NAP Consistency Checklist for Local Businesses
3 min read
NAP Consistency Checklist for Local Businesses
Reading time: ~3 minutes
NAP stands for Name, Address, Phone.
These three data points must match exactly across every platform where your business appears.
If they don’t, AI systems lose confidence and may hallucinate incorrect information about you.
Why NAP Consistency Matters for AI
AI models determine truth by triangulation.
When ChatGPT, Perplexity, or Google AI tries to answer “What’s the phone number for ABC Plumbing?”, it checks multiple sources:
- Google Business Profile
- Yelp
- Your website
- Bing Places
- Apple Maps
If your phone number is listed as:
- (555) 123-4567 on Google
- 555-123-4568 on Yelp (typo)
- 5551234567 on your website
The AI loses confidence. It may:
- Say you’re closed to be safe
- Provide a competitor’s number instead
- Exclude you from recommendations entirely
Real consequence: Customers get wrong information. You lose business.
The 7 Platforms to Audit
Check these platforms in this order:
1. Google Business Profile
Why it’s first: Most important for Google AI Overviews and Gemini.
What to check:
- Business name (exact spelling)
- Street address (including suite/unit numbers)
- Phone number (primary contact)
- Hours (regular and special hours)
Where to check: business.google.com
2. Bing Places
Why it matters: Powers Microsoft Copilot for B2B queries.
What to check:
- Same NAP as Google
- Same hours
- Same categories
Where to check: bingplaces.com
3. Yelp
Why it matters: Direct data source for Perplexity AI.
What to check:
- Business name
- Address
- Phone
- Website URL
- Categories and attributes
Where to check: biz.yelp.com
4. Apple Maps
Why it matters: Used by Siri and Apple devices for local queries.
What to check:
- NAP data
- Hours
- Photos
Where to check: mapsconnect.apple.com
5. Facebook Business Page
Why it matters: Used by Meta AI for recommendations.
What to check:
- Business name
- Address
- Phone
- Hours
Where to check: Your Facebook Business Page settings
6. Your Website
Why it matters: AI crawlers read your site to verify other sources.
What to check:
- Contact page NAP
- Footer NAP
- Schema markup (if implemented)
7. Other Directories
Check if you’re listed:
- Yellow Pages
- Chamber of Commerce
- Industry-specific directories
- Old citation sites
Fix or remove: If the listing is outdated and you can’t edit it, try to get it removed.
Common NAP Mistakes
Phone Number Formatting
Problem: Different formats across platforms.
Examples:
- (555) 123-4567
- 555-123-4567
- 555.123.4567
- 5551234567
Solution: Pick one format and use it everywhere.
Recommended: (555) 123-4567 (with area code and parentheses)
Business Name Variations
Problem: Different names across platforms.
Examples:
- “Joe’s Pizza”
- “Joe’s Pizza & Italian Food”
- “Joe’s Pizza - Downtown”
- “Joe’s Famous Pizza”
Solution: Use your legal business name exactly as registered. If you have multiple locations, use consistent naming:
- Joe’s Pizza (Main Street)
- Joe’s Pizza (Downtown)
Address Abbreviations
Problem: Inconsistent abbreviations.
Examples:
- 123 Main Street
- 123 Main St
- 123 Main St.
Solution: Use the USPS standard format:
- Street → St
- Avenue → Ave
- Suite → Ste
- No periods after abbreviations
Suite/Unit Numbers
Problem: Missing or inconsistent suite numbers.
Examples:
- 123 Main St
- 123 Main St Suite 200
- 123 Main St #200
Solution: Always include suite/unit. Use “Suite” or “Ste” consistently.
Quick Audit Spreadsheet
Use this format to audit your NAP:
| Platform | Business Name | Address | Phone | Match? | Fix Needed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Google Business | ✓ or ✗ | ||||
| Bing Places | ✓ or ✗ | ||||
| Yelp | ✓ or ✗ | ||||
| Apple Maps | ✓ or ✗ | ||||
| ✓ or ✗ | |||||
| Website | ✓ or ✗ |
Fix Priority Order
If you find conflicts, fix them in this order:
1. Phone number conflicts These cause the most immediate customer pain.
2. Address conflicts These prevent people from finding your location.
3. Business name variations These confuse AI entity resolution.
4. Hours discrepancies These cause “closed when actually open” problems.
How to Track Changes
After fixing NAP inconsistencies:
Week 1: Document all changes with screenshots.
Week 2-4: Monitor for:
- Reduced “are you open?” calls
- Fewer “I couldn’t find you” complaints
- Better AI visibility when tested
Month 2: Re-run Surmado Signal ($25) to see if AI systems now cite you more accurately.
Related Actions
After fixing NAP:
-
Implement schema markup on your website with the same NAP data.
-
Test AI visibility to see if changes improved how AI systems talk about you.
- Use: Surmado Signal ($25)
-
Set a quarterly reminder to re-audit NAP data.
Next steps:
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