Among business listings beyond Google, claim Bing Places and Apple Business first, then your Yelp page. Bing and Apple control how you appear on their own maps, and BrightLocal’s August 2026 study found Yelp was the source ChatGPT cited most for local businesses. A BBB profile, your Facebook Page and one trade directory come after those.
By Donnie Strompf. Updated October 2026.
Key takeaways
- Your Google Business Profile comes first. The other listings support it and do not replace it.
- Bing Places and Apple Business are free to claim, and so is a Yelp page, according to each company.
- Apple Business Connect has been folded into Apple Business, so older guides that name it are out of date.
- In Whitespark’s 2026 survey, extra listings rank low as Google ranking factors, yet they appear in the sources AI tools cite.
- Use one name, one address (or a hidden one) and one phone number on every listing.
- No listing guarantees a map position or an AI recommendation.
Which listings beyond Google are worth claiming?
Check these six listing types before you pay for any other directory. The table shows where each one appears, what it takes to claim, and the order I would use.
| Listing | Where it shows | Claiming | Priority |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bing Places | Bing search, Bing Maps | Free, imports from Google | Claim now |
| Apple Business | Apple Maps, Safari, Spotlight | Free, verify by phone or review | Claim now |
| Yelp | Yelp, and ChatGPT sources | Free page, ads optional | Claim now |
| Facebook Page | Facebook, and AI sources | Update to match other listings | Keep current |
| BBB profile | BBB, and ChatGPT sources | Free profile, paid accreditation | Claim if listed |
| Trade directories | Searchers in your trade | Varies by directory | Pick one or two |
Priority is my own judgment from the sources cited below. Microsoft describes Bing Places as “a free online platform” whose listings appear in Bing search results and Bing Maps (Microsoft, October 3, 2025). Apple says its business platform is free in the U.S. and that business information displays across Apple Maps and Safari, among other places (Apple Newsroom, March 24, 2026).
Do extra listings help me rank on Google?
Probably only a little. Google says local results are based mainly on relevance, distance and prominence, and that prominence draws on factors like how many websites link to your business and how many reviews you have (Google Business Profile Help). That page does not mention third-party listings at all. For a wider view of local ranking, start at our Local SEO Index.
Whitespark’s Local Search Ranking Factors 2026 (November 6, 2025) ranks consistency of your citations on Google Maps, Bing Maps and Apple Maps 28th for the map pack. That is expert opinion, so read it as a reason to keep the listings you have accurate. Our post on 5 strategies for Google Maps marketing covers the rest of the citation findings.
Do these listings change what ChatGPT says about my business?
The evidence is recent and mixed. BrightLocal’s local AI citation study (August 26, 2026) covered Google AI Overviews, Google AI Mode and ChatGPT. Google Business Profile made up about 28.6% of its citations, and about 93% of cited domains were the businesses’ own websites.
Behind Yelp, BBB drew 4,247 ChatGPT citations in that study, and Apple’s domain made the top 10 with 600. About 20% of the locations were restaurants, which skews the results toward food and travel sites. Our guide to getting recommended by ChatGPT and AI Overviews gives the full Yelp, TripAdvisor and OpenTable counts.
An earlier BrightLocal ChatGPT sources study (December 12, 2024) used 800 manual searches in November 2024 and found that Yelp did not appear as a directory source, and neither did Facebook or Google Maps. Neither study shows that claiming a Yelp page will make ChatGPT recommend your business, and different methods gave different answers.
OpenAI’s ChatGPT search help page says search “sometimes partners with other search providers” and that it may share your location with third-party providers for local information such as nearby business listings. It does not name them. For how engines pick sources, see our comparison of how AI search engines choose sources.
Whitespark’s 2026 report adds that “3 of the top 5 AI Search visibility factors are citation factors” and calls mentions “the new link” in AI search. That is expert opinion and says nothing about your own results.
How do I claim each listing?
Bing Places
Open Bing Places for Business and either build the listing in its dashboard or import it from Google. Microsoft says the redesigned import is better at preserving key attributes such as the business name and hours. Whitespark’s Bing Places guide (October 30, 2025) says an import from a verified Google profile verifies the listing automatically.
After importing, open the Bing listing and compare every field with Google. Microsoft’s recommendation tool also suggests adding missing details such as photos and hours.
Apple Business
Apple Business replaced Apple Business Connect. Apple says Business Connect “will no longer be available” once Apple Business launched on April 14, 2026. It adds that existing data migrates automatically. If you claimed a location before then, check that it carried over.
For a new location, Apple’s user guide (April 14, 2026) says to go to Brands, then Locations, then Add Location. If the place already exists on Maps, phone verification may be available. If another organization manages it, you can request a transfer with a document such as a business license or utility bill, and Apple says review can take up to five business days.
Yelp
Search Yelp for your business first. If the page is unclaimed, choose “Claim This Free Business Page,” and if no page exists, add one. BrightLocal’s Yelp walkthrough (updated October 1, 2025) says new businesses go through moderator review before they appear in search.
Yelp’s business site says it is free to be on Yelp and that owners can update business info, respond to reviews and add photos at no charge. It sells Yelp Ads separately, with targeting by location and keyword. Compare ads against your other lead sources before you buy them.
Facebook and BBB
BrightLocal found Facebook pages cited for 93.06% of the businesses in its sample, so update your Page to match your other listings.
BBB offers a free business profile on its get listed page, while BrightLocal’s BBB guide (May 11, 2023) says accreditation is a paid service.
Trade directories
Trade-specific directories show up in BrightLocal’s sector tables, but they are small next to Yelp. The counts below cover all three AI platforms combined, and BrightLocal does not split them by platform.
| Trade | Yelp | Trade-specific sites | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Restaurants | 21,841 | 3,003 | TripAdvisor 7,033; OpenTable 6,617 |
| Lawyers | 1,050 | 229 | Justia 422; Avvo 328 |
| Dentists | 3,839 | 485 | Zocdoc 248; Healthgrades 129 |
| Plumbers | 3,691 | 835 | Angi’s list 575; HomeAdvisor 252 |
Claim Yelp before any of these. Then add the one or two sites in your row that your own customers use to compare providers.
What does each listing ask for?
Expect the same few fields on every form, so gather them once. Apple’s setup asks for a location name, an address with a map marker you can move if it lands on the wrong building, a Maps display name, a primary category, an Open or Opening Soon status, a phone number and hours. A website is optional.
Yelp, per BrightLocal’s walkthrough, asks for a phone number, a website (or a note that you have none), one category from its suggestions and an address. Whitespark’s Bing guide says a Bing listing can carry up to ten categories and up to 100 photos. Because categories differ by platform, choose the closest match on each one instead of copying Google’s label word for word.
What if verification stalls?
Each platform verifies differently, so know which one you are dealing with. Apple’s guide says that if this is your first location and your organization is not verified, you must verify the organization and send it to Apple for review. It also warns that your email filters must allow mail from all apple.com domains.
BrightLocal says Yelp typically offers phone verification as standard, sometimes with text or email options, and you cannot predict which you will get. Give Yelp a number someone can answer during business hours. For Bing, verify Google first, because an import from a verified profile verifies the Bing listing automatically.
What if I have no storefront?
Service-area businesses can hide the address on most of these. Google says that if you are a service-area business you should hide your address from customers (Google Business Profile guidelines). Whitespark says Bing treats hiding as optional and then shows only your city and ZIP code. BrightLocal says Yelp lets service-area businesses skip the address.
Apple’s user guide does not address service-area businesses, so confirm how the sign-up flow handles yours before you submit. Our service-area business guide covers the Google setup in detail.
How do I keep my business details consistent?
Pick one version of each detail and copy it exactly into every listing, then follow each platform’s own address rules. Google says the business name should match the one you use consistently on your storefront, the address should be precise and accurate (no remote mailboxes), and the phone number must be under the business’s direct control.
If you are a Florida business, compare the name against the Sunbiz record, the Florida Division of Corporations site where you can look up an entity and register a fictitious name.
| Field | Compare against | Watch for |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Storefront sign, Sunbiz | Added keywords, old names |
| Address | Google profile | Suite or unit variations |
| Phone | Your main line | Old or tracking numbers |
| Website | Your homepage | Old domains, http versus https |
| Hours | Google profile | Holiday and seasonal changes |
Which listings can I skip?
Skip bulk submissions. Whitespark’s 2026 report ranks consistency on data aggregators 85th and the quantity of structured citations 110th, so paying to appear on hundreds of directories is a poor trade. Spend the time on reviews, your website and the six listings above.
If an agency offers to build listings, ask which sites it submits to and who holds the logins. Our guide on who owns your website and marketing accounts covers the Google side of that question. Our Google Maps marketing service page describes the Business Profile work, and the pricing page lists Business Profile management at $450 to $650 a month. For the full breakdown, see our guide to how much Google Business Profile management costs.
What do these sources not tell us?
The sources have gaps. BrightLocal’s study page gives two sample sizes, 1,355 and 1,365 locations, and its text says Google Business Profile is 28.5% of citations while its table says 28.63%.
Microsoft says Copilot integration is planned for Bing Places and does not say listings feed it today. Apple’s pages do not state how long verifying a new location takes. Search results also vary by city and category, and SEO is a long game, as our guide to what to expect from SEO explains.
FAQ
Do I need Bing Places if nobody I know uses Bing?
Bing Places controls how your business appears in Bing search and Bing Maps. Even if Bing is not a main source of your traffic, the listing is free and can be imported from Google, so the cost is mostly the time to check the result.
Can I use my Facebook page instead of a website on Apple Business?
Apple’s guide says a Facebook, Instagram or TikTok page can stand in for a website when you add a location. A site still gives customers and search tools a page you control, so treat the social page as a stopgap and add your website address later.
Does the phone number on Yelp need to match Google?
Use the same main number everywhere, because mismatched details are what the consistency checks above are meant to catch. Google’s guidelines call for a number that connects to your individual location. Update Yelp whenever you change your main line, so an old number does not linger on one listing.
Should I join the BBB?
Claim the free business profile where one exists. Accreditation is a separate, paid decision, and BrightLocal says you must meet BBB’s qualifications to be accredited. Each US state has its own local BBB office, so ask that office about the fee and the requirements before you apply.
How many listings are enough?
For most local businesses, Google plus the listings marked Claim now cover the main places buyers and AI tools look. Your Facebook Page, cited for 93.06% of sampled businesses by BrightLocal, and one trade directory fill the gaps. After that, keep the details accurate and stop adding listings.
What if a listing for my business already exists with wrong details?
Claim it rather than creating a duplicate. BrightLocal’s Yelp walkthrough says an unclaimed page offers a claim button, while one marked “Already claimed” means you must contact whoever manages it or Yelp support. BrightLocal’s BBB guide says your best option for a page you cannot claim is to contact your local BBB office.
Related reading
- How to Get More Google Reviews Without Breaking Google’s Rules
- 5 Signs Your Google Business Profile Is Costing You Customers
- Why Google Suspends a Business Profile and How to Get It Reinstated
Next step
Before you spend time on listings, find out where your business appears on Google and in AI answers. The free AI-visibility audit comes first, then a 15-minute call. Read about Donnie Strompf and the team before you decide.
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