Getting Your Dealership Ready For Apple Maps

[ed.brooks]

Google+ has been getting a ton of attention lately (as it well deserves), but Apple's recent announcement that iPhones and iPads will be doing away with Google Maps in favor a new a Apple Maps offering means you need to split your focus and do it now. Mobile is growing and Apple is looking to disrupt Google's influence in a big way.

I read this post this morning and it contains a slew of valuable information: Start Getting Your Business Ready Now For Apple Maps, Google+ Local via Search Engine Land. Among the observations are:

"Not being among those appearing in Apple Maps, appearing inaccurately, or appearing with a host of negative reviews will not only be a lost opportunity for your business, but one that could hit your bottom line."

"Greg Sterling, who has been following this story closely, has pointed out that while Yelp is providing its more than 27 million local reviews to Maps, it likely isn’t providing listings data. An Apple copyright page notes the names of various other vendors that Apple is using to supply listings information, including Localeze, Acxiom, and TomTom."
(emphasis mine)
​

My advice - get on it today!

 

[Juls]

I have been reading about this this morning. Where do we go to do this?
Thanks,
Julie

 

[ed.brooks]

I have been reading about this this morning. Where do we go to do this?
Thanks,
Julie

According to what I've read, signing up on both the Localeze and Acxiom sites are the first steps. The advice is to also start paying (added) attention to Yelp reviews.

From this morning's story, "Along with Yelp’s data, it appears that Localeze and Axiom’s information will form the basis for information appearing in the Apple Maps “Info card.”"

 

[Karen Ann]

Tough spot for Canadians, again. Neither Localeze or Acxiom offer listings outside the US.
Bing doesn't even offer Canadian listings.

Luckily we have had been with Yelp forever. Hopefully we can build on the reviews and reputation in there.


Off topic: So many review sites, how do you target where your customers should go?

 

[Jason]

I have been reading about this this morning. Where do we go to do this?
Thanks,
Julie

For Localeze just go to Localeze.com and click the List Your Business Today link on the right hand side of the page to get going. The basic listing is FREE. If you want to input & control things like your Phone #, Web Address, Hours of Operations, Categories, etc. They charge $279 a year per location.

For Acxiom, you actually have to go to MyBusinessListing Manager to get started. Once you register you'll get a confirmation email where you'll call a toll free # to activate your account. After that, you should be good to start claiming your listings. Please be aware that you can register your account for free, but if you want to claim any listings, Acxiom charges $50 fee per listing claimed.

I also discovered that both Cobalt & Dealer.com have each previously claimed a corresponding Localeze page as a part of a previous digital marketing agreement (still trying to get to the bottom of this).

For our group (assuming no volume discounts) it will cost us over $3,000 a year to have a managed, enhanced listing on these two networks. I'm curious to hear if YOU are going to Pay to Play.

 

[ed.brooks]

For Localeze just go to Localeze.com and click the List Your Business Today link on the right hand side of the page to get going. The basic listing is FREE. If you want to input & control things like your Phone #, Web Address, Hours of Operations, Categories, etc. They charge $279 a year per location.

For Acxiom, you actually have to go to MyBusinessListing Manager to get started. Once you register you'll get a confirmation email where you'll call a toll free # to activate your account. After that, you should be good to start claiming your listings. Please be aware that you can register your account for free, but if you want to claim any listings, Acxiom charges $50 fee per listing claimed.

I also discovered that both Cobalt & Dealer.com have each previously claimed a corresponding Localeze page as a part of a previous digital marketing agreement (still trying to get to the bottom of this).

For our group (assuming no volume discounts) it will cost us over $3,000 a year to have a managed, enhanced listing on these two networks. I'm curious to hear if YOU are going to Pay to Play.

Thanks for the great info Jason. I'm curious if you folks spent the buck$? I'm pretty confident I would.

With iPhone holding a big share of the growing SmartPhone market and an even bigger share of the exploding tablet market, I don't think I could afford to ignore Apple.

 

[Agrrip]

So, I had started another thread...not seeing this one, I must have skimmed right over it. I'd delete it if I knew how.


I normally would never give any consideration to paying for a listing with an online listing service (Superpages, Dex, Yellowcrook, etc.). However, I have been considering paying for advertising with Yelp due to their relationship with Apple.

Do any of you currently pay for Yelp? How's the return?

 

[ed.brooks]

So, I had started another thread...not seeing this one, I must have skimmed right over it. I'd delete it if I knew how.


I normally would never give any consideration to paying for a listing with an online listing service (Superpages, Dex, Yellowcrook, etc.). However, I have been considering paying for advertising with Yelp due to their relationship with Apple.

Do any of you currently pay for Yelp? How's the return?

Joseph, I'm not sure that advertising on Yelp would help your listing at all. I do however, believe that the number number of positive reviews already plays a big role in coming up on a Siri search.

If you think advertising on Yelp would help garner reviews, then by all means do it. With Yelp check ins being integrated into Apple Maps they should see a big uptick in traffic.

 

[yagoparamo]

Karen

Target the review sites that show up in your google 10 when you search for your dealer's name

 

[ed.brooks]

Karen

Target the review sites that show up in your google 10 when you search for your dealer's name

That's great advice for Google (the dominant desktop player). Maybe not the best advice for Apple's iOS. Mobile is big and getting bigger and Apple is as dominant as Google in mobile.