Bing Places and Apple Business: set up the listings most businesses forget
Most local businesses look after Google and forget Bing and Apple. Both are free, both take less than an hour, and both widen where customers and AI assistants can find accurate details about you. Here's why they matter and how to set up each.
Why they matter
of US consumers use Apple Maps to read local business reviews, up from 14% a year earlier.
of US consumers have used AI tools like ChatGPT for local recommendations.
Apple Maps is the default map on iPhones, and Apple's listings also appear in Siri, Safari and Spotlight. Bing powers Bing search and Bing Maps, and OpenAI says ChatGPT search sometimes partners with other search providers, listing Microsoft among them. Early research reported by Whitespark suggests Bing Places listings influence the web results ChatGPT looks at.
Set up Bing Places
Microsoft relaunched Bing Places in October 2025, moving it into Bing at bing.com/forbusiness, with a faster import from Google Business Profile.
- Go to bing.com/forbusiness and sign in with a free Microsoft account.
- Search for your business. If it's listed, claim it; if not, create a new listing.
- Choose to import from Google Business Profile. If your Google profile is verified, an import is usually verified automatically, and later changes on Google can sync across.
- If you add it manually, verify with the PIN Bing sends by phone, email or post.
- Check your categories, hours, photos and website link, and follow Bing's suggestions for missing details.
Set up Apple Business
In April 2026 Apple replaced Apple Business Connect with Apple Business, a free platform available in more than 200 countries and regions. Existing Business Connect locations and place card details moved across automatically.
- Go to business.apple.com and register your organisation with a business Apple Account.
- Claim your location, or add it if Apple Maps doesn't have it.
- Verify your business. Apple's options include confirming your website domain or sending business documents.
- Complete your place card: name, address, phone, website, categories, hours and photos, exactly matching Google.
- Add Showcases for offers or news, and action links such as booking or ordering if you use them.
Keep them consistent
The point is consistency: the same name, address, phone number, hours and website on Google, Bing, Apple, Facebook and your website. Whenever you change hours or move, update all of them on the same day. Mismatched details confuse customers and the AI tools that compare sources.
Sources
- Microsoft Bing blog: Introducing the new Bing Places for Business (Oct 2025)
- Whitespark: The ultimate guide to your Bing Places listing (Oct 2025)
- Apple Newsroom: Introducing Apple Business (24 Mar 2026)
- Birdeye: Apple Business Connect (now Apple Business) guide
- OpenAI Help: ChatGPT search
- BrightLocal Local Consumer Review Survey 2026 (1,002 US consumers)
Citing these figures? Please link to this page. If you spot a figure that's out of date, email hello@flexilocal.com.
