Key Success Element #10 - NAP (Name, Address, Phone) Validation
NAP Validation: The Foundation Of Your Local Search Presence
NAP — Name, Address, Phone — validation is now the standard requirement for getting your business listed on mobile map services like Google, Apple, Facebook, Uber, and OnStar, as well as voice search assistants like Amazon’s Alexa and Apple’s Siri. Search engines take your NAP information into account when deciding which businesses to show in local results, so keeping it accurate and consistent across the web directly affects whether customers can find you.
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Search engines and mobile map services check each of these before they trust your listing:
Business Name Accuracy
The business name used for validation must be listed correctly and must not conflict with or be confused with other local businesses.
Valid Business Address
Your address needs to be recognized by the U.S. portal service as a valid business address. Residential or mail-stop addresses will not validate.
Local Area Code Phone Number
The business phone number must carry an area code that is local to the business address being validated.
Consistent Listing Across The Web
Once your NAP is correct, it must be posted both on your website and on other sites throughout the internet. Search engines cross-reference your NAP information from a variety of websites as validation that you are a legitimate business.
Where It's Required
NAP validation is required by mobile map services such as Google, Apple, Facebook, Uber, and OnStar, as well as newer voice search assistants like Amazon’s Alexa and Apple’s Siri.
Why NAP Consistency Matters
The NAP protocol was developed to fight spam sites, with the goal of helping search services promote only real businesses. Consistent NAP information across sites ranging from local directories like Four Square, Yelp, and the Yellow Pages builds up a trustworthy record for your business and results in your business being listed everywhere you want it to be.
The Bottom Line
NAP stands for Name, Address, Phone Number, and it is critical if you want your business to rank well in local search results. The Business Success Scan will show you exactly where you currently stand on NAP Validation and provide you with the resources to optimize it for your business.
Find out exactly where your business stands on NAP Validation before it costs you local visibility.
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