In the world of digital marketing, there are tons of buzzwords floating around. To name but a few, you have CRO, CTA, SERP, and NAP. NAP is one we hear a lot about, simply because it’s such an integral component of local search. Although the NAP principle is generally pretty simple, there are complexities that need to be observed, NAP continuity in particular.
The term used to ensure that the contact details for your company are consistent around the internet is the name, address, and phone number (or NAP for short). It is a vital element of local SEO and sends optimistic signals that all online mentions of your brand and contact information are accurate to search engines.
For local SEO, getting the right NAP for all your listings around the internet is essential. When searching for data about your business, Google scans all these listings. When deciding the ranking, the data is stored and used. Incorrect data in NAP citations can lead to confusion and poor user experience for clients.
An investigation was performed in 2018, which determined that NAP is a ranking factor in local SEO in terms of reference and on-page signals. Therefore, it can have a positive influence on how a website performs in local search results, like map packs and profiles for Google My Company, to include simple and specific contact details across the internet.
This info is often used by Google to determine whether a company is active and trustworthy. If this contact information varies from different websites, it may be an indication that items are out of date, which could instead contribute to the ranking of other websites
Your website is the perfect place to start with your NAP. Take a look at the name, address, phone number, and email address of your brand and make sure they are right and legitimate. Naturally, if many locations are protected, there would be some variance in phone numbers and email addresses, and maybe even physical addresses. Once you are pleased with the information covered on your website, we recommend taking a look elsewhere to find any problems with how your company is identified and where changes can be made.
Here is a list of such websites that you need to consider:
• Google My Business
• Bing Places
In addition to local SEO advantages, providing a consistent NAP presence around the internet often ensures that users can find the correct contact information regardless of where they are located. Scam activity is increasingly prevalent across the internet, with customer confidence taking a hard hit, especially with contact information such as phone numbers and email addresses.
As described before, NAP consistency is critical because search engines don’t just use the directory listings and quotations we make. Potential clients to are seeking them. An unreliable or incorrect NAP may result in disgruntled users and leads that may be lost.
For any mention of your brand name, address, and phone number, you’ll want to check and find any websites that mention them. Develop a list of any websites from here that have incorrect contact information and decide how you can repair them. Any previous addresses or phone numbers that have been used in the past are also worth searching for.
