Apple Business Connect and Bing Places: Australian Guide

Quick answer: Claim your free Apple Maps place card through Business Connect, which now sits inside Apple Business, and your free Bing Places listing, which can import your Google Business Profile. Make your name, address, phone, categories and public holiday hours match across all three, then review them every quarter so Siri, Apple Maps and Copilot don't send customers the wrong details.

Ask an iPhone for "a locksmith near me" and the answer doesn't come from Google. It comes from Apple's own place data, the same data behind Apple Maps, Siri and Spotlight. Search from the Windows taskbar or ask Copilot, and you're drawing on Microsoft's Bing. Most Australian businesses polish their Google profile and never claim the other two, which leaves listings that may have been assembled automatically from third-party data and never checked.

A note on names: in April 2026 Apple folded Business Connect into a broader free platform called Apple Business, according to Apple's announcement, and existing claimed locations moved across. The place card tools are the same. We use "Business Connect" here because it's still the name most people search for.

Why do Apple Maps and Bing listings matter for Australian businesses?

Because a large share of Australian customers search on iPhones and Windows devices, where Apple and Microsoft data, not Google's, often supplies the answer. iPhones are widely used in Australia, and Apple Maps is their built-in map app.

Apple's place data appears in:

• Apple Maps, including directions in CarPlay
• Siri answers to "near me" and "what time does it close" questions
• Spotlight and Safari suggestions
• Wallet and Mail, where Apple matches transactions and messages to businesses

Microsoft's data appears in Bing search and Bing Maps, Windows search and Microsoft Edge, and it informs Copilot's web answers.

Neither replaces Google. They fill gaps that Google can't: the customer who never opens a browser and asks Siri while driving, or the office worker who searches from their work laptop.

How do you claim and verify an Apple Business Connect listing?

Sign in to Apple Business with an Apple Account, verify that you represent the business, then claim your existing place card or create a new one. It's free.

1. Sign in. Use an Apple Account that belongs to the business, not a staff member's personal one, so access stays with you if people leave.
2. Verify the business. Apple checks that you're authorised to represent the company. Depending on the business, that can involve a phone call or supporting documents.
3. Find or add your location. Search for your existing place card and claim it, or add the location if it's missing. Each location is verified separately.
4. Complete the place card. Add your exact name, category, address, phone, website and regular hours, plus special hours for public holidays.
5. Add visuals. Upload your logo, a cover photo and real photos of your premises and work.
6. Add action links. Point "Book", "Order" or "Call" buttons to the right page or number.
7. Use Showcases if available. Showcases let you promote offers or events on the place card; availability has varied by country, so check what your account offers.

Apple has also announced paid ads in Apple Maps, starting with businesses in the US and Canada. Claiming your place card now is the prerequisite if ads reach Australia.

How do you set up Bing Places, and can you import from Google?

Yes. Bing Places can import your Google Business Profile, which saves most of the set-up. Since late 2025, Bing Places has lived at bing.com/forbusiness, and Microsoft says the new import flow is faster and keeps details such as names, hours and contact information intact.

1. Sign in with a Microsoft account owned by the business.
2. Choose the Google import and sign in to the Google account that manages your profile.
3. Select the locations you want to bring across.
4. Review the import summary. Check for missing attributes, duplicate listings and categories that didn't map cleanly.
5. Verify. An imported, already-verified Google profile may verify quickly; otherwise expect phone, email or postcard options, and postcards take longer.
6. Finish the listing. Add photos, check categories against Bing's own list and confirm your website link.

If you already have an old Bing listing, look for it before importing; duplicates are a common reason verification stalls. Our Google Business Profile optimisation checklist is worth working through first, since whatever you import inherits its strengths and its mistakes.

Which AI assistants draw on these listings?

Siri uses Apple's place data directly, Copilot draws on Bing, and other assistants cross-check whatever public listings they can find.

Microsoft hasn't published exactly how Copilot chooses local businesses, and its own announcement described deeper Copilot integration with Bing Places as future work. The safe assumption is simple: wherever an assistant looks, it should find the same, correct details. That's the core of getting named in AI search.

What should match across Google, Apple and Bing?

Your name, address, phone, website, categories and hours should be identical in format, not just in substance. Small differences make it harder for systems to be sure the three listings describe one business.

Public holidays catch many businesses out because they differ between states and territories. A Melbourne café closed for a Victorian holiday that only updates Google will show as open on Apple Maps and Bing. For the wider picture of how consistent details help search engines and AI tools recognise your business, see our guide to entity SEO.

How often should you update these listings?

Review all three every quarter, and update them the same day whenever something customers rely on changes.

Update immediately when:

• [ ] Your hours, phone number or address change
• [ ] You add or drop a main service
• [ ] You rebrand or change your website address

Before every public holiday period, including the Christmas and New Year shutdown:

• [ ] Set special hours on Google, Apple and Bing

Every quarter:

• [ ] Check each listing for edits you didn't make
• [ ] Search for duplicate listings and request their removal
• [ ] Refresh photos
• [ ] Ask Siri and Copilot about your business and note what they say

That last check is a quick, practical form of tracking visibility in AI answers.

Frequently asked questions

Is Apple Business Connect free?

Yes. Claiming and managing your place card is free, and Apple says the same applies to Apple Business, the platform Business Connect now sits within. Apple has announced paid ads in Maps, but only for US and Canadian businesses so far.

How do I get my business on Apple Maps?

Sign in to Apple Business, verify that you represent the business, then claim your existing place card or add a new location. Complete the details, photos and hours so customers see accurate information.

Can I import my Google Business Profile into Bing Places?

Yes. Bing Places offers an import from Google Business Profile that brings across your name, hours and contact details. Review the import summary for missing attributes or duplicates, then complete verification.

Does Siri use Apple Maps business listings?

Yes. Apple says the information on your place card appears across Apple Maps, Siri, Wallet and other Apple apps, so claiming and completing it is the most direct way to control what Siri tells customers.

Do Bing listings affect Microsoft Copilot answers?

Probably, indirectly. Copilot's web answers draw on Bing search, which includes Bing's local results, though Microsoft hasn't published exactly how Copilot selects local businesses. Keeping Bing Places accurate is a low-effort way to reduce the risk of wrong answers.

Make every map tell the same story

Claiming these listings takes an afternoon; keeping them aligned with your website is the ongoing part. See how we work with GRWW in Australia, then ask us to audit your listings alongside your site, or book a free call.