NAP details
NAP details are the name, address and phone number (Name, Address, Phone) of your business. Search engines compare these details on your website, your Business Profile and other sites to decide whether you are trustworthy.
- 3 min read
What are NAP details?
NAP stands for Name, Address, Phone: the name of your business, your address and your phone number. Sometimes it is extended to NAPW, with your website added. These are the basic details by which your business is recognised online.
These details appear in many places. On your own website, in your Google Business Profile, on Facebook and LinkedIn, in business directories, on review sites, at trade associations and on platforms like Werkspot. Every place where your name appears together with your address or phone number is called a listing or citation.
Consistent NAP details means all those listings say exactly the same thing. The same spelling of your name, the same address and the same number.
Why it matters for your business
Google wants to be sure that a business exists and is located where it says it is. It therefore compares details from different sources. If they match, trust grows, and with it your chance of appearing on the map for local searches.
If the details differ, Google doubts. Is it the same business or two different ones? Is the old address still active? That doubt costs you visibility in local SEO.
The same goes for AI assistants. A system that finds conflicting details would rather not mention you, or mentions a wrong number. And a customer who calls an old number and reaches nobody calls the next one on the list.
How it works
Search engines collect listings of your business from all over the web. They recognise that it is you by the combination of name, address and phone number. The more reliable sources say the same thing, the stronger the signal.
An example. Say a roofing business moved from Velp to Arnhem three years ago and then took a new landline number. The website shows the new address. The Business Profile shows the new address but still the old mobile number. Two business directories and an old Facebook page still say Velp. A trade association lists the company name as “Dakwerken Jansen” while the business is now called “Jansen Dak”.
Google now sees different names, two addresses and two numbers. The profile scores lower than expected and some customers call the old number. After all listings have been brought into line, with one name, one address and one number, the picture becomes clear again.
Common mistakes
The best-known mistake is a move or new number that is only changed on the website. Old listings stay around for years if nobody clears them up.
Small differences count too. “Simon Stevinweg 27” versus “Simon Stevinweg 27a”, or “B.V.” in one place and not in another. Choose one spelling and stick to it everywhere.
A third mistake is different phone numbers for different channels without the main number being fixed anywhere. If you work with tracking numbers to measure which channel calls, make sure your main number stays the fixed number in your Business Profile and on your website, or use the feature for extra numbers correctly.
The format of your phone number deserves attention too. Choose one notation, for example with area code and spaces or in international form with +31, and use it the same way everywhere. That makes it easier for machines to link the listings together.
Finally: duplicate Business Profiles. An old profile that was never removed splits reviews and confuses Google. Have duplicate profiles merged or removed.
How to approach it
First record what your official details are. Your business name as it is registered with the Dutch Chamber of Commerce (KvK) or as you present it to the outside world, your address in one fixed spelling and one main number.
Then check the most important places. Your website, with the details in the footer and on the contact page. Your Google Business Profile. Your social media. Then business directories, review sites and trade sites. Also search for your old address and old number to find forgotten listings.
Also put your details in Structured data on your website, with the type LocalBusiness. That gives search engines a machine-readable version that matches what is on the page. That falls under technical SEO.
Keep a simple list of all the places where your business is listed, with login details or contact person. Then you do not have to search again at the next change. Many directories let you claim a listing for free, after which you can adjust the details yourself. For sites where that is not possible, send a short request with your correct details.
Repeat the check at every change. A move, new name or new number: then adjust everything in one go instead of only your website.
Frequently asked questions
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What does NAP stand for?
NAP stands for Name, Address, Phone: the name, address and phone number of your business. Sometimes the website is added and it is called NAPW. These are the details search engines use to recognise your business across different sites.
What should I do after a move?
First update your address in your Google Business Profile and on your website. Then update your social media, business directories and trade sites. Search for your old address to find listings you have forgotten.
Does a small difference in spelling really matter?
A small difference such as an abbreviation usually does no great harm, but it makes the signal weaker. Big differences, such as an old address or a different number, weigh more heavily. Choose one fixed spelling and stick to it everywhere.
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