What is Name Address Phone Number (NAP)?
Name Address Phone Number (NAP) refers to a business’s name, address, and phone number. It is the primary contact information search engines require from businesses looking to rank in local search results.
The name, address, and phone number (NAP) are crucial for local SEO, as they help potential customers find and contact local businesses. Search engines also assess them to determine the legitimacy, relevance, and consistency of the information provided by the business.
Visitors who search for local keywords are likely looking for local businesses to patronize. For this reason, search engines expect local businesses to use consistent names, addresses, and phone numbers across the web.
This is crucial for local SEO, and businesses with inconsistent contact details should expect to appear less on local search result pages.
Importance of the NAP
The name, address, and phone number (NAP) are essential for sites that want to rank for local keywords. These sites typically belong to businesses that offer products or services to an audience within a geographical location. So, they optimize their site to ensure they can be seen by potential customers who want their product or service.
The name, address, and phone number (NAP) is a Google ranking factor. This makes it crucial for your SEO and rankings, as its absence or inconsistency can negatively impact your rankings.
Specifically, Google assesses your name, address, and phone number to verify the legitimacy and location of your business. This is why it is necessary to publish it at multiple locations and keep it consistent, as it assures Google that your business is legitimate.
Overall, a consistent name, address, and phone number benefits bloggers, visitors, and search engines. For one, it assures bloggers that potential customers can find and contact their businesses. It assures search engines that they are delivering accurate information to visitors and assures visitors that they are contacting a legitimate business.
Where to Publish Your Name Address and Phone Number
The process of getting your name, address, and phone number (NAP) listed on a site is called a local citation. This citation could be structured or unstructured. That is, it may contain your full name, address, and phone number or just part of it. That said, here are some sites and platforms on which you should publish your NAP.
1 Profilo dell'attività su Google
Google Business Profile is a free service that allows you to configure how your details appear on multiple Google services, including Google search results pages and the local pack. For example, the image below shows a local pack on local search results pages.
Nota: You should refer to this guide on creating your Google Business Profile.
2 Your Business Website
Your business website must contain your name, address, and phone number. The specific location you include them will vary depending on your business, but it is good practice to have them at multiple locations, including your homepage, header, footer, and service pages.
3 Social Media Profiles
Some social media apps provide dedicated areas to publish your name, address, and phone number. You should ensure to publish your contact details in those areas. You should also get them in the bio at the top of your profile.
4 Online Directories
Get your name, address, and phone number in online directories intended for businesses in your niche, industry, and region. Focus on the most popular directories relevant to you before going for the less popular ones. You should also ensure that you include high-quality photos of your business and select the correct category.
5 Review Sites
Visit the most popular review sites relevant to your business and create a profile with your contact details. Many review sites may automatically create profiles for your business and require you to claim them. Make sure to claim your profile and update it with your details, including your name, address, and phone number.
6 I post del blog
You may sometimes publish blog posts that contain your name, address, and phone number. These posts may be published on your site or as a regular post, sponsored post, or guest post on a third-party site. However, note that your name, address, and phone number may not appear together and may be published at various locations within the article.
7 Press Releases
Some businesses publish press releases for their business. In such cases, make sure to include your name, address, and phone number at relevant locations in the release. Note that your details may not be listed together and may be scattered across the article.
Name, Address, and Phone Number (NAP) Best Practices
The name, address, and phone number (NAP) is a crucial ranking factor for sites looking to appear on local search results pages. To avoid mistakes and get the most out of your local SEO efforts, follow the best practices below.
1 Keep Your NAP Consistent Across the Web
Ensure your name, address, and phone number are consistent across all sites and platforms. An inconsistent name, address, and phone number can confuse visitors and search engines, reduce your credibility, and harm your rankings and user experience.
2 List Your NAP at Multiple Locations on Your Site
Place your name, address, and phone number at visible locations on your site. For example, many businesses include it in their header, footer, and contact page. Depending on the business, they may also include it on their home, services, and locations pages. Overall, be sure to include it on the pages visitors expect to find it.
3 Publish Your NAP on Multiple Sites
Make sure to include your name, address, and phone number in multiple blogs, platforms, directories, listings, and review sites on the web. This improves your visibility and local SEO. It gets your business in front of more visitors and assures visitors and search engines that you are a legitimate business.
4 Use the LocalBusiness Structured Data Markup
The LocalBusiness Schema markup provides search engines with detailed and consistent information about a business. So, make sure to include one to ensure search engines can better discover the details you want to use for your NAP.
5 Make Sure to Keep Your NAP Up-to-Date
Be sure to update any changes to your name, address, and phone number wherever they appear. It is crucial to implement the changes immediately, as failure to do so can confuse search engines and prevent potential customers from contacting or visiting your business.
6 Use Local Phone Numbers Instead of Toll-Free Numbers
A local phone number helps to build trust with customers. It also signals to search engines that your business is located within the local area or region. On the other hand, a toll-free number like 1-800-BUSINESSNAME does not signal any relationship with the local area since the number can belong to businesses outside the local area or region.
7 Format Your Address Properly
Make sure your address contains every information visitors would require to locate you. Include the complete street address, city, state, and ZIP code. Make sure to list the address in full, without abbreviations. This ensures visitors and search engines can find your business without confusion.
8 Include Your NAP on Your Social Handles
Your social media profiles should display your name, address, and phone number. This is important for your discoverability and credibility, as many consumers check a business’s social media handle before deciding to patronize.