NAP stands for Name, Address, Phone number. A citation is any place online that mentions those details — your website, Google Business Profile, Yelp, Facebook, Apple Maps, Bing Places, your trade association's directory, review sites, local listings.
NAP consistency means those details are written identically everywhere they appear. When they're not, Google sees uncertainty about which version is real — and uncertainty costs you ranking.
What Counts as an Inconsistency
All of these read as "different" to Google's matching:
Bright Spark Electrical Ltd vs Bright Spark Electrical vs Bright Spark Electrics
0115 000 0000 vs +44 115 000 0000 vs an old tracking number from a lapsed campaign
The phone number is the one that catches people out — old numbers linger on directories for years.
The Fix, Step by Step
1. Write your master NAP record
One document. The exact name, exact address (every abbreviation decided), exact phone number, plus website URL and opening hours. This is now your single source of truth — copy from it, never retype from memory.
2. Audit what's out there
Google your business name. Then google your old phone number, your old address, and common misspellings of your name. Make a list of every listing you find and how the details appear on each.
3. Kill duplicates first
The biggest problem is usually "zombie" listings — old or duplicate profiles with wrong details. Building new correct citations on top of these just spreads the confusion. On Google, you can request removal of duplicate profiles; on other platforms, claim and merge or contact support. Do this before step 4.
4. Fix the big ones
Update, in this order: Google Business Profile → your website (footer + contact page) → Apple Maps → Bing Places → Facebook → Yelp. These carry the most weight and feed data to smaller directories.
5. Fix the industry and local ones
Your trade body's member directory, your local chamber of commerce, checkatrade/Yell-type directories relevant to your trade, and any local "business of [town]" listings. Quality and relevance matter more than sheer number now — 15–40 accurate, relevant citations beats 200 random ones.
6. Add LocalBusiness schema to your site
Structured data on your website spells your NAP out for Google in a format it can't misread. Every professionally built local site should have it — see our schema guide.
7. Recheck twice a year
Citations drift — directories reformat, data aggregators re-import old info, someone creates a new profile. Add a NAP check to your six-monthly website review.
Tools That Help
- BrightLocal and Moz Local — scan for existing citations and inconsistencies, and can push updates to many directories at once (paid, but a time-saver if you have a lot to fix).
- Google Business Profile itself — the free, highest-priority listing; get this perfect first.
- A spreadsheet — genuinely fine for a single-location business with a manageable number of listings.
Don't Overthink It
You don't need to be on 300 directories. You need your details identical on the 15–30 that matter for your area and trade, no duplicates confusing the picture, and schema on your site. That's the whole job.
We Set the Foundation
Every LocalPageHQ site ships with your NAP formatted consistently in the footer and contact page, LocalBusiness schema generated from it, and guidance on the key directories to claim. Get the website right and the rest is light maintenance.
We'll build a free preview of your site using your real business details.
Request your free mockup here →
