Free accounts, real steps, done in one sitting. This is what actually gets you found on Google Maps, Bing, and Apple Maps.
The single highest-impact listing for local search and Google Maps -- do this one first if you do nothing else.
Use the Google account your business already uses, or create one dedicated to the business -- not a personal one an employee might lose access to.
If a listing already exists (sometimes created automatically from reviews or map data), claim it instead of creating a duplicate.
Exact legal name, address, phone number, category, and hours -- this becomes the reference version other directories often pull from.
Usually a postcard mailed to the business address, sometimes phone or email for eligible businesses -- follow whichever Google offers.
Add photos, a description, services/products, and keep hours current -- an unverified or empty profile ranks worse than a complete one.
Smaller share of search than Google, but free, fast to set up, and still real traffic.
Sign in with a Microsoft account.
Bing offers a straightforward import from an existing Google Business Profile, which is usually faster than starting from scratch.
Similar options to Google -- phone, postcard, or email depending on eligibility.
Bing still powers a meaningful share of search and voice assistants -- don't let it go stale just because Google gets the attention.
Every iPhone user searching Apple Maps or asking Siri for a business pulls from this listing.
Sign in with an Apple ID.
Apple will try to match an existing listing from Apple Maps data first.
Options vary by business type -- phone verification is common.
Hours, photos, and a short description show up directly in Apple Maps and Siri results.
Every listing above should show the exact same business name, address, and phone number -- down to how the street type is abbreviated ("St" vs "Street"). Inconsistent NAP data across listings is one of the most common, most avoidable reasons a business underperforms in local search -- it actively confuses search engines about which listing is authoritative.
Keep a single reference doc with the exact, final wording of your name/address/phone, and copy from it every time -- never retype it from memory into a new directory.
Want your listings and your site working together instead of set up once and forgotten?
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