Rebrand Bot Logo
← Back to Blog

What Is NAP and Why It Matters for Local SEO

November 22, 2023 · by Reputory Team

When it comes to local SEO, most business owners focus on reviews, keywords, or backlinks. But there's a foundational piece that often gets overlooked—NAP. NAP stands for Name, Address, and Phone Number, and ensuring consistency across all your online listings is one of the simplest and most powerful things you can do to boost your online visibility and protect your brand.

What is NAP Consistency?

NAP consistency refers to making sure your business name, physical address, and phone number are listed exactly the same across all platforms—Google Business Profile, Facebook, Yelp, Bing, local directories, industry listings, and even your website footer.

For example, if your business is listed as:

ACME Auto Shop
123 Main Street
(555) 123-4567

…you wouldn’t want it to show up somewhere else as:

Acme Automotive
123 Main St.
555.123.4567

While the differences may seem small, they matter—a lot. Search engines like Google rely on this structured data to verify your business identity. Inconsistencies send mixed signals and can undermine your search rankings.

Why Does NAP Matter for SEO?

Google uses a combination of online signals called “local citations” to determine the legitimacy and authority of a business. When your NAP is consistent across trusted platforms, it reinforces that your business is real, active, and reputable. Here’s how it helps:

  • Improves Local Pack Rankings: Consistent NAP data increases your chances of appearing in Google’s “local 3-pack” results.
  • Builds Trust With Search Engines: Google sees consistent information as a signal of legitimacy.
  • Boosts Customer Trust: Inconsistent contact details confuse customers and reduce the chance of engagement.

Where Should You Check NAP?

Start with your most important listings:

  • Google Business Profile
  • Facebook Business Page
  • Apple Maps
  • Yelp, Bing Places, and Yahoo
  • Your own website footer and contact page
  • Industry-specific directories (e.g., Avvo, Zocdoc, Realtor.com)

Common NAP Mistakes

  • Using inconsistent business names (e.g., Reputory Inc. vs. Reputory)
  • Listing different phone numbers on each platform
  • Forgetting suite numbers or using different abbreviations (e.g., “#200” vs “Ste 200”)
  • Typos or autocorrect mistakes during setup

How Reputory Helps

Reputory includes a built-in NAP audit as part of your free brand health check. When you connect your Google and Facebook accounts, we automatically scan your listings for:

  • Missing or mismatched NAP fields
  • Formatting discrepancies
  • Potential duplicates or outdated profiles

We also provide a simple action plan to fix what’s broken—without needing a technical background. And since we track your NAP over time, we’ll alert you when something changes or gets flagged by search engines.

Final Thoughts

Think of NAP like digital hygiene—it’s invisible when it’s working, but painfully obvious when it’s not. Whether you're a solo business owner or managing multiple locations, keeping your NAP data accurate and consistent is an easy win for your SEO, your brand, and your customer experience.

Not sure where you stand? Start with our free brand health check and let Reputory uncover the hidden issues holding your business back in search results.