All dedicated business owners have a great understanding of how important SEO rankings are to their business. Not to mention local SEO rankings, which can make or break your business. There are quite a few ways to improve your local SEO. Yet, none can get the job done like NAP cleanup. You don’t know what NAP stands for? If that is the case, you are just in time, because it is about time you get familiar with this crucial SEO term and its importance. So, let’s see how can you improve your local online visibility and watch your business thrive as a result. You can also choose to leave all the work to us here at AZ Citation Services.
What is NAP?
Let’s take it from the beginning, in case we have some citations and local SEO rookies on our hands. NAP is the most important and crucial part of your citation. It represents your business’s name, address, and phone number. The goal of every business owner is to get their NAP on relevant and high-quality directories, such as Yelp, Angie’s List, etc. This is the best way to get your website visible on Google, Google Maps, and other search engine tools.
Are all NAPs beneficial to your SEO
There is a common misconception roaming around the SEO world and it is important that we set the record straight. Having a low-quality NAP roaming around the web will not necessarily improve your local rankings. In fact, it can do quite the opposite. Incomplete or incorrect citations can confuse search engines, given the signals that something is not the way it should be. Consequently, leaving you behind your competitors on Google and every other major search engine. Since we all know the importance of citations to your SEO, you must be aware of this possibility and prevent it from happening.
Everything you need to know about your NAP cleanup
Now that you understand what is at stake we can start working on getting your act together when it comes to your firm’s citations. In case, you already constantly work on citation maintenance, there is always room for improvement. So, let’s get started because there is no time to spare. Every moment that your local rankings are low, your competitors have a significant advantage over you. Local customers or clients will locate them online and as a result, use their services or products.
How to clean up your NAP?
There are two common NAP issues that business owners frequently face:
- There are citations of your business that you have never put up or requested to be posted anywhere online
- The information listed as your NAP is not correct, incomplete, outdated, or has other types of discrepancy
Naturally, if someone else lists your firm’s information you will have little or no control over the information that gets posted. That is why you must make it your mission to locate all of your citations online (posted by you or others) and make sure the info is the way it should be.
First, take care of your website
This is one step that often gets neglected during NAP cleanup. Before you start searching for your citations all over the web, take a second and look at your business’s website. Make sure that your name is in order. Your address should be complete without left-out parts. Thus, if there is a suite number or any other detail missing make sure it is clearly noted.
And last, but certainly not least, make sure your phone number is accurate. Before taking other corrective action it is important to take this step. Your website is your base. Everything else online will be compared to this information and if not in excellent order you will have a serious problem on your hands.
Order of information
Now that your website is picture-perfect it is time to get down to business. When working on improving your NAP, keep in mind that the information order is very important. It gives your citation structure that will be highly appreciated by all search engines and their tools. Therefore, the accuracy of the provided information is not the only relevant factor. For instance, if you come across a NAP, where your address is listed after your phone number, you will know that this is a discrepancy that needs your attention. If you aren’t certain how to evaluate your NAPs, there are alternative ways to help you track and measure the value of your citations.
Invest in professional assistance
NAP cleanup sure sounds simple. Unfortunately, this isn’t always the case. Locating all your citations can be more than challenging. However, once you manage to do so, the real party begins. There are certain directories where you can simply log in and change your information. Yet, with most directories, this is not the case. Any change takes effort and more importantly time. There are administrators that you would need to contact, after which requests for change must be made. In other words, it can be a pain in the neck and substantial waste of time.
However, you are in luck because there are professional companies that can maintain your citations and make sure your local SEO is in tip-top shape. Also, through them, you can order citations and make sure you have enough NAP out there in all the right places.
Conclusion
NAP cleanup is an absolute must for those firms that strive to have strong local SEO rankings. Still, managing this simple, yet complex to facilitate, digital marketing strategy is something that will take a toll. Get ready to invest in it if you want to see a return. But, keep one thing in mind, it is a sure and reliable way to secure a great position on multiple fronts when it comes to search engine rankings and online visibility. So, now that you know what is at stake get cracking. Get the edge you were missing and show your local online dominance.
