With 154.4 million monthly users and over 23 million downloads in 2020 , Google Maps is by far the most popular navigation app on the market. With stats like these, should businesses even consider promoting their brands on other navigation apps, such as Apple Maps?
The short answer is yes. Apple Maps is the default mapping app for all Apple products, and with almost 52 million iPhones sold during the third quarter of 2022 , that presents a significant audience. Apple features like Siri and Apple CarPlay, which link directly to Apple Maps, increase the chances that audiences will turn to Apple Maps. In addition to this, Apple Maps also powers a range of prominent third-party apps including Instagram, Nike Run Club, and DuckDuckGo.
While Apple has had a mapping system for businesses for some time now, Google has previously dominated the local SEO playing field, with many users finding the Google Business Profile (GBP) to be more effective. The revamped Apple Business Connect (ABC) was launched on January 11, 2023, and is Apple’s latest offering to compete with GBP. This free tool makes it easier than ever for “businesses of all sizes to customize the way their information appears across Apple apps”. The tool allows businesses to claim their location card and add key information that will be shown to Apple users across Apple Maps, Messages, Wallet, Siri, and more.
How to set up an Apple Business Connect account
To register a business on ABC, business owners can use their existing Apple ID or create a new Apple ID.
Log into the self-service website on a desktop or laptop computer.
Optimize the Place Card with all relevant information. The main sections of an ABC card include:
Business name
Address
Phone number
Website
Business hours
Location images
Logos
“About” the business
Additional features of Apple’s Place Cards include Showcases (like GBP’s “Posts”) and Insights (similar to the “Performance” section of GBP).
Apple Business Connect’s Insights feature. Source: Apple Business Connect
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