We audited a Winston-Salem HVAC company's web presence last month and found their business listed 47 different ways across the internet. Three different phone numbers, two different street addresses, and four different versions of the company name. Google's local algorithm could not figure out which listing was authoritative, so they buried all of them.
What NAP Means and Why Google Cares
NAP stands for Name, Address, Phone Number. Google's local algorithm uses NAP citations across the web as votes of confidence. When dozens of independent directories list the exact same business with the exact same name, address, and phone number, Google trusts the listing more and ranks it higher in local search.
Where Inconsistencies Come From
- →A new phone number after switching providers, updated on the website but not on Yelp, Citysearch, Superpages, or the Better Business Bureau page.
- →An office move from one part of Greensboro to another with old listings still showing the previous address.
- →Variations in the business name: "Smith and Jones" vs. "Smith & Jones" vs. "Smith and Jones, LLC."
- →Tracking phone numbers from old Yellow Pages contracts that still appear in scraped data feeds.
The Audit and Fix Process
- →Decide on the canonical NAP. One name, one address, one phone number. This is now the official version everywhere.
- →Search Google for your business name and phone number in quotes. Every result is a citation that needs to match.
- →Update the major data aggregators first: Acxiom, InfoUSA, and Localeze feed hundreds of smaller directories. Fix the source and downstream listings update over weeks.
- →Fix the top-tier directories manually: Google Local Business Center, Yelp, Bing Local, Yahoo Local, Citysearch, Superpages, Yellowpages.com, MerchantCircle, and the Better Business Bureau.
How Long Until Rankings Improve
Most Triad businesses see local ranking improvements within 60 to 120 days of cleaning up NAP citations. The Winston-Salem HVAC company above moved from invisible to a top-three Google Maps result for "winston salem hvac repair" in roughly 90 days, with no other changes besides citation cleanup.
Read the companion pieces on the Google Local Business Center setup and Yelp for service businesses, or have our digital marketing agency run a citation audit and cleanup for you.