Google Maps has long been considered the default maps app, even on Apple devices. But now, Apple is stepping up to be a real contender in the maps game. Apple Maps has previously only been available as an app on your phone, but Apple recently released a browser-based beta of Apple Maps.
This means that with Apple Maps potentially bringing in more users, it’s more important than ever to make sure your business’s listing is 1) on Apple Maps and 2) updated and optimized to help more people find you.
All of this is great news for local businesses and businesses that serve specific areas!
By keeping your information accurate and up-to-date, you make it easier for local customers to find you and engage with your business. Plus, having a presence on Apple Maps helps improve your online visibility, helping you show up in more local searches and attracting more local customers.
We've partnered with important directories like Apple Maps, and will get you 25-50 high-quality local citations (also called business directory listings). Local citations have a WAY more localized impact than regular backlinks and are an important part of a strong local business presence.
As a Pro member, you'll get a discount of 50% off LocalBoost!
We’ll get you listed on Apple Maps and up to 50 other key directories quickly and easily.
But if you’d prefer to tackle Apple Maps on your own, here’s how.
Make sure you sign in using the Apple ID associated with your business. If you don’t have an Apple ID, create one at appleid.apple.com. Once you get into Apple Business Connect, the steps are easy to follow. We’ve listed them below in case you want to take a look before you start:
Go to businessconnect.apple.com. Make sure you sign in using the Apple ID associated with your business. If you don’t have an Apple ID, create one at appleid.apple.com.
Choose whether you are a small business, enterprise, or third-party partner.
Search for an Existing Location: Enter the name of your business. If it doesn't appear, select "Add location with this name." If needed, add additional address lines (like suite numbers).
Verify your location and make sure that the pin on the map is correctly placed over your building. Use the map view options for accuracy.
Select the default language and enter your business name. Confirm or change the primary category (we recommend adding the optional secondary category). Enter a phone number and website URL for your business.
Specify the days and hours your business is open. You can add different hours for different days if needed.
There are a couple of different ways to verify your business through Apple Business Connect. The first option is to upload some sort of official documentation that shows the business name and address, such as a utility bill, a lease, or an insurance policy. The second option is to request a phone call to the business from Apple.
The verification process can take up to 5 business days. This is true whether you're adding a new location to Apple Maps or claiming and verifying an existing location.
If your business has already been claimed by someone else on Apple Maps, you can request a transfer to verify it under your name.
This is a big one we recommend. Make sure you add a detailed and easy-to-read description of your business. Add high-quality photos and create Showcases to highlight offers, events, or important information.
As you update your information and add photos or Showcases, your Place Card becomes a true reflection of your physical location. These cards include customizable sections that display content based on data from Apple and its partners. Your Place Card is a great way to make your business stand out!
You can use your existing business logo along with a cover photo in Apple Business Connect. These are used together to create the Place Card header in your Place Card.
When you add a logo for your business, it’s used by default for all locations associated with that business. However, you can create different logos for each location. If a cover photo is set up specifically for a location, it takes precedence over the business’s cover photo.
When you add a logo for your business, it’s used by default for all locations associated with that business. If a cover photo is set up specifically for a location, it takes precedence over the business’s cover photo.
You can’t add a business logo without also adding a cover photo. When both of these are added, you’ve created your initial Place Card header.
If you’re adding a logo, make sure to follow these guidelines:
This is the perfect opportunity to tell Apple about your business. This is also the information that Apple displays on the Place Card about your business.
Depending on the type of business, the description of your business can contain (but isn’t limited to) the following information:
For example, family-run business, woman owned, LGBTQ owned, black owned, medical degrees, certificates, and so on.
Here’s a couple examples of a good “About” section:
Example 1
Stuart Rogers’ Studios is a premiere acting studio located in North Hollywood, CA, in the heart of the NoHo Arts District. With over 30 years of experience, Stuart Rogers and his instructors are here to help students advance their craft in scene study, audition techniques, accents, and self tapes. Whether you’re newer to acting or a seasoned performer, this acting studio welcomes students of all levels and backgrounds.
Example 2
Newport Grill is your go-to for fresh seafood and gourmet dining in Wichita, Kansas. Located on the water in the beautiful Bradley Fair shopping center, our inviting dining room and picturesque patio are unique settings from which to enjoy the freshest and most satisfying food in the Wichita area. Specializing in fresh seafood, shipped fresh six days a week, Newport Grill will excite your appetite with everything from the best seafood to Wichita’s finest steak, chicken, and pork.
A Showcase is a feature on the Place Card that lets you spotlight new products, special deals, or other promotional content, and includes a call to action for customers. Showcases are dynamically displayed on the Place Card and are specific to a certain location and time frame (e.g. 30 days). You can create your own Showcase, or if you’re an Enterprise company, you can have a Third-Party Partner set them up for you.
Each Showcase can include a headline, a description, an image, and a call-to-action (CTA) button. The CTA button can link to a specific offer for your customers and opens a registered experience on the Place Card. Some actions are only available through the Business Connect API.
Showcases are designed to highlight something new related to each location for your business to keep your customers coming back. A current Showcase expires 30 days after it first appeared, so make sure to schedule new ones for potential customers to see.
Categories help customers find your Point Of Interest (POI) on Apple Maps and are regularly updated. If you can’t find a suitable category, contact Business Connect Support.
Important!
Apple Business Connect recently expanded the top-level categories and sub-categories to better match search behavior in Apple Maps. Check your business and location categories to ensure they are accurate or find a better fit.
In addition to the primary category, you can also select up to four optional categories to tell Apple about additional functions related to your business. For example, if you’re a Grocery Store but you’re also a bakery and also a café, you can select Bakery and Café as two additional categories.
“Good to Know” details are attributes about your business that would be good for your customers to know. These are a list of amenities, facilities, and experiences you would like to associate with your business.
Example
Your business accepts credit cards and contactless payment methods, has parking and accessible parking, has gender-neutral restrooms, is good for lunch, known for a fine beer and wine selection, its casual ambiance, and so on.
Good to Know attributes appear as a list of good to know facts with a respective glyph on the Place Card of your business.
Apple Business Connect comes with some other cool features. Track how your business is viewed on Apple Maps using the Insights feature.
If needed, you can also add team members who can manage your business listing.
For more detailed instructions, you can refer to the Apple Business Connect User Guide.
Making sure that your business is accurate in Apple Maps is more important than ever. By adding your business on Apple Business Connect, you’ll ensure that your business will be able to be found on Apple Maps, Apple Wallet, Siri, and more, driving local customer engagement.
If you have any questions about local SEO, reach out to us at prosupport@diib.com and our Diib team will be happy to answer any questions you might have.
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