More and more businesses are asking the question “How do I rank higher on Google?” The most effective way to gain a higher ranking is by establishing NAP consistency for your business throughout the web.
NAP stands for Name, Address, and Phone. NAP consistency means your businesses Name, Address and Phone are consistently listed the same across the web. When Google sees your NAP is consistent throughout the web, it becomes confident that your business/website is credible and will fulfill the needs of the searcher.
Fixing Your Citations
According to the Moz local search ranking factors survey, “citations are the 3rd most important ranking factor.” A listing detected as a false business location is the number one negative local ranking factor. The third biggest negative ranking factor is inconsistent NAP. Therefore, your business’ citation inaccuracies will kill your local SEO.
Google will often cross reference the NAP on your website to other websites across the web to ensure your business is legitimate. The more local citations you can fix, the better it will be for your business to stand out to search engines. For local citations, it’s best to make sure your business is accurately listed on directories such as Yelp, foursquare.com, citysearch.com, and the BBB.
Fixing your business’ incorrect NAP is difficult; however, it is a critical factor to your search engine ranking. To fix incorrect listings, you will need to go on each website, create an account, become verified and edit the listing manually.
NAP Consistency on Your Website
We suggest that businesses display their company’s name, address, and phone number in the footer of your website. It’s the best practice when it comes to user experience, and it’s critical for SEO purposes. This will ensure your NAP is present on every page of your website. Not only will the correct NAP information on your website improve your rankings on search engines, but it will also attract local customers.
Further, when your NAP is present on your website and is consistent, it can help you rank for geo-targeted searches, like Plumbing Frederick, MD. This will help your site’s SEO and you will rank higher in search results.
NAP consistency is key for local businesses looking to improve their search rankings, increase the local organic traffic to their site, and get more leads from the Internet. Call Gauge Digital Media today at (410) 376-7709 if you would like to learn more about how we can help your business with local SEO strategies.
