If You're a Small Biz Owner, You Need to Know About NAP Consistency
As a small business owner, you have to do everything you can to make sure your business is marketed properly and presented in a way that makes it easy for customers to find you.
One way you must do that that is through NAP consistency.
What Is NAP Consistency?
NAP consistency refers to the way important information about your business is listed across the web. NAP stands for:
- Name
- Address
- Phone Number
When a business has NAP consistency, it means that all over the web, the business has a consistent version of their business name, address, and phone number. While “website” isn’t included in the acronym, it is also an important piece of information tied to NAP.
NAP is also often referred to as a business citation as it is the information that is included next to your business name on directories and business listings.
Why Does NAP Consistency Matter?
NAP consistency is important because it sends messages to both potential customers and search engines.
How NAP Affects Customers
You don’t want customers to go looking for your business and find the wrong phone number. And, you don’t want them to look for your business address, discover your old address, and end up at the wrong spot on their way to your business.
But NAP is just as important to search engines as it is to customers.
How NAP Affects Search Engine Rankings and Local SEO
When there is a consistent NAP for your business, it sends signals to search engines to tell them that you are a trustworthy, professional business. And when search engines see you as a trustworthy, professional business, they will help you appear higher in search rankings.
NAP is also an important part of local SEO. Quality and quantity of NAP listings help improve your local search rankings as your location becomes more tied to your business and brand. So you become more likely to show up when local customers search for a business like yours in your area.
Make Sure Your NAP Is Consistent
To make sure that your business NAP is consistent:
1. Decide what your NAP will be. Determine exactly what version of your name, address, phone, and website you will use. (Is it “Business” or “Business Inc.”? Is it your local phone number or your 1-800 number.)
2. Add your NAP to your business website footer.
3. Add your NAP to your Google For Business Page. Create a Google For the Business page or update it to include your chosen NAP.
4. Place it on other directories and listing sites around the web.
One place to add your NAP and check on its consistency is on your MyArea Network profile. Over 600,000 users engage with our site a month. So make sure when customers find you online, they find the information that will allow them to find you in real life.
Search to see if your business has a listing and click to claim it so you can update and manage your NAP listing -- among other digital marketing tools and promotion tasks you can do with your business profile.
