The Apple Business Connect Skill: Optimize Where iPhone Users Search
Every iPhone user who opens Maps to find a local business is on Apple Maps by default.
Your client’s competitor has 12 Showcase photos, a rotating promotional card, and an OpenTable reservation link. Your client has a stub listing with last year’s hours and zero photos.
Both businesses have been in the same market for five years. One did the work on Apple. One didn’t.
What Changes With the Apple Business Connect Skill
A complete Apple Maps optimization audit and action checklist:
- Every surface evaluated
- Specific requirements documented
- Action link setup for the booking platforms they use
- Showcase content direction
- Siri visibility verification workflow
See It Work: Apple Maps Audit and Optimization
Prompt: "Audit our Apple Maps listing for Bella Italia Restaurant
and give us the full optimization checklist. We use OpenTable for reservations."
Skills that fire: dispatch → apple-business-connect
APPLE BUSINESS CONNECT AUDIT: Bella Italia Restaurant
CURRENT STATE
Claimed: ✓
Hours: Missing Sunday hours ✗
Photos: 0 Showcases uploaded ✗
Action links: None configured ✗
Categories: "Restaurant" only (too generic) ✗
Description: 45 characters (minimum 150 recommended) ✗
WEEK 1 — CRITICAL FIXES (do immediately)
□ Add Sunday hours (actual: 12pm-9pm)
□ Update category to "Italian Restaurant" (most specific available)
□ Expand description to 200+ characters with menu highlights
□ Upload 10+ photos:
- Exterior (2): storefront day, evening ambiance
- Interior (3): dining room, bar, private dining
- Food (5): signature dishes, pasta, desserts
WEEK 2 — SHOWCASES
Create first Showcase:
Image: Hero food photo, minimum 1334×750px
Headline: "New Summer Menu — Reserve Your Table" (max 30 chars)
Description: "Fresh pasta, local ingredients, outdoor seating available"
Link: [Your OpenTable URL]
Duration: Set for 30 days, then rotate
Create second Showcase:
Image: Interior or patio photo
Headline: "Private Dining for Special Events"
Link: Link to private events page
WEEK 3 — ACTION LINKS
Primary action: "Reserve a Table"
Integration: OpenTable
Steps:
1. Apple Business Connect dashboard → Actions
2. Add Action → Reserve a Table
3. Select OpenTable from providers
4. Enter restaurant OpenTable URL
5. Verify link works
Secondary action: "Order Food" (if applicable)
Integration: Direct link to online ordering
SIRI VISIBILITY VERIFICATION
After optimization, test:
"Hey Siri, find Italian restaurants near me"
"Hey Siri, make a reservation at Bella Italia"
If Siri doesn't surface the listing or can't complete the action,
check Action Link configuration and category accuracy.
APPLE INTELLIGENCE READINESS
iOS 18+ users will see AI-enhanced local search.
Structured data (categories, hours, services) feeds Apple Intelligence.
Complete profiles with accurate data rank higher in AI-assisted search.Feature Highlights
Complete surface audit — Hours, categories, description, photos, Showcases, Action Links. Everything Apple Maps displays.
Showcase content direction — Image specs, headline limits, rotation schedule. Not just “add a Showcase” — exactly how.
Action Link integration — OpenTable, Yelp Reservations, online ordering. Step-by-step setup.
Siri visibility testing — How to verify the optimization is working in voice search.
Apple Intelligence preparation — iOS 18+ AI features and how profile data feeds them.
When You Need It
Any client not yet optimized on Apple Maps. Most local SEO focuses on Google. Apple Maps is underoptimized across most businesses.
Markets with high iOS device share. Urban and suburban US markets often have 50%+ iPhone users.
Any client asking about Siri visibility. Voice search on iPhone goes through Apple Maps.
Restaurants and appointment-based businesses. Action Links (reservations, bookings) are highest value in these categories.
Get This Skill
The apple-business-connect skill is part of LocalSEOSkills.
"Audit our Apple Maps listing for [Business Name].
Give us the full optimization checklist.
We use [reservation/booking platform] for bookings."Skill Documentation
For technical details on how this skill works, what data it pulls, and complete prompt reference, see the full skill documentation.