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The Nine Signals

Profile consistency

Whether public sources agree on the same business identity and operating facts.

SignalProfile consistency
What it checksNAP, hours, category, services, URL, schema, and duplicate records
MovesMentioned, Cited, Recommended
Fix cardBusiness facts conflict across profiles
VerifyCheck entity match and answer accuracy
At risk
Needs work
Strong
04070100

What it measures​

Profile consistency measures whether the web describes one coherent business. The core fields are name, address, phone, hours, category, services, description, website URL, and location-specific identifiers.

The research frames this as entity resolution. Assistants have to decide whether the website, map listing, Yelp page, Facebook page, directory listing, practitioner page, and schema block all refer to the same place. Agreement creates confidence. Contradiction creates friction.

Why it moves your EAC​

If sources disagree, the assistant may hedge, omit the business, merge it with the wrong entity, or prefer a cleaner competitor. This can happen even when the business is reputable offline.

Profile consistency also affects every other signal. Schema is weaker if it conflicts with a profile. Freshness is weaker if one listing has old hours. Authority is weaker if reviews are split across duplicate records.

What the agent sees​

Weak read

Website says "Main Street Family Dentistry," Google says "Main Street Dental," Yelp lists an old phone number, and a niche directory uses a different category.

Strong read

Website, schema, Google, Apple, Bing, Yelp, Facebook, and niche directories all describe the same location with matching name, phone, category, hours, services, and URL.

How to improve​

  1. Create a canonical record. Define the official location name, address, phone, URL, hours, category, services, and description.
  2. Normalize before distribution. Use consistent address formatting and E.164 phone format internally.
  3. Clean up duplicates at the source. Merge, suppress, or contest duplicate profiles on each platform.
  4. Align schema with profiles. The visible page and JSON-LD should match the same canonical record.
  5. Monitor suggested edits. Apple, Google, directories, and users can alter local data over time.

How to verify​

Did the entity become clearer?

Re-scan branded and unbranded prompts. The answer should describe one business with the correct facts, not a mixed or stale profile cluster.

Re-run check

Research basis: docs/research/deep-research-report(14).md