NAP Consistency
The requirement that a business's Name, Address, and Phone number are identical across all online directories and citations.
Definition
NAP stands for Name, Address, and Phone number — the three core identifying data points for any local business. NAP consistency refers to the requirement that these three pieces of information are identical across every online directory, citation, social profile, and mention of the business across the web. Inconsistent NAP data is one of the most common and damaging local SEO problems.
Google's local ranking algorithm uses NAP data from hundreds of citation sources to verify the existence, location, and legitimacy of a local business. When NAP data is inconsistent — for example, if Yelp shows "Suite 100" but Google Maps shows "Ste. 100," or if the phone number format differs across directories — it creates a trust deficit that suppresses local rankings. Google interprets inconsistency as uncertainty about the business's legitimacy or accuracy.
NAP consistency issues arise naturally over time: businesses move (and don't update all old listings), phone numbers change, names evolve, and data aggregators propagate outdated information across hundreds of directories. The remediation process involves auditing all citation sources (Google, Yelp, Facebook, industry directories, data aggregators like Infogroup and Localeze), identifying discrepancies, and systematically correcting them through manual edits and aggregator data submissions. This is one of the most foundational and time-consuming local SEO tasks.