The features announced on Wednesday are free and Apple isn't selling ad units in Maps.
Apple Maps
Source: Apple
For users, business pages that come up when you search for a location in the app will offer more interactive features. For example, businesses on Apple Maps can now display a “Showcase,” or a module with a big picture and the ability to highlight deals or limited-time promotions.
Apple Maps will also let businesses add buttons to the top of their profile to let people order or make reservations.
The additional map information will also be used in Siri and other Apple software.
For businesses that maintain Apple Maps pages, Apple’s announcement includes a new web app called Business Connect that lets businesses claim their location, edit details like whether they take credit cards or not, update photos and logos, and offer special discounts and promotions.
Big companies often manage digital map listings with software like Yext or Reputation, and those will integrate with Apple’s new system.
Apple is also introducing a new dashboard for business owners that tracks metrics like how customers are landing on their Apple Maps page and what they’re interacting with, similar to dashboards for measuring search engine optimization.
The features are free for businesses and Apple isn’t selling ad units in maps.
Here are some changes coming to the Apple Maps app:
