According to one recent study, 43 percent of local business owners have inconsistent [USA business listings](http://www.finduslocal.com), and an expert is sounding the alarm about what that might mean to their search engine rankingsand their sales.

Many people believe that if they claim as many local directory listings as they can, it will cause their business name to go up in the search engine rankings, says a spokesman from FindUsLocal.com, an online business directory that uses GEO technology to ensure that visitors see only the results from their local area. But unless its done correctly, that can actually hurt their SEO rankings.

Hes talking about NAPs, which stands for name, address, and phone number. SEO experts agree that if a business NAPs arent consistent across the internet, it could hurt the business in the long run because it confuses the search engine spiders.

The key is to first identify exactly how you want your business listed, and then ensure that each and every [USA business listing](http://www.finduslocal.com) has the exact same name, address, and phone number, he says. And then going forward, only use that exact NAP for all future listings.

Local business directories are the best way for local shops to be found online, most experts agree. But unless they take care to ensure that all the listings show the same NAPs, those local listings can do more harm than good.

About FindUsLocal: FindUsLocal uses geolocation technology in visitors browsers to construct a home page focused on their city, town or community. Right there on the front page, theyll find local weather, sports results for their favorite teams, and announcements of the top musical acts and events coming to their city. Smart business owners list their businesses on the site to be seen by those who are specifically looking for businesses in their local area.