Glossary
NAP Consistency
Definition
NAP consistency refers to having your business Name, Address, and Phone number identical across every online listing, directory, and web page where your business appears.
In depth
Google cross-references your NAP data from dozens of sources to verify your business is legitimate and correctly located. Inconsistencies — a suite number missing on one listing, a phone number that changed two years ago, or a business name formatted differently — create conflicting signals that reduce Google's confidence and suppress local rankings. AI search tools like ChatGPT and Perplexity also rely on consistent entity data to recommend local businesses, making NAP accuracy critical for both traditional and AI-driven visibility.
Related terms
- Citations
Citations are online mentions of your business's name, address, and phone number on directories, review sites, data aggregators, and local websites — with or without a link.
- Local SEO
Local SEO is the practice of optimizing a business's online presence so it appears prominently in geographically relevant search results, including Google Maps and the local pack.
- Google Business Profile
Google Business Profile (GBP) is a free listing that controls how your business appears in Google Search and Google Maps, including your name, address, hours, photos, and customer reviews.
- GEO Audit
A GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) audit evaluates how accurately and consistently your business information appears across the sources that AI search tools use to generate answers.
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