Definition
Updated
NAP consistency means your business name, address and phone number are written exactly the same everywhere they appear online.
Google's guidelines say your business name should be your real-world name, as used consistently on your storefront, website and stationery and as known to customers, and that adding unnecessary information to it can get the profile suspended.
Put a suite number in Address Line 2, and use a phone number under the business's direct control, preferably a local one.
Google builds profiles partly from crawled web content and licensed data from third parties, so a wrong number elsewhere can find its way into your profile. It also says inaccurate information can keep a profile out of relevant searches.
Neither Google nor Bing calls consistency across sites a ranking factor by name. Pick one exact version, including suite numbers and abbreviations, and use it everywhere, so customers and AI answers get the right details.
Example: '123 Main St, Suite 4' on Google, '123 Main Street #4' on Yelp and an old phone number on a directory are three versions of one business. One exact version on all three removes the doubt.
Sources
- Google Business Profile Help: Guidelines for representing your business on Google, checked Nov 6, 2026
- Google Business Profile Help: Understand how Google sources and uses info in Business Profiles, checked Nov 6, 2026
- Google Business Profile Help: Tips to improve your local ranking on Google, checked Nov 6, 2026