What happens when potential customers call a business and ends up confused by what they hear on the other end?  If they’re expecting a certain familiar greeting and end up hearing something different, customer’s experience and impression starts out on the wrong foot.  Some may persist, others may call someone else.  Consistency in a company’s identity is key, particularly for potential customers.

When a company creates a local business listing on the web, consistency continues to be a key factor.  Humans can often overlook minor errors in spelling or addresses, but search engines may have a hard time if something isn’t an exact match.  In order to build a consistent, strong online presence, it’s a good idea to keep a standard set of core company information.  This includes the following list:

- Official company name
- Address (listed the same way it would appear on a physical letter)
- Phone number, including area code
- Website
- Contact email
- Company description

Consistency in local business listings will help build a prominent web presence.  Keeping your information consistent reinforces your presence with the search engines and doesn’t diffuse your online optimization efforts.