Introducing Maps Connect – the easy way for small businesses to get listed on Apple Maps.
Do you own or manage a small business? If you answered yes to this question, Apple has a new tool that will help you connect with your customers through Apple Maps — introducing “Maps Connect.” Maps Connect is a free service that gives business owners the opportunity to easily add or correct business listings on Apple Maps. By doing so, Maps Connect will hopefully make Apple Maps that much more accurate and helpful to customers.
1. Login to the portal with your Apple ID
Whether you want to manage an existing listing or submit your business for the first time, you first need to use your Apple ID to log in. If you don’t have one or don’t have one that’s associated with your business, simply sign up for a new Apple ID. From there, a business owner can claim, verify, and update an existing listing. If you try to submit your business and a listing already exists, it will show you the listing and ask you if you want to claim it. After that, the verification process will be the same whether it’s a new listing or an existing listing.
2. Add and verify your business information
For new listings, once you log into the system, you will add in the name of the company, address, phone number, and your affiliation with the company. After that step is completed, a verification code will be sent to you and it will be entered into the Maps Connect tool. However, if you are the owner of the business, you can also verify the business through a business email account.
3. Jazz up your listing with additional information
After the business has been verified, you will be able to select from additional detail options to add to the listing. In addition to providing location information and directions, verifying the listing gives business owners the opportunity to optimize the listing with vital information — website, business categories, hours of service, links to social media accounts and Yelp. Thus, customers will be able to quickly and easily find important tidbits of information about your business.
4. Watch your listing come to life!
After completing the sign up and verification, the new listing will show up within a week or so. However, it is possible that your business may need to go through additional verifications so be prepared for that. For now, Maps Connect will only be available for businesses within the United States, but Apple explained that other countries will be added into the mix soon. In the past, submitting corrections to Apple Maps was difficult and frustrating, but this portal appears to be the solution. By adding in this tool, I believe that Apple is trying to really get their system on the map if you know what I mean…
