How To Get a Restaurant Listed on Online Maps
Most people search for hotels and restaurants online, meaning it’s vital your business can be found via the internet. Generally, this is a simple process:
- Sign up for an account with the map provider
- Verify your business
- Input the basic details of your business
The bad news is that every online map provider is different and your business needs to be attractive as well as visible. This means you need to know the quirks of each type of map, as well as how to maximise your business’s appeal. It makes logical sense to start with the most widely used map providers, which are Google and Apple.
SHOP ALL CATERING EQUIPMENTHOW DO I GET MY RESTAURANT LISTED ON GOOGLE MAPS?
The easiest way to get your business listed is to go to www.google.com/business and follow these steps:
- Select Get Started.
- Input your business details and select continue.
- Verify this information and select continue.
- Google will send you a verification code by post.
- Once verified, complete your profile. This will be visible on Google Maps and in search results.
Unfortunately, being visible isn’t necessarily the same as being appealing! People will use your Google Maps listing for everything from directions to Google reviews, and you need to tick every box to win their custom. As such, you need to be looking your best.
TIP: You can manage your Google Business listing remotely using the Google My Business app or via your iGoogle account.
HOW DO I MAKE MY RESTAURANT LOOK GOOD ON GOOGLE MAPS?
Firstly, you need to literally look good. Many people use Google Maps Street View to check out restaurants, so be sure to maximise your curb side appeal. Google Street View is only updated every few months or years, so make sure your business looks clean, welcoming and clearly identifiable from a street map.
People also use Google Maps to locate your business and navigate to it. It’s therefore vital that they get there! Check the Street View directions which Google recommends for reaching your business and watch for errors. Is that road actually one way only? Can you not really walk between those buildings? You can report incorrect routes via the Google Maps desktop app.
People also tend to browse within street view, so make sure your street number is included as part of your address in the Google Maps app. Otherwise, potential customers may browse the street and find another, similar business which they like! You want customers to land directly in front of your business and not get distracted by competitors.
TIP: You can see when Google Streetview will be visiting certain areas here.
HOW DOES GOOGLE REVIEW WORK?
Unlike Bing Maps or the now defunct Yahoo Maps, which both referenced TripAdvisor reviews, Google Maps automatically includes Google Reviews as part of its service. This means that you have another review service to monitor and use reviews to your advantage. These reviews are visible as part of your business’s Google profile, so encourage customers to leave positive reviews! You can respond to reviews in the Google My Business app, and Google encourage you to be concise, courteous and friendly.
HOW DO I GET MY RESTAURANT LISTED ON APPLE MAPS?
The easiest way to get listed on Apple Maps is via the Apple Maps Connect portal, and with over a billion IPhones in the world, it’s definitely worth doing:
- Sign into Maps Connect using your Apple ID.
- Select add place.
- If your business isn’t listed, select add new place.
- Input your details
Having only launched in 2012, Apple’s service is now an integral part of iOS and is rapidly catching up on Google Maps. Google Maps vs. Apple maps is the latest contest between the two tech giants, but your business needs to come across well on both!
TIP: You can edit your business’s information from within the Apple Maps app once you’ve set it up.
Many of the tactics you use to maximise your Google Maps publicity will therefore be great for the Apple Maps app too, but there are a few differences.
WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN GOOGLE MAPS AND APPLE MAPS?
The main differences between the two services are features. Whilst Google Maps has Street View, Apple Maps has 3D mapping and Fly Over. Whilst Apple had some teething problems with location markers being in incorrect places, the two services are now both easy to use navigation tools. People will usually just use whichever map service is pre-installed on their device.
Apple Maps also uses TripAdvisor to source its UK reviews, meaning no additional feedback channel to keep track of. As with Google Maps, it’s worth double checking the location and navigation options for your business and correcting any errors. This can be done via Maps Connect. Unlike Google Maps, Apple Maps does not offer public transport options, which is one less thing to check.
TIP: Whenever you change something about your business, such as opening hours, be sure to update your Google Maps and Apple Maps profiles as well as your website.
MAKING THE MOST OF MAPS
As such, getting listed on online mapping services is a great way for customers to find you, or even discover your business whilst looking for something else. More than this though, Google and Apple Maps are a shop window for your services, and it is your job to ensure that they are represented attractively.