NAP stands for Name, Address, Phone. If those three details differ across the web — your website says one address, your Google Business Profile another, your Facebook page a third — Google notices, and your local rankings suffer.
Why Google Cares
Google uses NAP consistency as one of its main local-ranking signals. The logic: a real business has one name, one address, one phone — and uses them consistently everywhere. When details vary, Google can't tell if it's one business or several, and downweights the listing.
Where Inconsistencies Hide
- Your website header vs your footer
- Your Google Business Profile
- Your Facebook business page
- LinkedIn company page
- Old directory listings (VConnect, Yellowpages.ng, etc.)
- Email signatures
- Invoices and quotes
The Plain-English Fix
- Pick one canonical version. Decide: is it "12 Adeola Odeku Street" or "12 Adeola Odeku St."? Does the phone use "+234" or "0"? Choose once, use everywhere.
- List every place your business appears online. Search your business name in quotes. Make a list.
- Update each listing. Some are easy (your website). Some require a quick form (Google Business Profile). Some need a phone call (old directory listings).
- Set a quarterly reminder. Things drift. Phone numbers change, you relocate, a directory imports old data. Re-check every 90 days.
The Payoff
Most Nigerian SMEs with patchy NAP see a 10–20% lift in local map-pack visibility within 60 days of fixing it. It's the most boring SEO win available — and the most reliable.
"Nothing escapes notice." — Veridian