What is a NAP Citation?
NAP stands for Name, Address, and Phone Number. A NAP citation is any online mention of your business's core contact information, typically displayed in a standardized format across the web.
NAP citations are fundamental building blocks of local SEO. They help search engines like Google verify your business's existence, location, and legitimacy. When your NAP information appears consistently across multiple websites, directories, and platforms, it signals to search engines that your business is trustworthy and established.
Components of a Complete NAP Citation
- Name: Your exact business name as registered
- Address: Complete street address, city, state/region, postal code, and country
- Phone: Primary business phone number in consistent format
- Additional Elements: Website URL, business description, hours, social media links
Example NAP Citation:
The Laughing Professor
Free SEO Tools & Professional Services
Hinton, West Virginia 25951, US
+1-304-237-5499
Why NAP Citations Matter for Your Business
Improved Local Rankings
Consistent citations boost your visibility in local search results and Google Maps
Build Trust
Search engines trust businesses with consistent information across the web
Customer Discovery
More citations mean more ways for customers to find your business
Quality Backlinks
Citations often include links back to your website, improving SEO
Warning: Inconsistent NAP information across different platforms can confuse search engines and harm your local SEO rankings. Always ensure your business information is exactly the same everywhere it appears.
Generate Your NAP Citation Code
Fill in your business information below to generate SEO-optimized, schema-enhanced HTML code for your NAP citation. This code can be embedded on any website to create a proper backlink with structured data.
Preview:
Best Practices for NAP Citations
1. Maintain Absolute Consistency
Use the exact same format for your business name, address, and phone number across all platforms. Even small variations (like "St." vs "Street") can confuse search engines.
2. Use Schema.org Markup
The generated code above includes Schema.org structured data, which helps search engines understand your business information better. This can lead to rich snippets in search results.
3. Choose Quality Directories
Focus on authoritative directories and industry-specific platforms rather than spammy, low-quality sites. Quality over quantity matters.
4. Include Your Citation On:
- Your website footer
- Contact page
- Google Business Profile
- Industry directories (Yelp, Yellow Pages, etc.)
- Social media profiles
- Local chamber of commerce websites
- Business partner websites
5. Regularly Audit Your Citations
Check your citations quarterly to ensure they remain accurate, especially if you move locations or change phone numbers.
Pro Tip: Search for your business name and phone number in quotes on Google to find existing citations. Example: "Your Business Name" "555-1234"
To create a link to any website (backlink):
(or to add our link to your page) In your web builder theme, insert a <code> or <html> block in to your page and paste the following code.
This is a NAP Citation backlink
<img src="https://laughingprofessor.net/image/catalog/store/we-have-it.png"
alt="Free SEO Tools & Professional Services" loading="lazy"
style="width: 240px; height: 85px;">
<div itemscope=""
itemtype="https://schema.org/Place">
<span itemprop="name">The
Laughing Professor</span>
<span itemprop="description">Free
SEO Tools & Professional Services</span>
<div itemprop="address"
itemscope="" itemtype="https://schema.org/PostalAddress">
<span itemprop="streetAddress"></span>
<span itemprop="addressLocality">Hinton</span>
<span itemprop="addressRegion">West Virginia</span>
<span itemprop="postalCode">25951</span>,
<span itemprop="addressCountry">US</span>
</div>
<div itemprop="geo" itemscope="" itemtype="https://schema.org/GeoCoordinates">
<meta itemprop="latitude" content="37.6725248">
<meta itemprop="longitude" content="-80.890719">
</div> <meta itemprop="url" content="https://laughingprofessor.net">
<meta itemprop="telephone" content="+1-304-237-5499">
<meta itemprop="logo" content="https://laughingprofessor.net/image/catalog/company_logos/the-laughing-professor-logo.png">
<meta itemprop="image" content="https://laughingprofessor.net/image/catalog/company_logos/the-laughing-professor-logo.png">
<meta itemprop="sameAs" content="https://laughingprofessor.net/facebook/">
<meta itemprop="sameAs" content="https://laughingprofessor.net/twitter/">
<meta itemprop="sameAs" content="https://laughingprofessor.net/linkedin/">
<meta itemprop="additionalType" content="https://schema.org/ProfessionalService"></div>
<a
href="tel:+13042375499">+1-304-237-5499</a>This html code would create the following:
With added Citation
The Laughing Professor
Free SEO Tools & Professional Services
Hinton West Virginia 25951, US
To create a link to any website (backlink):
(or to add our link to your page) In your web builder theme, insert a <code> or <html> block in to your page and paste the following code.
A regular backlink would simply be:
<a href="https://laughingprofessor.net" title="The Laughing
Professor SEO Services">The Laughing Professor</a>
To produce: The Laughing Professor
Frequently Asked Questions
A backlink is any link from another website to yours. A NAP citation is a specific type of backlink that includes your business's name, address, and phone number. Not all backlinks are citations, but most citations include backlinks. Citations focus on local SEO and business verification, while backlinks broadly improve domain authority.
There's no magic number, but aim for at least 20-50 quality citations across authoritative directories. Focus on major platforms like Google Business Profile, Yelp, Facebook, and industry-specific directories. Quality and consistency matter more than quantity.
While not absolutely required, schema markup (structured data) helps search engines understand your business information better. It can improve your chances of appearing in rich snippets and local search results. Our generator includes proper Schema.org markup automatically.
Create separate citations for each location with location-specific information. Each location should have its own Google Business Profile and consistent NAP information across directories. Use location-specific landing pages on your website for each branch.
Citation building is a gradual process. You may see initial improvements in 4-6 weeks, but significant impact typically takes 3-6 months. Consistent, ongoing citation management yields the best long-term results for local SEO.
Choose one format and stick with it everywhere. If your official business name uses "Inc." then always use "Inc." If you write out "Street" instead of "St." do so consistently across all citations. The key is absolute consistency, regardless of which format you choose.