# What is NAP consistency?

> NAP consistency means your business name, address and phone number are written identically on your website, Google profile and every directory that lists you.

- Source: https://nerdsharks.com/glossary/nap-consistency
- Publisher: Nerdsharks (Exeter, Devon, UK)
- Updated: 2026-09-26

Also called: NAP, name, address, phone, NAPW.

NAP stands for name, address, phone number. Consistency means those three details match everywhere your business appears online: your website, your Google Business Profile, Facebook, Yell, Checkatrade, trade association listings and so on.

Google cross-checks these details to decide whether you are a real, established business at a real location. If one site says ‘J Smith Plumbing, Unit 4’ with an old mobile number and another says ‘Smith & Sons Plumbing Ltd’ with a landline, it cannot be sure they are the same business.

Small differences like ‘Rd’ versus ‘Road’ are not a disaster. Old phone numbers, previous addresses and different business names are the ones to hunt down and fix.

## Why it matters for a small business

Mismatched details can weaken your local rankings and, more directly, send customers to a number you no longer answer. If you have moved premises or changed phone numbers in the last few years, there are almost certainly old listings out there costing you calls.

**Example:** A café moved across town two years ago. Their website is up to date, but an old directory listing still shows the previous address, and a few customers turn up at the wrong street every month.