Have you heard of the smart watch that Apple is coming out with early next year, aptly named the Apple Watch? It is getting a ton of buzz and Apple diehards are thrilled about yet another gizmo that will effortlessly sync with their iPhone, iPad, and MacBook Pro (apparently they are all necessary). So what does this mean for you? It means that searching on the go is going to be even easier for the masses, and you better be the company that shows up on these inquiries. If you want to stand a chance against your competition, here are the five things you need to be doing:
Every Apple Watch will be preloaded with Apple’s mapping software. While this software doesn’t allow you to go in and claim your business profile—like other mapping systems do—Apple Maps does allow you to report problems. If your business is not listed, or it is listed incorrectly, you need to report is ASAP.
Just because Google Maps is not the default destination finder, don’t fool yourself into thinking your presence there is not relevant. Many people still prefer Google Maps and will download the appropriate app to continue using it. Make sure you are set up with google my business (links your Google Plus profile to Maps and Search) or you’ll be sorry.
If there was ever a time to modernize your advertising and promotions, now is it. The Apple Watch is just screaming to be used as a virtual coupon holder. It doesn’t get much more convenient than showing your wrist to the cashier to save some dough. If you don’t offer online coupons now, you might want to start thinking about it.
There are so many sites out there that have profiles of local businesses (think Yelp, TomTom, Localeze, etc.). You need to have a complete profile on every single one, because these are the sites that Apple Maps will use to determine which businesses it should show to their all-important users.
For obvious reasons, Apple’s default search engine is not Google (did someone say rivalry?); therefore, if you ask Siri for information on the Apple Watch, it (she?) is going to get your results using Bing. To help yourself stay on Siri’s good side, you will want to claim your Bing Places account and pay attention to what your Bing Webmaster Tools account tells you to do to improve your results.
The introduction of the Apple Watch is only the beginning of the smart watch craze. Take these few months before its release to optimize your local search rankings or contact us. If you don’t, you are sure to be left in the dust.