NAP data

NAP stands for Name, Address, Phone: your business name, your address and your phone number. It sounds trivial, but those three details form your business's identity card on the internet. They appear on your website, in your Google Business Profile, on Facebook, in online directories, on review platforms and in industry-specific databases.

Search engines and other systems use those mentions to confirm that your business exists, where it is based and how customers can reach you. The more consistent that information is, the less doubt there is.

Why consistency matters so much

Suppose a plumber in Leeds once moved premises. His website shows the new address, but three old directories still list the previous one. On Facebook he uses "Clarke Plumbing", in his business profile "Clarke Plumbing & Heating Ltd". To a person it's clear that this is the same business. To a search engine, that's less obvious.

Inconsistent details can lead to customers turning up at the wrong door or calling an old number. On top of that, it is widely assumed that consistent mentions contribute to the trust search engines place in your local data, which is relevant for local SEO and the local pack. Exactly how much weight it carries, Google doesn't disclose.

Also watch out for smaller differences that are often overlooked: a unit number that is sometimes included and sometimes not, a mobile number in one place and a landline in another, or a trading name alongside the official company name. Decide which version you use and stick to it everywhere. If you have several locations, each location gets its own fixed set of details.

How to get your NAP data in order

1. Settle on one official version. Choose how your business name, address and number are written, including abbreviations such as "Street" or "St." and the format of your phone number.
2. Start with your own website. Put the details clearly in the footer and on your contact page, as plain text and not only in an image.
3. Update your business profile. This is the most important source for local searches.
4. Take stock of external mentions. Search for your business name, old addresses and old numbers to find outdated listings.
5. Correct or claim profiles on platforms such as Yell, trade associations, social media and review sites.
6. Add structured data. With LocalBusiness markup in JSON-LD, you make your details machine-readable.

NAP data and AI assistants

AI assistants such as ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity are increasingly asked questions like "which physiotherapist in Glasgow offers evening appointments?". To answer a question like that, they need to recognise a business as a clear entity with a fixed location. When your details contradict each other across sources, it probably becomes harder to link you correctly to a place. Worse still, an AI answer can repeat an outdated address or number. So consistent NAP data is also a form of maintenance for your AI visibility.

Checking regularly pays off

NAP data isn't a one-off task. Moves, new numbers, a merger or a name change change everything again. A visibility audit helps you see at a glance where your business details differ and which listings you should fix first.