Quick answer
The NAP Verification Tool takes your correct name, address and phone (NAP), fetches each citation URL you add, extracts the NAP each page actually shows - first from LocalBusiness JSON-LD, then via regex over the raw HTML, then via an optional headless render - and flags every mismatch with a per-citation match score and an overall consistency score. Available in the Livesov dashboard.What NAP consistency is and why it matters
NAP stands for Name, Address, Phone - the three identity fields a local business publishes across directories, review sites and data aggregators. Search engines use the agreement between those listings as a trust signal: when dozens of independent sources all show the same NAP, the engine is confident the business is real and the details are current. When they disagree, that confidence drops, and so can your local ranking.
The hard part is that NAP drifts silently. You change a phone provider, move office, add a suite number, or rebrand from "Ltd" to a trading name - and the old details linger on directories you forgot you ever submitted to. This tool turns that invisible drift into a concrete, exportable list.
How the tool extracts NAP from each page
It uses three layers, applied per field, with the cleaner source winning:
- Schema (Layer 2). Most quality directories embed a
LocalBusinessJSON-LD block with structuredname,telephoneand aPostalAddress. This is the cleanest data, so we parse it first. - Regex (Layer 1). When there is no schema, we fall back to the raw HTML -
tel:links,itempropmicrodata, and postcode/phone patterns in the visible text. - Headless render (Layer 3). For JavaScript-heavy or bot-blocked directories, the page is re-rendered so its NAP becomes readable.
How to read your results
- Consistency score - the average match score across every citation. Aim for 85+. Anything lower means real inconsistencies are diluting your local signal.
- Per-field status - each field is tagged match, variation (close but not exact, e.g. "St" vs "Street"), mismatch (genuinely different), or missing (not found on the page).
- Issue tags- plain-English labels like "wrong phone", "old address", "name variation" and "missing suite" so you know exactly what to fix on each listing.
- Dead links - citations that returned an error or non-200 status. Fix or replace these first; they pass no value.
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Most local SEO audits die in a spreadsheet - someone opens forty directory pages by hand and eyeballs the phone number. Automating the fetch-and-compare step is the single biggest time saver in a citation audit. You go from a morning of grind to a thirty-second export.
The most common NAP mismatches
| Mismatch | Typical cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Wrong phone | Changed provider or added a tracking number | Update to your single canonical line everywhere |
| Old address | Moved premises; old listing never updated | Claim the listing and correct it, or request removal |
| Name variation | "Ltd" vs trading name, abbreviations | Pick one exact public-facing name and standardise |
| Missing suite | Directory dropped the unit/suite line | Re-add the full address including the suite |
| Dead link | Listing removed or directory restructured | Rebuild the citation or replace the source |
Frequently asked questions
Where do I run a NAP audit?
In your Livesov dashboard, under Tools → NAP Audits. Save an audit per client with their canonical NAP and citation URLs; re-run it any time or on a weekly/monthly schedule.
How many URLs can I check per audit?
Up to 50 citation or backlink URLs per audit - paste a list or bulk-import a CSV. Runs process in the background so large batches complete reliably.
How does duplicate listing detection work?
When two or more of the URLs in an audit live on the same directory domain (e.g. two Yelp pages), we flag it as a possible duplicate listing - a common ranking-diluting problem. If those duplicates also disagree on phone, name or postcode, we mark the group "conflicting".
What counts as a variation versus a mismatch?
A variation is a close-but-not-exact value - "St" vs "Street", or a company suffix like "Ltd" dropped. A mismatch is a genuinely different value, like a different phone number or a moved address. Variations score half credit; mismatches score zero.
Can it alert me when a citation breaks?
Yes. Put a saved audit on a weekly or monthly schedule and Livesov re-runs it automatically, emailing you when the consistency score drops, a citation dies, or new mismatches appear.
How often should I run a NAP audit?
Quarterly for a stable business, and immediately after any move, rebrand or phone change. A weekly or monthly schedule keeps your local signal clean automatically.