Today, as Apple rolls out their IOS6 update to millions…and millions, and millions of iPhone and iPad owners worldwide, your business may become invisible to as many millions in the blink of an eye. In what can only be explained as an ultimate one fingered salute to Google, Apple launches a new map application in IOS6, a map application that replaces the longstanding king of map apps in the opinion of many…goodbye Google Maps. After all we’ve done to master getting our business listed and optimized to show up on THAT uber-convoluted map app – the audacity! One could make a case that this is all about them and not about us at all!?
It has been said that the new Apple map feature will launch with even more business listings than Google Maps. This remains to be seen. The important thing to know now, like, right now, is how to go about making sure that your business shows up in the new Apple map application to the millions of users upgrading their devices over the coming days.
Much like Apple’s SIRI, the new map application will pull from several third party services like Yelp, Localeze, and Acxiom. An Apple copyright page is very telling and would substantiate more than rumor status in my opinion.
My dear readers, today is the day that you MUST familiarize yourself with Yelp and the newly bestowed power that it now holds for local businesses. Even if you’ve never considered getting involved with review sites, for whatever reason, you now ignore them at your own peril.
Work through these easy steps before the sun sets today. I promise you’ll be glad you did:
- List your business on Yelp. Be thorough as you build your business listing. We already know from IOS5 and SIRI that your listing on Yelp will have a huge impact on how and where your business shows up in search using SIRI, and after today, the IOS6 Map application.
- Take some time to learn more about how the Yelp review process works and how to appropriately respond to reviews.
- Check in with Localeze and Acxiom to insure that your business is listed and that all information is correct. It is believed that these local listing providers will provide the basic information (business name, address, and phone number) to the Apple map application.
Got all that handled? Here’s your homework for tomorrow:
- Let EVERYONE know that you are on Yelp and ask them all to give you a review. Past customers, current clients, the guy standing at the counter right now…ALL of them, and often. Go ahead and ask SIRI for a restaurant (or whatever) in your local area. Note how the listing with the most Yelp reviews shows up on top? That’s the way this game will be played. Get busy, nobody is going to help you with this. Print your Yelp URL on a card, offer a discount, do whatever it takes to be number one.
That’s all I wanted to point out today, and it’s enough. Today is the big day for Apple IOS6, and if you choose, it could be a big day for you and your business as well.
Special thanks to the folks over at SearchEngineLand, your many posts on the topic were instrumental in my research today. Add em’ to your daily read people!