Ranking for local SEO is an essential step to ensuring your small to mid-sized business succeeds. One of the best ways to boost your local SEO ranking is by submitting your NAP (name, address and phone number) to various local directories. However, it’s absolutely essential that your NAP is accurate or it could end up hurting your local SEO efforts.

Submitting NAP to Local Directories

There are many local directories where you can submit your business NAP to. Doing so will make it much easier for customers in your area to find you. Some of the local directories that you should consider submitting your NAP to include:

• Google Places
• Yelp
• Better Business Bureau
• Yellowbook
• CitySearch
• Angie’s List
• Foursquare
• Local.com

The Importance of NAP Consistency

You’re not just ranked based on where your NAP appears. Your NAP is one of the major ranking factors for local SEO. Search engines take into account not just the quantity of your NAP citations, but also the quality and consistency.

Google doesn’t just scan local directories. It scans the entire net for mentions of your business. If your NAP appears anywhere else, Google will take note. This includes the NAP that appears on your website. When your NAP is consistent across the net, meaning that the information is exactly the same, search engines like Google will assume that you run a legitimate business that can fulfill the needs of its searchers.

The problem arises if your NAP isn’t consistent. If you’ve been around for a few years and your business changed phone numbers, locations or even names, then your NAP may be outdated in places. Search engines will pick up on the fact that there is conflicting information on your business, which will end up hurting your local SEO ranking.

Ensuring NAP Consistency

If your company phone number, business location or name ever changes, you need to make the effort to change your NAP by submitting changes to whatever local directories your business appears in as well as combing through your website and updating your NAP information (such as on your homepage, contact page, about page and your landing pages).

Every once in a while, do a search on your business and go through the results to see if your NAP information is accurate.

Don’t discount the importance of maintaining accurate NAP information. For more advice concerning local SEO strategies, contact us at Fasturtle today.