for-comma.

And no, “Street” and “St.” are not the same when bots are involved.

This info shows up in:

• Google Business Profile
  
• Directories like Yelp and Bing
  
• Your own website
  
• Social profiles
  
• Review platforms and aggregators
  

Let’s say you moved locations two years ago but forgot to update your Facebook page. Or your business name is listed as “John’s Auto LLC” in some places and “John’s Auto Service” in others.

That might not confuse a customer too much. But Google? It starts doubting everything. Your rank drops, your visibility tanks, and suddenly you’re wondering why that competitor with worse reviews is outranking you.

If you’re optimizing your Google Business Profile, this stuff becomes even more crucial.

I’ll make this simple:

• Google Trust: Consistent info = higher trust = better rankings.
  
• Users Trust: If people can’t find or confirm your phone number, they’re gone.
  
• Citations Count: Studies show businesses in top local results have more accurate citations than those in lower spots.
  

Want to rank in the Google Map Pack? NAP is one of the basics—and one of the easiest wins if done right.

NAP data can get messed up quietly over time—especially if you:

• Changed your number or address
  
• Hired a third-party for citations or link building
  
• Set up profiles years ago and forgot about them
  
• Have multiple locations but no structure in place
  

Old listings don’t die; they just get buried… and still confuse the algorithm. (Fun fact: I once found an outdated YellowPages listing for a business that had closed five years ago—and Google was still crawling it.)

Here’s how I do it:

1. Search your business name + address in quotes. See what pops up.
   
2. Use citation tools like:
   
   • BrightLocal
     
   • Whitespark
     
   • Moz Local
     
3. Audit your own listings: GMB, Yelp, Facebook, Apple Maps, Bing.
   
4. Look for duplicates or alternate names.
   
5. Spot-check social bios—yes, bots read those too.
   

I also recommend doing a basic local SEO audit every quarter. It helps catch NAP issues before they snowball.

• Start with GMB – Your Google Business Profile should be the source of truth.
  
• Make a master record – Pick one format for your name, address, and number. Stick with it.
  
• Update top directories manually – Focus on the big ones first.
  
• Fix or remove duplicate listings – If you have two Yelp profiles, Google won’t know which to trust.
  
• Double-check your website and schema – Your own domain should always be correct.
  

Running a multi-location business? You’ll need a location page for each one—NAP per location, not just one global footer.

• Use consistent formatting – “123 Main Street, Suite 4” is not “123 Main St #4.”
  
• Avoid abbreviations when possible – And if you do use them, keep it the same everywhere.
  
• Train your team – Anyone adding citations or updating sites should know the NAP standard.
  
• Set calendar reminders – I audit client citations twice a year, no exceptions.
  

Also, don’t forget the basics—like local reviews. Even if your NAP is perfect, a lack of social proof won’t help you much.

If you take just one thing away from this post: your name, address, and phone number should look boring—but be dangerously accurate.

NAP consistency isn’t glamorous. It doesn’t get applause. But it works. And it’s one of the first things I check when a client says, “We used to rank better…”

And if you’re just getting started? Nail this early. You’ll thank yourself later.
Would you like help auditing your local listings or building out your citations strategy? You can reach out, or check out my thoughts on Local SEO Ranking Factors that actually move the needle.