Tag Archives: local directory

Take Care of Your Franchise with a Good NAP

 

You want to list your local franchise in every directory you can find. Before you do, the first step is to determine your local business information which is called your NAP (name, address and phone). This should be used the exact same way in each local listing.

A consistent NAP online will help you rank in local search. You want many quality websites, including local listing directories, to display your NAP the way you want it to be.

Name – How is your franchise name written? Is it PCA Store 225 or Postal Connections, Mechanicsburg? Determine the name of your business based on how many customers will search for you using it. Keep it simple and use one name for everything.  

Search for your business name online and see how Google views it. If Google sees your business name a certain way, you might want to consider using that as your brand name online.

Address – How will you write your address? For example, will you use “Avenue” or “Ave”? This may sound nitpicky but you need your address to display consistently across the internet.  

See how Google lists your business address. Consider using that as your model. If Google currently sees you at “4500 West Irving Park Road” and you’re ok with that, use that address everywhere online, website included.  

Phone – Some local business listings require that a local phone number be used rather than an 800 number. Select one main number for your local business information.

Local Business Rankings

Appropriate listings make it easy for Google to identify your local business. In fact, it is the primary method they use to rank local businesses in Google + Local.  This is important because about 40-50% of mobile search and 20% of PC-based search is related to location and local information. That’s why it is critical to claim, update, and improve all online information about your business. Otherwise, you might struggle to be found in search results.

Claim It

Many local businesses are still unaware that they can claim and optimize every local listing that their business is entitled to. This includes claiming on sites like: 

Claim these and get on all of your local directories with a consistent NAP today!