NAP
NAP stands for name, address and phone number: the three basic facts that identify a local business. Search engines and AI assistants check that these details match everywhere you appear online, and use that match to decide whether to trust and show you.
Why it matters
When your details differ from place to place (an old address on a directory, a different phone number on Facebook, "St" here and "Street" there), search engines are less sure which version is right. Less certainty means you show up less often in the map results, and AI assistants may repeat the wrong details to customers.
It is one of the cheapest local search problems to fix, and one of the most common. Businesses that have moved, rebranded or changed numbers almost always have old details still out there.
How it works
Google and other engines build a picture of your business from many sources: your Google Business Profile, your website, directories like Yelp and True Local, industry listings, and social profiles. Each listing that shows your name, address and phone is a local citation. When those citations agree, they back each other up. When they disagree, they cancel each other out.
The match does not need to be identical character for character, but it should be the same business name, the same address in the same format, and the same main phone number. Your website can reinforce it by showing the details in the footer or contact page and labelling them with structured data.
What to do about it
Write down one master version of your name, address and phone number, exactly as it appears on your Google Business Profile. Then search your business name and check the first two or three pages of results, correcting every listing that does not match. Do it again any time you move or change numbers.
