NAP (name, address, phone)

NAP stands for Name, Address, Phone: a business’s name, address and phone number. In local SEO people talk about “NAP consistency”: those three details should be identical everywhere the business appears online.

Why it matters

Google and other services cross-check what they find on the web: Google profile, website, Yelp, Tripadvisor, social media, trade directories. When the name, address and phone match, they are more confident it is the same business, and so are customers. When they don’t, a customer may call an old number or turn up at an old address.

A concrete example

A restaurant moved two years ago. Its Google profile is up to date, but the old address still appears in two directories and on its Facebook page. Customers arrive at the old premises, and voice assistants or AI tools reading those sources may give the wrong address.

Common mistakes

• writing the name differently from place to place (“Paulo’s”, “Paulo’s Restaurant Ltd”);
• giving a mobile number on the website and a landline on the profile;
• forgetting directories after a move or a new number;
• abbreviating the street here (“St”) and not there (“Street”): minor, but pick one form and stick to it.

Good practice: write down the official form of your name, address and phone once, and copy it exactly everywhere. The Google Business Profile guide explains which details to fill in first.