The digital world is where we spend so much of our time these days. From work to finding something to do in our spare time, and of course, finding businesses that can provide the products and services we need.
Eventually, that journey to making a purchase has to leave the digital world and enter the real one, but if they don’t know how to find you or get in touch, you’re going to lose those potential customers.
What is NAP Information and Why is it Important?
NAP Information refers to the core details of who you are and where customers can find you. It is short for Name, Address, Phone, and the basic information customers need to get in touch. This information must be accurate, as your potential customers will have difficulty finding you otherwise, but that is just the most obvious reason that this information matters.
Having accurate and consistent NAP information on your Google Business Profile, Website, directory listings and more helps to boost your local visibility and elevate your profile listing so that it appears higher in search results relevant to your business.
How to Set Up Your Business’s NAP Correctly
With all that in mind, it makes sense to take the time to get this right, and while it is important to check everything, the good news is that it is a pretty straightforward process. Just follow these 3 steps to ensure everything is correct.
Step One: The Full Name of Your Business
Enter your business name here. Don’t use any nicknames, the full business name as it appears on government records. Double-check all spelling before submission, to make sure that everything is completely accurate.
Step 2: Your Full Address
This must be the full, legal address for the business. This is important for helping online visitors find you in the real world, but is also used by Google to verify your profile, which is crucial. How you write the address is up to you, if you use 1465 First Street, that is fine, if you prefer 1465 First St., that is ok too. As long as you always use the same format every time for every directory, website, social media and ad content you use as well.
Step 3: Your Business Phone Number
There are a surprising number of people who will still want to talk by phone, and Google sometimes uses the listed phone as part of the verification process for your GBP account too. As with your address, choose a format for writing your number and stick to it every time. Don’t forget, if you switch to toll-free for instance, make sure you update your number on your GBP immediately.
The Impact of Consistent NAP Information
Once you have set up your NAP on your Google Business Profile and know that it is accurate, you should ensure that all other instances match it too. With that consistency comes several benefits that together help your profile rank higher and build trust with potential customers.
Boosts Local Search Rankings
Google doesn’t just look at the information you enter into your GBP, it checks all entries for your business in directory listings, on your website, social media and so on. This is because the biggest challenge in the digital world is trust, and the more data points Google has, the more accurately it can understand your business.
If your NAP information is different in every listing, there are doubts about legitimacy, and Google will suppress your profile’s search ranking as a result. However, consistent data across a wide number of entries suggests legitimacy, and your profile will rank higher in relevant searches as a result.
Prevents Customer Confusion
If someone finds your business through your profile and then clicks through to your website and finds the NAP information different, it is more than confusing. Which address is right, which number do you call? It’s not just about which information is right, it creates doubts about your business and whether it can be trusted.
Improves Citation Accuracy
Once you have a format set out on your Google Business Profile, sticking with it everywhere else helps to keep all your citations accurate. Following the template makes it easy to do, so you don’t have to start from scratch every time.
Builds Trust with Google and Customers
Like customers, Google is trying to get to know your business through your online presence, and constancy is a big part of building trust with both. If every entry is different, a customer is going to have doubts about your legitimacy, and Google is too. If you are consistent, it is easier for customers to trust you enough to take the next step, which is to get in touch. Gaining Google’s trust is just as important, as they use it when calculating who will give their users the best experience, which translates into how high in the rankings your listing appears.
Boosts Local Search Rankings
Google is always looking at every aspect of your business not because it is nosey, but because its goal is to offer the best search experience for its users. That is what keeps them returning to use the service again.
A big part of that is the search results, and specifically, which businesses appear at the top of search results. If Google doesn’t think your business is well managed, for instance, if NAP information is different on every directory, social media and so on, then it won’t think you will provide a good service for its users. That means they will put other businesses higher in the searches. Consistent information builds trust and suggests a competent, effective business, and Google will boost your position in the search results as a business that can provide quality solutions for its users.
Conclusion
The digital world has made it easier for your business to connect with potential local customers, but it does bring challenges too. For both Google and consumers, knowing who is legitimate, trustworthy and reliable is a big issue, because a website or social media profile can be set up by anyone.
One of the ways you can help is by being consistent. Having the same information everywhere avoids confusion, but it also builds trust and suggests a level of professionalism that gives confidence in your business. However, doing all this can be labor intensive, and many businesses like yours struggle with the time investment needed. At GridRankers, we are the experts in Google Business Profile management, and whether you need help with NAP information or complete management of your GBP, you can trust our team to deliver for you.
Talk to our experts today, and see how we can help you make the most from your Google Business Profile and gain local customers through improved performance.
FAQ
What is the Role of GBP Management in NAP Consistency?
The Role of GBP Management in NAP Consistency is to set a standard for all citations across local directories, websites, social media and more. Monitoring and amending entries to retain consistency, and adjusting NAP across all citations should anything change.
How do you make a NAP Citation?
You can make a NAP citation by including your name, address and phone number in any discussion about your business online. Whether it’s a review, article, directory listing or editorial, if the name, address and phone are displayed together, that is a citation.