Off-Site Signals · P3.3
NAP consistency: why your phone number on five sites needs to match
tl;dr
NAP stands for Name, Address, Phone. When your business shows different versions across directories, AI assistants treat it as multiple separate businesses or none at all. Pick one format and enforce it everywhere.
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Run the auditWhat 'inconsistent' looks like
- ·Suite numbers on some listings, not others
- ·Phone with area code parentheses on Google, dashes on Yelp, none on Facebook
- ·DBA name on the website, legal name on directories
- ·Old address still live on three industry sites after a move
- ·Different spellings: 'St.' vs 'Street,' 'Co.' vs 'Company'
How to audit yours
- 01Decide on the canonical version. Pick exact wording for the name, address, and phone format. Write it down.
- 02Search '"[your business name]" [city]' on Google. Note every directory and site that lists you.
- 03Cross-check Yelp, Bing Places, Apple Maps, Facebook, and the top 5-10 industry-specific directories for your category.
- 04Build a spreadsheet: site, current name, current address, current phone, matches canonical? Y/N.
- 05Anything with N gets fixed.
How to fix at scale
If you have a few dozen listings, fix them by hand. It takes an afternoon.
If you have hundreds (multi-location brands, agencies managing clients), use a service like Moz Local, Yext, or BrightLocal that pushes consistent data to every directory in one shot.
“If you have a few dozen listings, fix them by hand.”
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What to do after you fix it
- 01Add LocalBusiness schema to your website with the canonical NAP.
- 02Put NAP in your footer on every page, identically formatted.
- 03Set a quarterly reminder to re-audit. Listings drift.
Common questions
How long until fixes take effect?
Directory updates can take 2-12 weeks to propagate. Google Business Profile changes are faster. Plan for a quarter to see full impact.
Does NAP matter if I'm online-only?
Less, but still some. Even purely digital businesses benefit from a consistent business name and contact info across platforms.
Do I need a service or can I do this manually?
Manual works under ~50 listings. Beyond that, a service saves hours per quarter and catches drift you'd miss.
Keep reading
// your move
See what AI assistants say about your site.
Free, 30 seconds, no signup. We'll check all 15 signals and tell you which ones to fix first.
Run the audit ⚡