To show up properly on Apple Maps, claim your location through Apple Business Connect, which is now part of Apple Business. To show up on Bing and Bing Maps, claim or import your listing in Bing Places for Business, which Microsoft describes as free and lets you import from Google. Both take an afternoon, and both matter because they feed places your customers already look, including Siri on their iPhones.
Most owners I talk to have spent real time on their Google profile and never touched Apple or Bing. That's understandable, but it leaves a gap. Plenty of your customers ask their iPhone for directions or use a Windows laptop with Bing as the default. Here's how to close that gap yourself.
Why bother with Apple Maps and Bing at all?
Because your business may already be listed on both, with details you never checked. Claiming the listings lets you fix the name, hours, phone and photos instead of leaving it to chance.
Apple says in its introduction to Apple Business that your place card appears in many Apple apps, from Maps to Siri to Calendar, Messages and Spotlight searches. So if someone in Staunton asks Siri for a coffee shop or a locksmith, the place card is part of what Apple has to work with.
Microsoft's announcement of the new Bing Places for Business says listings appear in Bing's web results and Bing Maps, and mentions deeper integration with Copilot as something still to come. I'll be careful here: I haven't seen Microsoft or OpenAI document exactly how Bing Places data is used by Copilot or ChatGPT today. What OpenAI does say is that ChatGPT search sometimes partners with other search providers and can use third-party providers for nearby business listings. Accurate listings on the big platforms are the sensible bet. For more on that side of things, see my post on getting recommended by ChatGPT and AI search.
How do I claim my business on Apple Maps?
Sign up for Apple Business with your Apple Account, verify your organization, then add your location and either claim the existing place card or create a new one. Apple's steps are below.
Step 1: Sign up and verify your organization
Go to business.apple.com and choose to sign up. Apple's guide to signing up and verifying your organization asks for your business name and address, the legal name of the person signing up, and a phone number and email for verification codes. Adding your website is optional but Apple says it can speed things up.
Verification requires two methods. Options include a D-U-N-S Number or EIN, adding a DNS record to your domain, or official documents such as a business license, sales tax permit, lease or utility bill. Apple says review can take up to five business days, and that you have 60 days after sign-up to get verified before the account is deleted. Don't sign up and forget about it.
Step 2: Add your location
Once in, choose Brands, then Locations, then Add. Apple's page on adding a single location walks through it:
- Type your business name. If Apple Maps already shows your place, select the existing listing to claim it. If not, create a new location.
- Confirm the address and drag the map marker onto your actual building. Satellite view helps you check the entrance.
- Enter your category, phone number, website and hours.
- Choose or create a brand, then finish verification if your organization isn't verified yet.
For a place that already exists on Maps, Apple may offer verification by phone call to the number it has on record, where you enter a four-digit code. If another organization already manages your location, perhaps a former owner or an old marketing company, Apple lets you request a transfer with supporting documents. Apple says that review can take up to five business days.
Step 3: Fill out the place card
Add a logo and cover photo, then check your hours. Apple reviews photos before they appear. Customers can also report problems from the place card, and Apple may suggest edits to your hours or status and email you about them, so keep an eye on that inbox.
How do I set up Bing Places for Business?
Go to bing.com/forbusiness, sign in, and either import your listing from Google, claim your existing Bing listing, or add your business manually. If your Google Business Profile is already accurate, importing is usually the quickest route.
Microsoft's October 2025 announcement says the import flow from Google was rebuilt to be faster and better at keeping your name, hours and contact details intact. It also says existing Bing Places users were moved to the new portal automatically, so if you set this up years ago at the old address, sign in with the same credentials.
After importing or claiming, look through everything anyway. Check the category, hours, website link and photos. Microsoft's built-in recommendations will point out missing details, such as a website or hours, and for restaurants things like a menu or online ordering link.
Why does identical information matter so much?
Because every platform, and every tool that reads them, is trying to work out which details are true. When your Google profile says you close at 6, Apple says 5 and Yelp still lists your old phone number, customers get burned and systems have less reason to trust any of it.
Google's guidelines for representing your business ask you to use your real-world name as it appears on your storefront, with accurate address and customer-facing hours. That's a good standard to apply everywhere. Pick one exact version of your name, address, phone and hours, write it down, and copy it to every listing. A landscaper in Louisa and a dental office in Albemarle face the same issue here.
Checklist: get listed on Apple Maps and Bing
- Write down one master version of your business name, address, phone, website and hours.
- Make sure your Google Business Profile matches it exactly.
- Sign up for Apple Business and complete two verification methods within 60 days.
- Add or claim your location, place the map pin on your building, and add a logo and cover photo.
- Go to bing.com/forbusiness and import from Google or claim your listing.
- Review every imported field on Bing, including category and photos.
- Update Yelp and your website footer and contact page to match.
- Add holiday hours and closures on all platforms, not just Google.
- Check each listing every few months, and whenever anything changes.
Can someone else handle this for me?
Yes. If you'd rather spend the afternoon on actual work, our local SEO service covers setting up and keeping Google, Apple, Bing and Yelp in sync, and you can see what that costs in the local SEO cost guide. If you want to gauge where you stand first, the free growth scorecard takes about three minutes.
Common questions
Is Apple Business Connect free?
Apple's Business Connect page invites businesses to register for free with an Apple Account. Some separate Apple Business features, like ads on Maps, are paid.
Do I need a storefront to be listed on Apple Maps?
Apple's location setup is built around a physical address and a map pin on your building. If you work from home or travel to customers, read Apple's current requirements before adding a location.
If I import from Google, will Bing stay synced automatically?
Don't assume it will. Microsoft's announcement describes the import, not an ongoing guarantee, so update Bing yourself whenever you change details on Google.
If you'd like help checking how your business looks across Google, Apple Maps and Bing, book a free 15-minute call. I'll show you what's out of sync and what to fix first.