Apple Maps Ads Are Live. Here's What Multi-Location Brands Need to Do.
Ads are now live on Apple Maps. What your ads point to — and how they get targeted — comes down to your listing data.
TL;DR: Apple launched ad buying for Apple Maps in the US and Canada. Ad taps land on your Apple Maps place card, and Apple targets on contextual signals rather than audiences — so the completeness of your listing data determines both what your ads point to and when they show. Claim every location and update every place card with accurate business information and photos before you spend.
Why this matters
Apple Maps users are a high-intent audience. People open Maps when they're exploring new places, looking for something nearby, or actively navigating to a location or business. Over a billion relevant business searches are conducted on Maps monthly, and one in two business searches results in the user taking action.
Now, you can turn a search into engagement with your location.
The first steps are setting up your account in Apple Business and then delegating to Yext for easy management. Apple notes that claimed businesses get 30% more views on Apple Maps than unclaimed ones. Getting your locations in order now means better visibility and a stronger foundation for ads — so you can capitalize and (potentially) drive more traffic.
Step 1: Claim your locations in Apple Business
If your brand doesn't have an Apple Business account, your first step is to register — for free. Go to Apple Business, select Get Started, and follow the verification steps. If you have multiple locations, Apple lets you verify your company once rather than verifying each location individually.
Already have an account? Make sure you have set up your brand and that you've delegated it back to Yext for easy management.
Step 2: Make your place card stand out
When a customer taps your ad, they land on your place card — making it one of the most important customer touch points your brand has on Apple Maps.
Apple Business lets you control how your business shows up on the Map through brand and location features like the ability to add a cover photo, logo, action links, showcases, business photos that appear under "From the Business," and more. Your place card may already show photos from third-party sources, but adding your own means you control what customers see first.
Think of your place card as a mini brand presence on the Map.
3. Manage it all through Yext
Claiming locations and keeping place cards accurate across hundreds or thousands of locations is a real operational challenge. Yext's platform is built to help handle that — helping brands manage their presence in Apple Business and across Apple Maps at scale, from a single place.
But the real unlock is delegation. By connecting your Apple Business account to Yext, Apple treats your data with the highest level of confidence, which translates to fewer discrepancies and better visibility. It also opens up capabilities directly in the Yext platform, like: performance analytics integrated directly into Yext's reporting, showcase posts for promotions and events that appear on your place cards, and more control over cover photos and business descriptions.
The connection is secure and straightforward. You complete it yourself — no Apple credentials are shared with anyone else. Once it's done, data starts flowing right away.
Delegating your Apple Business account to Yext now means your locations are claimed, your place cards are ready, and you'll have the visibility to know what's working when your ads go live.
Keep up with more of the latest in AI search news here.
