I’ve been using Apple Maps for about a month via my local SEO strategy for TM Blast and clients. For TM Blast, there is less benefit to it since most of my work comes from online Zoom calls. However, I work with a client out in New York City who has two locations and having them on Apple Maps is a great way to add more phone calls and more to their business.
Here is the breakdown of why Apple Maps should be part of your local SEO strategy.
A Video
Why Does Apple Maps Matter?
Apple Maps is another way to reach your audience outside of Google. I preach using Bing Places for Business in the same way I look at Apple Maps. Since Apple Maps is the default mapping service on iPhones, there are moments when your phone will default to this service when you search. For example, you might use Safari and need to search for “restaurants near me” or something like that. If Apple Maps comes up instead of Google, those listings that appear came from being listed on the service. For my client out in NYC, getting more eyeballs to see their services is critical to getting more potential clients.
My Thoughts on the Dashboard
Apple Business Connect doesn’t have the same functionality as Google My Business. Apple Maps, as of November 2023, is also a bit worse than Bing Places For Business. Below are why the service is lacking as of now.
- The description space on Apple Maps is small, so you can’t get as much text as Google or Bing.
- There is no service area like Google My Business.
- There is no products section like Google My Business to showcase everything you offer. I imagine this will change, but this is a big miss for now.
- There is no update section like Google, so it is hard to share new things with your business.
- It is not a dashboard issue, but verifying my business took multiple weeks.
One Feature I Like – Showcase
I like the showcase feature that is on Apple Maps. I’ve used this with one of my clients to highlight a sale directly in their listing. You can change the CTA to many different things if you want as well.
So, Why Get Your Local Business on Apple Maps?
While the functionality of Apple Business Connect is lacking, it will only improve over time. The main thing that a business needs to do is get their business listed on Apple Maps. Listing on the maps is the only way your business will appear. Along with getting your business on the map, you want to ensure your hours and links are correct to connect to customers.
Also, for my client in NYC, I noticed that most of their competitors were not on Apple Maps, yet. That means that we are getting more click activity to our map listing since not many businesses are on it.
Conclusion
At TM Blast, I provide NY local SEO services to clients in various industries. At a minimum, I focus on Google My Business and Bing Places For Business. Now, I’ve added Apple Business Connect to the mix. From my experience using this service with one of my clients, getting more eyeballs on the business is worth it. Plus, you can generate more calls directly to your business since Apple Maps is the default mapping service on iPhones.
You can do other optimizations on Apple Business Connect, which I did not get to in this article. This article highlights why you should get your business on this service. Stay tuned for the next article and video, where I go into more detail on optimizing this mapping service for your business.
Greg Kristan, owner of TM Blast, LLC and The Stadium Reviews, LLC, has over 10+ years of SEO experience. He was also the SEO Manager at edX and was a contractor for Microsoft Bing Ads. Today, he works on optimizing local, national, and international company websites to rank higher in search engines through SEO. Finally, Greg has been featured on podcasts about his search experience and regularly updates his YouTube channel sharing digital marketing tips. Do you want to reach out to me about SEO help? If so, email me at greg@tmblast.com or call 877-425-2141