What Is NAP?
NAP stands for Name, Address, and Phone number. It’s the foundational identity of any business, including medical practices, and it appears on websites, directories, review platforms, social media profiles, and anywhere else your practice is listed online.
For private practice physicians, NAP is more than contact info — it’s your digital signature. Patients, referral partners, and search engines rely on this data to identify and trust your business.
Why It Matters in Healthcare
In healthcare, credibility is non-negotiable. Patients choose providers based on trust, and inconsistent or outdated NAP data erodes that trust. Imagine a patient Googling your practice, only to find three conflicting addresses and an outdated phone number. That’s not just frustrating — it’s a lost patient.
It’s also a liability. Incorrect listings can lead patients to the wrong location, or worse, deter them altogether. And unlike retail or service businesses, healthcare decisions carry much more weight — and patients are far less forgiving of errors.
How Google Uses NAP
Search engines like Google rely on NAP data for one core reason: local SEO ranking. If Google finds a consistent NAP footprint across authoritative sources, it trusts your data and is more likely to show your practice in local search results and map packs.
Inconsistency, on the other hand, raises red flags. Google assumes that conflicting data indicates an outdated or untrustworthy listing. That means lower rankings, less visibility, and fewer inbound leads.
Common NAP Mistakes Doctors Make
- Using different business names across platforms (e.g., “Smith Internal Medicine” vs. “Smith Medical Group”)
- Leaving old addresses on Healthgrades, Yelp, Vitals, or WebMD after relocating
- Having multiple Google Business Profiles with variations in phone numbers
- Failing to remove hospital-controlled listings after going private
- Creating Facebook pages with inconsistent naming formats
These aren’t just technical slip-ups — they directly impact patient acquisition, online reviews, and referral credibility.
How to Audit Your NAP
If you’re unsure about your digital footprint, here’s a simple checklist to start:
- Search your practice name + city on Google
- Check every result that lists your contact info
- Document inconsistencies in Name, Address, or Phone number
- Check Google Business Profile, Yelp, Healthgrades, Doximity, WebMD, and social media
Don’t forget to check state licensing boards, NPI Registry, and insurance directories — especially if you accept insurance.
How Doctor Rebrand Fixes It
At Doctor Rebrand, NAP is one of the first things we audit. Why? Because it affects everything else: SEO, trust, branding, and patient retention.
Here’s what we do:
- Run a full scan of your NAP presence across 50+ platforms
- Document and fix inconsistencies
- Claim unverified listings
- Consolidate or remove duplicates
- Optimize your primary profiles with reviews, photos, and service categories
We don’t just fix your NAP — we position it to perform.
The Bottom Line
If you're launching or growing a private practice, NAP is not a technical detail. It’s your online identity — and one of the most important signals of legitimacy to both patients and Google.
Before you spend a dollar on advertising, fix your foundation. Start with NAP. Start with Doctor Rebrand.