How Important Are NAP Citations?
If you're any of our clients in lawn care, landscaping, tree services or nurseries, they are very important!
That's the short answer. For more details, keep reading.
A Brief Explanation of NAP Citations
NAP stands for Name, Address, Phone, but what exactly is a NAP citation? A NAP citation is simply a business listing on a website, such as a directory or social media website. When you create a business listing on these websites, you enter your business name, address and phone number. That information is then published publicly, creating a NAP citation for your business.
Popular websites to create NAP citations include:
- Google My Business (now Google Business Profile)
- Thumbtack
- Yellowpages
- Yelp
- HomeAdvisor
- Manta
- Superpages
How Can NAP Citations Impact SEO?
NAP citations can impact your search engine optimization in different ways. These citations play a key role in local based searches, for example, "lawn service in Tampa, FL".
Search engines like Google use NAP citations to confirm the location, contact information and categorization for your business. The citations you obtain from more trusted sources will also carry more weight. Keep in mind, NAP citations do not impact your SEO for inbound links, even if your website is listed.
"Search engines like Google use NAP citations to confirm the location, contact information and categorization for your business."
You will see the largest impact on your organic map results (local pack), but can also see an impact on your standard organic rankings. NAP citations are one of many factors that Moz believes impact local SEO rankings.
Remember These Key Points About NAP Citations and SEO
When creating NAP citations for SEO, keep these key points handy:
1. Keep Your Information Exactly the Same
This is critical to creating successful citations and not a mess that takes forever to clean up. Ensure your business name, full address, phone number and even website are all listed in the exact same manner (or as close as possible) across all sources.
2. NAP Citations Are Not a Magic Wand
These are only one part of your overall SEO, even for local searches. With local searches, signals such as physical proximity and review activity can play larger roles.
3. Citations Themselves Can Generate Leads
Don't create citations just for SEO. Being listed on sources that are constantly shown on search engines (such as HomeAdvisor, Manta, Superpages), can in itself generate leads and send traffic to your website.
4. Start with the Best Citations and Build Slowly
Take your time and build a few citations per week, starting with the most impactful. You should also do a Google search for your services, in your area, and create listings on the directories that are ranking.
Need Help with Local SEO?
Our team can help you build citations and improve your local search rankings for your lawn care or landscaping business.
Get a Free SEO ConsultationWhat Are the Most Impactful Citations?
Have you found certain sources for NAP citations to be more impactful or beneficial than others? The most effective citations typically come from:
- Industry-specific directories (lawn care and landscaping focused)
- High-authority general directories (Google, Bing, Apple Maps)
- Local business directories (Chamber of Commerce, local business associations)
- Review platforms (Yelp, HomeAdvisor, Angie's List)
The key is consistency. Whether you're a lawn care company in Tampa or a landscaper in Chicago, having accurate and consistent NAP information across all platforms signals to Google that your business is legitimate and trustworthy.
Contact Lawnline Marketing today to learn more about our local SEO services and how we can help your lawn or landscape business dominate local search results.
