NAP (Name, Address, Phone Number) Is The Most Important Ranking Factor For A Local Business
A consistent NAP is a very important ranking signal for your local business and its searches on Google. We will discuss how significant a consistent NAP is as a ranking signal for Google. Then we will look at 3 ways to dominate local search with your NAP.
First, let me show you the importance of a consistent NAP for your small business:
Moz in its 2015 local search engine ranking factors discovered the correct NAP on your website could account for 21% in the search results.
As a local business looking to optimize your online presence – you should focus on one thing: NAP consistency.
It’s easy to become overwhelmed by all the different ranking factors. Your small business needs to focus on the biggest ranking issues.
Inside Local found that mismatched NAP citations accounted for 41% of the total ranking issues.
Your NAP is very important for a strong online presence. Now that we understand the significance of your small business’ NAP – let’s look at ways to dominate it.
3 Ways To Dominate Local Search With Your NAP
- Always have your NAP in the footer of your website because that’s where most people expect it. Adding Schema to your NAP will make your information even easier for search engines to find.
- Do not use an image of your NAP – instead use HTML. Search engines cannot view images and will not rank it unless it’s HTML. For instance, you might what to post this image to your website instead of actually typing it into your site. That could hurt your search rankings.
- Make sure your NAP is correct on your website and doesn’t have any inconsistencies.
A consistent NAP can really boost your Google ranking. Always have your NAP displayed on your website to inform Google where you are located. Then you should search your business citations to make sure they all are listing the correct information.
Pi Pie Studios is available to help you rank your local business higher. We will help you list your NAP consistently across the internet. Contact us today!
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4 Extra Bonus Tips To Help Outrank Your Competition:
- To gain local authority use an email address on your own business domain vs a generic email service provider like Gmail.
- You can use your own domain email to log into your Google My Business Listing. This will give your site credibility and tell Google that you are the owner of the business.
- A local business should use a local phone number with your local area code. 800 numbers signal to Google you are not a local business.
- Make sure your Google My Business Listing uses the correct category. Sometimes categories are deleted and other times Google might add categories.