@localseoguide so where's the piece on apple maps?? huh? wake up. do some work. become rich and famous.
— Dave (@localoptimizer) July 11, 2013
Earlier this week, I did a webinar with Mike Blumenthal, Phil Rozek, Myles Anderson and Linda Buquet on the State of Local Search where I presented my latest findings about Apple Maps. After the webinar, one of my favorite Twitter buds, a mean SEO himself, Dave Oremland, sent us the following email (edited), which I think does a great job of showing why Apple Maps is important to your business:
I thought Andrew’s presentation was interesting. Probably because I don’t know anything at all about maps.
So I looked harder at Andrews’s topic in that its one on which I’m ignorant.
I scanned one smb. It gets pretty good traffic. I probably used the wrong methodology first but I narrowed down to IOS6 browser types.
Frankly I should have looked at all Mac devices. In any case I found something over 22% total IOS6 traffic on the total.
At that total, just guessing 1/2 use a map application and 1/2 use search and about 1/3 use apple maps that comes up with about 3%-4% access to the site via apple search.
I don’t own any apple equipment. I borrow them for testing. I was in the DC barschool today and borrowed one from a student.
Does he use a maps app? yes. What does he use? He never uploaded anything. He uses what was installed.
(okay…so that is TOTALLY anecdotal)
Used the maps app to look up bartending schools.
Wow:
First part of this is, as I know Mike knows, and you guys might also know: it gave me a response that was sooooooooooo….google maps circa 2006,7,8,9, maybe 2010 and even later.
It was full of errors and thoroughly deficient.
The results as Andrew described showed 3 smb’s on the map. You could click through to get info.
Of the 3, only one was a real smb. (snark snark, ours). Of the other 2 showing neither is a real place. At least a potential for 5 other pins could have shown each being a real place. But none of them were.
that is a both a huge advantage for us, a huge hole for competitors, and representative of the volume of holes in the current presentation for Apple Maps, which is why I equate it to G maps circa 2006- to maybe 2010 and even beyond.
It’s quite interesting.
I think the opportunity side is a function of the total usage of Apple equipment, and then the percentage of usage of Apple maps versus other maps apps.
to the extent that apple has significant penetration into the market….its damned important.
From the smb operator side, and in view of how, over time some of our smb’s have had incredible overwhelming visibility against competition …its pretty interesting.
Having an advantage like that is hugely profitable for the winners and horrendously costly to losers.
I’d advise smb’s to get into apple maps.
my $0.02 😀
Dave