By the end of next year Apple expects to have 118 million iPhone users in the US. What does that mean for you? It’s time to leverage Apple Maps for the sake of your bottom line. It’s a tool that’s becoming exponentially more important for successful local SEO, especially after the last two updates; iOS 14 and iOS 15. We are going to take a look at Apple ratings and some of the different functionality that users can observe on the Apple Maps platform.
Yelp Finally Belongs to The Past
Earlier in 2021, Apple released iOS 14 which gave everyone with a valid Apple ID, the ability to add ratings to businesses online. Hallelujah! This was a great relief for everyone here at Relentless Digital, as it’s no secret that Yelp…does suck.
Thankfully, this opinion of ours is being echoed throughout the sacred halls of the world wide web.
For better or worse, there are a ton of threads out there destroying Apple for allowing this to linger in our pockets for so long. While some other threads at the same time were begging the company to finally get rid of the software.
Bright Future Ahead With Apple’s Rating System
Due to the fact that Apple’s rating system is still somewhat new, it’s going to be a while before it becomes a worthy competitor to Google Maps, but it’s definitely worth investing a tiny percentage of your resources today, in order to be able to conquer Apple’s algorithm tomorrow. To give you an idea just how important this is, imagine asking Siri what’s the best <insert your industry here> in <insert your location here>.
Exactly…cha-ching.
So, How Does Apple Maps Rating System Look Like?
We all love Netflix, and apparently Apple does too. We observe a Netflix-esque style of user interface, where we have the option to either thumbs up or thumbs down a business based on several factors. It’s interesting that these categories fluctuate massively from one category to the next.
In one instance you may have just a couple of things to vote on, whereas in others way more. There’s also several ways to contact the business.
First and foremost we’ve got a call button to the left hand side, there’s the ability to visit a website or share the profile with a family member or a friend.
Some of The Differences with Google Maps
- The ability to leave a photo (easily)
- No posts or updates
- No service areas
- Not many categories
- NO TRAFFIC INSIGHTS
Keeping it Legitimate For Legitimate Business Owners
Google Maps is notorious for the spam that’s present across the board on their platform. Apple is adopting a different approach and if you want to get a chance to vote you have to have your very own valid Apple ID.
Leverage The Power of Online Reviews in Your Marketing Strategy
Internet reviews are some of the most influential factors that drive customers to buy a product or service. This is especially true when it comes to online reviews that you get on customer review sites like Google+, Apple Maps, and more. When consumers see mostly positive reviews, they’re more inclined to buy.
Get in touch with our team
If you don’t have a reputation management system in place, get in touch with our team today. The time has come for you to implement a system that targets both platforms. After a job well done, tell your technicians to ask for both a Google Review and an Apple Rating. You will love the results, guaranteed.
Until next time, stay relentless.
