With online marketing being different from traditional marketing, businesses constantly seek ways to improve their online visibility and increase website traffic. However, one crucial but often neglected aspect of this puzzle is NAP, which stands for Name, Address, and Phone Number. At first glance, this trio may seem simple, but it holds significant power in local SEO. Understanding and leveraging NAP can be a game-changer for businesses aiming to stand out in local search results and connect with their community. In this blog, we will delve into NAP's intricacies, its importance, how it influences local SEO and practical steps businesses can take to achieve the desired marketing goals.
If you are running a local business and have a website, you must leverage SEO and understand its role in achieving success digitally. Search engine optimization is the art & science behind getting found online and building brand awareness. When a user searches for a query that your business provides, you need to ensure that your website ranks higher on the SERPs for these search results. It increases your website visibility on the SERPs, ultimately leading to a gain in organic traffic. You need to optimize the website based on the search engine's ranking algorithms so that none of the target audience is left untouched. As you focus on On-site SEO and Off-site SEO to achieve the desired results, it is crucial to focus on NAP to enhance the efforts of local SEO.
What is local SEO ?
The definition of local SEO is in its name itself. Just like its name, local SEO is a way to optimize your website for local traffic. If you're a business owner and your priority is to target audiences from a specific location, then local SEO is what you're looking for.
Local SEO helps your business get listed in local directories to prove that your company is legitimate and improve your local ranking. Other than regular search engines, places like Google Maps also have a ranking algorithm for local searches, and of course, you want to be one of the top results in order to drive more traffic to your business.
What is NAP?
NAP stands for name, address, and phone number. NAP in SEO refers to the business name and contact details. NAP is considered one of the most important aspects of local SEO. It displays information about your business on any website that lists it.
What is NAP consistency?
NAP consistency is key to getting your website to rank high organically when someone searches for products or services related to your business. Your NAP data, like business name, address, and phone number, must be identical and accurate across all online platforms where your business is listed, including on your website, social media accounts, business listings, and other third-party websites. Even though NAP doesn't officially include your website's URL, you have to ensure it's also listed accurately and identically wherever it appears. We are living in a world of search engines, where details are everything. Consistent NAP data transcends verifying the basic facts about your business.
Remember that inconsistencies in your NAP data can confuse search engines and can make them question your business's identity and location. If search engines find any type of discrepancies, there is a chance they may lose trust in your listing's accuracy, which can make them favor others who have more consistent listings in local search results.
Consistency in your NAP citations contributes heavily to your website getting to page one of the local search engine result pages (SERPs), getting more organic traffic, more sales, and, consequently, growing your business in your selected region.
Inconsistency in NAP data not only affects your rankings but also leads to dissatisfaction among users. Whenever a person is searching for a particular business or service, they expect to find accurate and consistent information. Inconsistency not only creates confusion amongst the users, but it can also cause potential customer loss for your business, or worse, they can turn to your competitor with more reliable information. Confusion occurring with inconsistent NAP data can also lead to negative customer experiences even before they have any chance to interact with your business directly.
How does consistent NAP help you in local SEO?
Consistent NAP plays a crucial role in local SEO, as it has a direct impact on your business visibility in local search results and Google’s Local Pack. Consistency of your business’s NAP data across online platforms is one of the few factors that Google’s local search algorithm considers.
By building citations with a consistent NAP on your Google Business Profile listing, along with other online directories and websites, you can positively influence your local rankings and boost your chances of appearing in Google’s Local Pack. Consistent NAP citations make users likely to trust your business and engage with it, resulting in a better user experience. It can lead to more positive online reviews, customer loyalty, and growth in local search engine rankings.
A fact that NAP consistency helps search engines understand the genuineness and applicability of your business. Inconsistency can confuse search engines, making it difficult for them to associate your business with its physical location and services. So, automatically, search engines will prefer other businesses when displaying search results that have more reliable information. It will result in the favor of your business.
Other than that, consistent NAP data in local citations helps build a strong online presence. Citation is your NAP information on other websites and is considered an important ranking factor in local SEO.
All of this highlights the fact that NAP consistency is important for local SEO. It influences your business’s local search rankings, user experience, and, in general, online credibility. By ensuring that your NAP data is accurate and consistent across all online platforms, you can optimize your local SEO efforts and enhance your business’s online presence.
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There are a few ways you can accomplish that.
Auditing the business details
Before diving into the specifics of what is auditing your NAP data, let's first understand what causes inconsistencies in NAP: -
1. You've shifted your business to a new location but haven't updated all the existing directory listings.
2. You've different phone numbers for attribution tracking, which is creating dissimilarities in contact information.
3. You haven't updated your business hours consistently, particularly during holiday seasons, across all platforms.
These reasons alone are enough to explain why you should conduct an audit of your website’s NAP data every once in a while.
Performing a manual audit of your name, address, and phone number(NAP) involves thoroughly examining each page of your website to verify the accuracy and consistency of the information displayed about your business. This procedure requires a sharp eye for detail and a huge amount of patience, as no matter how small the inconsistency is, it can impact your SEO and, as a result, your online visibility.
Besides, the auditing procedure for your NAP isn’t limited to your website and Google Business Profile. It also extends to searching your business online and analyzing different directories, social media platforms, and review sites to make sure they’re presenting accurate information about your business. It is a time-consuming task, but sometimes you also overlook some important details that could harm your local SEO.
Setting website content in order
Because your website is the major aspect of the digital world, for both users and search engines, you have to get every single thing, whether it’s small or big, on point. You can start by cross-checking every single detail on your documentation and website. Make sure that your NAP info is correct and consistent, with proper formatting, spelling, etc.
It’s important to clearly and visibly display your NAP information on your website. It makes sure that your website can be accessed by both users and search engines. You should theoretically include your NAP details on your contact page and about us section, as users look for contact information in these areas.
Few businesses also include their NAP information in the header of their website. It’s not compulsory; there is a chance it can increase visibility and user experience. Positioning your contact information section at the top of each page makes it easier for users.
Advantageously positioning your NAP information on your websites produces a smooth user experience and enhances the chance that search engines will properly list your business. The key when it comes to displaying your NAP data are consistency and accessibility. Just keep these components in mind as you optimize your website for local SEO.
Focus on schema markup
One more important player that plays a vital role in local SEO by helping search engines better understand and index your business information is schema markup.
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Let’s check out some points to consider about schema markup concerning NAP:
1. Structured Data: Schema markup is a type of structured data that allows search engines to gain a better understanding and decipher the content on your website. Carrying out schema markup for your local business turns into an alternative approach to delivering exact information about your NAP data.
2. Local Business Schema: Google suggests employing the Local Business schema type to advocate your business and its NAP information. It comprises assets like name, address, telephone, and uniform resource locator (URL), which can be used to precisely describe your business’s contact details.
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3. JSON-LD Format: While all formats are comparably excellent, Google also suggests using JSON-LD for structured data. It is much easier in comparison to other formats when it comes to applying and maintaining it.
Understand the Google Business Profile
Unquestionably the most powerful and well-known search engine today is Google. Therefore, millions of people use it to look for products and services, including what you offer.
It is imperative that you remain focus on gaining trust of search engines for your NAP data. It makes perfect sense to ensure the accuracy of your information in a place where Google will seek it out: your Google Business Profile page. In your legitimate Google Business Profile account, be sure that the name of your business, as well as the address and phone number, is classified as demonstrated in your official documents and on your website.
Next, you know how it goes; if the NAP data doesn’t align, update it.
Enhance business directories and listings
A decision you will not regret is listing your business on all honest local, national, or industry-specific directories to earn more traffic and citations.
The directories where you can get NAP citations are: -
1. Local: These directories are connected to one specific location, and every location has its directories and only lists relevant local businesses. You can get your business list in these local directories of your location.
2. National: These national directories are well-known for getting more citations due to their high traffic. Despite that, the users it pulls may not be as targeted as local directories, minimizing its value.
3. Industry: Usually, these directories provide very domain-specific listings. Even though they may be hard to bump into depending on your business, if you find one, it’s worth listing your business.
Please note that while you’re checking your business’s listing in these directories, give priority to your full name, address, phone number, and URL.
Keep tabs on social media
When you’re finishing your business profile in the directories and listings mentioned above, you’re gonna be asked to provide your business social media profiles. Now, because many social networks have progressed into platforms for information distribution, you have to ensure consistency by providing them with the same NAP.
It’s normal for companies to have profiles on more than one social media platform such as X(Twitter) platform, Instagram platform, LinkedIn platform, etc., to reach a target audience. This can be one of the reasons for inconsistency in NAP data, and there is a chance it can get noticed by potential customers and search engines. To help users have a clear idea of your local business, you need to have the same NAP across all the social media platforms.
Conclusion
In the world of local SEO, hopefully, whenever you encounter the word NAP, you’ll understand what it means. You should also know how to stay consistent with the local citation. One more thing you would love to consider is that you should create a list of all the places your business is listed in. It will allow you to update your business’s information quickly and easily whenever you make any changes to the NAP data or URL address. The ultimate conclusion? NAP can heavily impact your business’s local rankings, as it is a crucial source of information for both potential clients and search engines. So take it slow, and take your time to get everything on point. You can also avail of local SEO services offered at OutsourceSEM for businesses providing local services such as lawyer SEO, small business SEO, painting SEO, flooring SEO, roofing SEO, etc. and increase website visibility.
Local listing is a crucial part of local SEO strategy that helps increase brand awareness, attract target audience, and boost website visibility in the local area. If you find difficulty in managing local listing across various business listing platforms, you can hire a digital marketing company to assist you with local SEO along with PPC audit, PPC report, link building, guest posting, plan & strategy, backlink analysis, content marketing, competition analysis and reputation management to level up your SEO game and help you stand ahead of your competitors.
References:
- NAP SEO: What it means and why you have to get it right
- Why NAP & user experience are crucial to local SEO