Most shop owners set up Google and stop there. That makes sense, since Google is where a lot of people search. But plenty of your customers never open Google at all. iPhone owners tap a pin in Apple Maps or ask Siri. Others search on Bing or use apps and assistants that pull from Bing's results.
If you have never claimed those listings, someone else's version of your shop is already there. It might be pulled from an old directory, a past owner, or a customer edit. Claiming them is free, and each one takes about 20 minutes plus a short wait for verification.
Here is how to do both.
Before you start: gather your details
Have these ready so you can copy them in exactly the same way on every site:
- Your shop name, written the way it appears on your sign
- Your full address, including any suite number
- Your phone number and website
- Your regular hours, plus any holiday hours coming up
- A few good photos: the storefront, the inside, and a few products
- One or two sentences describing what you sell
Keeping these identical everywhere matters. When your name, address and phone number match across Google, Apple, Bing and your website, it is much easier for search engines and assistants to trust that the details are right.
Part 1: Claim your shop on Apple Maps
Apple's free tool for this used to be called Apple Business Connect. In April 2026 Apple folded it into a single free service called Apple Business, at business.apple.com. If you claimed your shop under the old name, your listing and photos carried over automatically, so just sign in and check them.
Step 1: Sign up
Go to business.apple.com and choose to sign up. You will enter your shop's name, website and address, then your own name and phone number. Apple sends a code to your email and another to your phone to confirm it is you. Use your real first and last name here, since Apple rejects placeholder names like "Store Manager."
Step 2: Verify your business
Apple asks you to verify your business, usually within 60 days of signing up. It uses two methods, such as your EIN (your federal tax ID) plus your website domain or an official business document. Apple says review can take up to five business days. Do this soon, because Apple may delete an account that is never verified.
Step 3: Add or claim your location
Once you are in, open Locations and add a single location. Search for your shop. If it already shows up on Apple Maps, select it and check that the map pin sits on your actual front door. Drag it if it does not. If your shop is not on Maps yet, you can add it as a new location.
If the listing already exists, Apple may offer to verify it with a phone call to the number it has on file. You answer, then type in the four-digit code. If you do not recognize the number Apple shows, contact Apple Business support rather than guessing.
Step 4: Fill out your place card
Your "place card" is what people see when they tap your shop in Apple Maps. Apple says it also appears in Safari and Spotlight search on Apple devices. Add:
- Hours, including special and holiday hours
- Photos and a cover image
- Your website and phone number
- Action buttons, such as a link to order or book, if you offer that
Apple also lets you post short "showcases" on your place card for new arrivals, seasonal items or a sale. These are a nice way to keep the listing fresh without much effort.
Part 2: Claim your shop on Bing Places
Bing's free listing tool is Bing Places for Business. It controls how your shop shows up in Bing search and Bing Maps.
The fast way: import from Google
If you already have a verified Google Business Profile, this is the easiest route.
- Go to bingplaces.com and sign in with a Microsoft account, or create one. Using the same email that manages your Google profile keeps things simple.
- Choose the option to import from Google Business Profile.
- Sign in with the Google account that manages your shop and allow Bing to read your listing.
- Pick your shop from the list and finish the import.
- Turn on the option to keep syncing with Google, if it is offered. That way, when you update hours on Google, Bing follows.
A verified Google listing often lets you skip Bing's own verification, but not always.
The manual way
If you do not use Google Business Profile, or the import fails:
- Sign in at bingplaces.com and search for your shop by name or phone number.
- If it is already listed, choose to claim it. If not, create a new listing.
- Fill in your details, hours, photos and category.
- Verify. Depending on your shop, Bing may offer a phone call, an email to an address on your website's domain, or a postcard to your shop. Postcards can take a week or more to arrive.
After verification, Bing can take a week or two before changes show up in search and maps. If you get stuck in a loop where verification depends on wrong details you cannot fix, Bing Places has a support form at the bottom of the site where you can ask for a manual review.
Part 3: Keep them up to date
Claiming is the hard part. After that, a few minutes a month is enough:
- When your hours change, update every listing the same day. Google, Apple, Bing and your website should never disagree.
- Add holiday hours a week or two early. Thanksgiving and the December rush are the big ones.
- Swap in new photos every season. Fresh photos show the shop is open and active.
- Search your shop name on each app once a month. Customers can suggest edits, and a wrong edit is easier to catch early.
A quick checklist
- Shop details written down once, used everywhere
- Apple Business account created and verified
- Apple Maps location claimed, pin checked, place card filled out
- Bing Places listing imported from Google or claimed by hand
- Bing verified and syncing with Google if possible
- A monthly reminder to check all three
None of this takes long, and it means a customer who finds you through an iPhone, a Bing search or an assistant gets the same right answer as someone on Google. That is the whole goal: wherever people ask, the answer about your shop should be correct.
Onhand is building a way for AI assistants to check live, accurate info from local shops. Want your shop to be easy to find? Learn more at askonhand.com.