NAP and EAT: Keys to Local SEO

Mar 08, 2021

There’s a reason customers notice some logos of their favorite brands almost immediately as they drive past these doors. It’s part of branding consistency, and it’s important to practice it online as much as it’s practiced offline. Using the same branding message and information across platforms helps build trust in your business and consumer loyalty.

So what does this mean for your local SEO strategy? Simply put, having consistent and accurate business information is crucial for those potential customers who want to reach you. Although they may sound like things you do in preschool, NAP and EAT are two important local SEO concepts that play a major role in online branding consistency.

What is NAP?

Put your pillow and blankie away — this is a different kind of NAP. It stands for name-address-phone number, and it needs to be the exact same on all of your digital marketing assets. Google wants to know that your website and other listings across the internet aren’t confusing customers with their inaccuracies, and will reward those businesses who maintain NAP consistency.

Once you’ve claimed or updated your Google My Business profile to display the right information, do a quick Google search of your business name and see what the search results display. Is your phone number right? Is the street name in your address spelled correctly? Is the zip code accurate? Make notes of which sites show errors to investigate later. 

Good NAP Practices

When considering the accuracy of your business listings, there are some questions you should be asking (and answering) to maintain consistency.

  • Do you have an “Inc” or “LLC” in your business name? Do you want to include this information in your listing?
  • Are there commas in your business name?
  • Does your business name include an ampersand? Do you want to use that or the word “and”? 
  • What about abbreviations, like STE for “suite” or Rd. for “road” — do you want to use the short or long version? 

Whatever the answers are for these questions, just make sure you’re consistent. For example, if you use an ampersand instead of “and” make sure it’s used everywhere. A good rule of thumb is to take a look at your business license and use the name that’s listed there (as long as it’s correct.)

That said, there is a little bit of wiggle room. The phone number doesn’t have to be formatted exactly the same everywhere, and search engines like Google will account for minor variations in common abbreviations. While this is great for search result rankings, don’t overlook your end (human) user as well. Ultimately your NAP information needs to help customers find you and choose you over the competition.

What is EAT?

This is another important acronym for local SEO success; it stands for expertise, authority, and trustworthiness. When it comes to your branding and digital marketing content, you want to show you’re an expert and an authority within your industry and build trust with your customers that you can help solve their pain points. 

If your NAP isn’t accurate, this will impact EAT of your branding messages. Think about how you feel when you can’t reach a business you’re searching for because they’ve moved location or there’s a wrong phone number listed. Would you trust them with your money or say that they’re an authority in their field? Probably not.

Good EAT Practices

Beyond accurate and consistent NAP information, other factors boost  the EAT of your online presence:

  1. Up to date content
  2. Factually accurate content
  3. Positive reviews
  4. Content created by experts
  5. Content that supports that your experts are in fact experts
  6. Content on 3rd party sites that suggests your experts are experts
  7. Content on 3rd party sites that suggests your experts and/or your site are authorities (e.g having a Wikipedia page, a Knowledge Panel for the author, etc.)
  8. Links from relevant URLs on other sites

There’s a good chance that you may have some or all of these EAT components in your local SEO strategy, either unintentionally or because you know how important they are to your digital marketing.

The Bottom Line

Don’t just assume that your NAP is helping EAT. Working with a team of experienced local SEO professionals who can let you know for sure. Many local SEO tasks are so time-consuming and tedious that you simply won’t have time to do it on your own – and other tasks that require sophisticated software to do well, such as removing duplicate listings that are not exactly the same. Request your FREE consultation to understand how you can clean up your NAP and EAT your way through local SEO.

The post NAP and EAT: Keys to Local SEO appeared first on Cole Dalton.

Launching the St. Louis Circuit Attorney's Office New Website

16 May, 2024
The St. Louis Circuit Attorney's Office debuted its new website at the beginning of May. Our Cole-Dalton Marketing Services (CDMS) team had the opportunity to build and design the new site. This project involved meticulous attention to detail and design with respect to user functioning and legal requirements, and we are excited about the finished product. From our work with small business owners, we know that any organization, no matter the size or which field it serves, benefits from a fast, secure, and information-driven website. Unfortunately, government agencies don't have updated websites. When citizens need assistance and direction to resources but get stuck on an outdated website, they can become discouraged and choose not to seek help. St. Louis Circuit Attorney Gabriel E. Gore and his office want St. Louisans to have proper access to resources; they also want to build trust with community members and pursue justice to achieve a higher level of public safety for St. Louis.

The State of Cybersecurity in 2024

09 May, 2024
What comes to mind when you think of a hacker or a digital scammer? A lone, 40-year-old man typing away at a computer monitor hunkered down in his mother's basement? An older adult who thinks she's on the phone with her granddaughter? Certainly not you? If that's your belief, it's time for a reality check. Cybercrime has increased by over 250% over the last two years, and the global cost of cybercrime is estimated to have exceeded 6 trillion dollars in 2023. The criminals behind these numbers are running highly efficient and effective operations – and many cybercrime organizations have hundreds of members/employees. The cybercrime industry intersects with international law, global politics, high-level business interests, fast-paced technological advancements, and human trafficking. While this information can be daunting, and the large-scale implications seem intangible, small business owners can't let overwhelming feelings prevent them from taking action. While many cybercrime organizations target large corporations, small businesses continue to be the most frequent victims of digital scams. The President of Moore Computing LLC, Fred Moore, recently presented "The State of Cybersecurity in 2024" to St. Louis small business owners. Let's review some of his key points and discuss the critical actions small business owners can take to safeguard their businesses, employees, assets, and their reputation. Types of Cyber Crime in 2024 Phishing Scams Phishing remains one of the most common scams affecting business owners and employees. The idea behind phishing is simple: a bad actor sends a message pretending to be someone else and prompting the recipient to reveal private information. Phishing scams are constantly evolving, with scammers designing email messages that resemble a standard email from a company, a client, or even the recipient's boss. Fred asserts that vigilance with links is vital. Be wary of any links sent in emails, especially those that ask you to share certain information. Verify the link before clicking on it. Take caution if you notice glaring spelling errors, conspicuous vocabulary, or something that needs to look right in the email's footer. It takes time to recognize these emails, and training can help. Ransomware Ransomware is one of the most detrimental cybercrimes. When cybercriminals target individuals or businesses with ransomware, a virus infects the computer system, encrypts data, and blocks the victim from accessing their information until they pay a ransom. The ramifications of a ransomware attack can be disastrous. Even if an attacked company can work with their legal team to pay the ransom or regain their data, the average downtime from a ransomware event is 21 days . When MGM Grand suffered a severe ransomware attack in 2023, getting their casinos and properties up and running took days since everything was tied to the computer system. Businesses may incur costs from the ransomware attack itself, along with costs from loss of business and reputation. Business Email Compromise Business email compromise scams are another common issue. These scams take phishing one step further, with cyber criminals hijacking email accounts. Once the bad actor can access the victim's account, they often orchestrate unauthorized fund transfers or manipulate account details. Like phishing, vigilant training and awareness are critical to lessen the chance of these attacks. Always be alert, never cut corners, and always follow company protocols to minimize risk.

Forecasting the Next Ten Years of Marketing

10 Apr, 2024
Marketing is gearing up for significant changes as we enter the new decade. With new technologies, shifts in buyer behavior, and changes in consumption culture, the way businesses reach out to customers will look very different in the coming years. While we can't say what marketing will look like in 10 years, we can examine emerging trends and strategies to forecast its future. Here are some predictions experts are suggesting could take shape moving forward. Increasing Personalized Advertising Personalized marketing should undergo even more profound transformations in the coming decade, leveraging advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence and data analytics to forge deeper customer connections. With the ability to glean insights from vast amounts of data, companies will craft highly tailored ads and messages that resonate with individual preferences and behaviors, fostering stronger brand-consumer relationships. From dynamic content customization to predictive marketing algorithms, the era of hyper-personalization will redefine how businesses engage with their target audiences on a one-to-one level. Advanced Device Communication The proliferation of voice-enabled devices and virtual assistants heralds a new era in consumer engagement, requiring marketers to adapt their strategies to communicate effectively through these mediums. As voice technology continues to gain traction, companies must anticipate the rise of voice commerce and tailor their approaches to accommodate this emerging trend. By leveraging conversational AI and natural language processing, brands can deliver seamless, personalized experiences that resonate with consumers, whether shopping, seeking information, or interacting with digital assistants. Wider Use of Virtual Reality Virtual reality (VR) is poised to become a ubiquitous tool in the marketer's arsenal, offering immersive experiences that transcend traditional advertising methods. With VR, brands can transport consumers into captivating virtual environments where they can interact with products and services unprecedentedly, fostering deeper engagement and brand loyalty. As VR technology becomes more accessible and sophisticated, expect to see a proliferation of immersive marketing campaigns that leverage the power of virtual experiences to captivate audiences and drive conversions.
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