If Google is sending patients to the wrong suite, the wrong street, or even the wrong town, it’s not just annoying. It costs appointments. A NPI address mismatch can make your practice look unreliable, even when your care is excellent.
Think of your online address data like a set of shipping labels. If one label says “Main St” and another says “Elm St,” the package (your patient) might still arrive, but not without confusion, delays, and a bad first impression.
The good news is that address mismatches are fixable, as long as you correct the source data in the right order and keep proof of what changed.
Why a NPI address mismatch makes Google show the wrong office
Google doesn’t “believe” just one place. It compares many sources, then decides what seems most consistent. For medical practices, one of the strongest sources is NPI data, because it comes from a federal system that many directories and vendors reference.
A NPI address mismatch usually happens in one of these real-world scenarios:
- You moved offices (or changed suites), but NPPES still shows the old location.
- The practice’s organization NPI (Type 2) shows one address, while individual clinicians (Type 1) show another.
- Your NPI record lists a mailing address as if it’s a practice location.
- A billing address was entered where a patient-facing location should be.
- Someone created or edited a Google Business Profile (GBP) using the wrong address, then other sites copied it.
That mismatch can ripple outward. A directory pulls from NPI data, a data provider republishes it, and Google sees the conflict. Google may choose the wrong address, or merge signals from both.
Before you change anything, confirm what patients are actually seeing. Search your practice name on Google Search and Google Maps, then note:
- The address in the knowledge panel
- The map pin placement
- Any “Located in” or suite details
- Practitioner listings that show a different location than the practice
Write it down, take screenshots, and save share links. Those become your “before” documentation if you need support later.
For context on where NPI data is maintained and updated, see the NPDB NPI update FAQ.
Audit NPPES (Type 1 and Type 2) and correct practice location vs mailing address
Most Connecticut practice managers run into this when they fix the practice listing but forget the provider records, or the other way around.
Here’s the key distinction:
- Type 1 NPI: An individual clinician (rendering provider).
- Type 2 NPI: An organization (the practice entity).
If your group moved, you may need to update both. If only one physician moved, update that Type 1 record and confirm the Type 2 address still matches the public-facing practice location.
The sequence that prevents “fix one, break another”
Use this order so you don’t chase your tail:
- Confirm Google’s current display (screenshots, links, date stamped notes).
- Audit Type 2 NPI for the organization’s practice location address and mailing address.
- Audit Type 1 NPIs for every clinician who appears in search results under your brand.
- Correct the practice location (where patients are seen) vs mailing address (where mail is received).
- Submit changes and document confirmation (save submission confirmations and updated registry views).
A common pitfall is putting a corporate office, billing office, or PO box into the practice location field. If patients can’t walk in, it shouldn’t be the practice location.
If you need the official CMS update form instructions for NPI changes, reference CMS Form CMS-10114. For a plain-language walkthrough, this NPI address update instruction PDF shows the typical steps and where people miss the final submit.
Evidence to keep while you make changes
Google support and some directories may ask for proof, especially if your map pin or address history looks inconsistent. Keep a simple folder with:
- A current lease, utility bill, or insurance declaration showing the address
- Photos of permanent exterior signage with the street number visible (when possible)
- A photo of the building directory showing your practice name
- A phone bill matching the location phone number
- Screenshots of your NPPES confirmation and the updated record view
If you ever need to escalate a correction, this set of proof saves days.
Align Google Business Profile, your website, and top citations after NPPES is fixed
Once NPPES is correct, don’t rush to change everything at once. Make the next updates in a controlled way so your public footprint becomes consistent.
Update your Google Business Profile with matching details
In GBP, confirm the address formatting matches the corrected NPI practice location (suite formatting matters). Keep the name clean, real, and brand-accurate. If you recently rebranded, reflect it on the website first, then GBP, then citations.
If Google still shows the wrong location after you correct GBP, it’s often because Google is still seeing conflicting data elsewhere, or it hasn’t reprocessed the profile yet.
Fix your website NAP and add proper schema
Your website should mirror the same Name, Address, Phone (NAP) that you want Google to trust. Put the same address in:
- Header or footer (if you have one main location)
- Contact page
- Location page(s) for multi-location practices
Add LocalBusiness or Physician schema that matches the visible NAP. Schema won’t fix a bad address by itself, but it helps remove ambiguity when everything else is aligned.
Clean up top citations, not every directory on earth
Start with the platforms that feed many others (and the ones patients actually use). Update the practice listing and the main providers. Don’t create new duplicates just to “start fresh.” That can make Google less confident.
When you’re short on time, this is where an experienced team can keep it organized. Many practice owners searching for a local seo agency near me really need help with consistency and verification, not trendy tactics. The right SEO agency Hartford team will treat this like data hygiene, track every change, and avoid risky edits that trigger suspensions. If you’re comparing Hartford SEO services, ask whether they’ve handled provider listings, not just restaurants and home services. A credible SEO company Hartford CT should be able to explain how NPI data, GBP, and citations interact for medical entities.
Timelines in 2026 and what not to do while waiting
Address corrections rarely show everywhere overnight. Plan for a staged rollout:
- NPPES update: often visible in public directories within days after submission, but timing can vary.
- Downstream directory refreshes: commonly take a few weeks, and some can take longer depending on their update cycles.
- Google reprocessing: sometimes quick, sometimes stubborn, especially when duplicates exist or the map pin conflicts with history.
During this window, consistency matters more than speed. You’re trying to teach Google one clear truth.
What not to do (these mistakes keep the wrong address alive)
- Don’t use PO boxes as your public-facing practice location.
- Don’t keyword-stuff the business name in Google (adding services or cities can cause edits, conflicts, or worse).
- Don’t create duplicate GBP listings for the same location “just in case.”
- Don’t change addresses in five places, five different ways (Ste vs Suite, Rd vs Road, missing ZIP+4) and expect Google to guess correctly.
- Don’t ignore provider listings if patients search the doctor’s name more than the practice name.
If the wrong location persists after your NPPES, GBP, site, and citations match, collect your proof and request a correction through Google’s support paths. Your saved evidence is what turns a back-and-forth into a clean resolution.
Conclusion
When Google shows the wrong location, it’s usually not random. It’s a trust issue caused by inconsistent address signals, and a NPI address mismatch is often the root. Fix NPPES first (Type 1 and Type 2), separate practice location from mailing address, document everything, then align GBP, your website NAP and schema, and your main citations. Do it in order, stay consistent, and Google has a much easier job showing the right door to the right patient.
