Why you need a consistent NAP
Marketing often has quite a sexy image, and although we’re biassed, we think it’s pretty damn sexy. Who can argue with a lush Canva graphic or a seductively well-written bit of content? Not us, that’s for sure. However, sometimes, much like wearing earplugs to bed or carrying Gaviscon in our handbags, it’s not sexy but it is necessary. That’s why today I’m sitting here writing about how your business could be harmed by a lack of NAP consistency.
No, I’m not talking about your senior negotiator regularly catching a few Zzz’s in a lay-by before viewings, I’m talking about the way your address and contact details are listed across the web.
What does NAP stand for?
NAP stands for Name, Address, and Phone Number. But also, helpfully includes things like web address, opening times, and email addresses – basically any important piece of information which should be consistent across the Internet and beyond.
Why does it need to be consistent?
This might surprise you, but when Google looks at your information online, they’re using artificial intelligence – they don’t have millions of employees trawling through every website. They put your business into context by learning about it, and one way the clever little robots do that is by looking at all instances of your business details they can find.
If you have even the slightest difference in how your information is displayed, for example on Facebook your number is listed as 01234 567 890, and on Google My Business it is listed as 01 2345 67890, that will put a little element of doubt into the Google robot as it can harm your Google ranking as a result.
It’s so important that your details are listed EXACTLY the same across the web. If you have multiple people registering accounts or adding info online, it’s worth having a master document people can copy and paste information from – it’s that important.
Google also scans other reputable listings to see how reliable and consistent your business is with information, so make sure that it’s consistent across all of your social media accounts even the ones you may not think of immediately;
- Yelp
- Yell
- Cyclex
- your local news outlet
- 192.com
- YouTube
- Hotfrog
As well as having a master document, it’s also worth scheduling time in the diary every few months to check that everything is up-to-date.
See? We told you it isn’t very glamorous. But it is necessary, and if you make sure all of your NAP details are up to scratch across the web, then you’ll likely find your search engine rankings improving pretty quickly.
Now that’s sexy.
If this feels like a daunting prospect and you’d like some help ensuring all of your details are up-to-date across the web, get in touch – we love this stuff!
Katie Gillingham
Katie is a Freelance Copywriter living in rural Dorset with her daft old Labrador. She first started writing content for the property industry back in 2015, and loves nothing more than bringing brand voices to life!
