If you compare Google Maps, Apple Maps and Bing Places, you see three separate management environments, each with its own audience. You manage Google through Google Business Profile, Apple Maps through Apple Business Connect and Bing Maps through Bing Places. Many chains only maintain Google, while iPhone users and Windows users search through the other two.
Why should a chain compare map services?
A customer who asks their iPhone for a "bakery nearby" sees the place card from Apple Maps. A customer on a work laptop often searches via Bing. And most people use Google Search and Google Maps. Every map service has its own database of locations. A change in one service does not automatically reach the others.
For an independent business owner, that means maintaining a profile three times. For a franchise brand with 40 locations, it means 120 profiles that all have to say the same thing. That is where the work lies, and where the errors arise.
What are the differences between the three map services?
The table below sets the map services side by side on the points that matter for chains. We only state what the services themselves say about their management environment.
| Point | Google Maps | Apple Maps | Bing Maps |
|---|---|---|---|
| Management environment | Google Business Profile | Apple Business Connect | Bing Places |
| Where visible | Google Search and Google Maps | Apple Maps on iPhone, iPad and Mac | Bing and Bing Maps |
| Basic details | Name, address, phone, hours | Opening hours, logo, photos, header image | List, verify and maintain locations |
| Temporary messages | Posts and updates | Showcases with offers and news | Not listed as a feature |
| Action buttons | Depends on sector | Order, reserve, book an appointment | Not listed as a feature |
| Insights | Statistics per profile | How customers find the place card | Not listed as a feature |
Google: the most searches, the most competition
Google Business Profile is the busiest channel. That is exactly why a half-completed profile stands out. In our benchmark study of 500 profiles at 100 chains, 40% were fully completed. With management of all Google Business Profiles, everything therefore starts with completeness per location.
Apple: straight to the iPhone user
Apple Business Connect lets you manage photos, logo and opening hours and publish Showcases. With action buttons, a customer can reserve or book an appointment directly. More on the approach per location can be found under place cards in Apple Maps.
Bing: small, but often forgotten
With Bing Places you list your locations, verify them and keep them up to date. Because few chains do this, there are quick wins to be had; see your chain listings in Bing.
How do you keep map listings consistent across locations?
Use one master file per location, ideally managed by head office. Every change goes into that file first and then to all three services. That prevents Apple from still showing the old summer hours while Google has already been updated.
| Detail | Why it matters | How we measure it |
|---|---|---|
| Name according to brand standard | Customers and AI recognise the brand | Exactly identical in three services, yes or no |
| Address and postcode | A wrong pin costs visitors | Discrepancies per service |
| Phone number | Calling from the map is a direct action | Same number everywhere |
| Opening hours and bank holidays | A closed door leads to bad reviews | Latest check per month |
| Photos and logo | An empty map listing inspires little trust | Number of current photos per service |
| Link to location page | Brings visitors to local information | Correct URL per location |
| Category | Determines which searches you appear for | Primary category matches the standard |
Who manages which map service within a franchise organisation?
Most problems arise when a franchisee creates a second profile or changes the name. Agree that head office remains the owner of all listings and that the location is a manager with limited rights. Replying to reviews can happen locally, within a fixed tone of voice. We take that over with reputation management per location, with a reply within 24 hours in the Growth package. In the benchmark, 6 of the 100 chains replied within that time.
AI helps us flag discrepancies between Google, Apple and Bing across all locations. A person checks every change before it goes live. What has been changed is shown in the reporting for each location.
What does managing three map services cost for a chain?
A fictional worked example. A franchise brand has 30 locations and wants to maintain Google, Apple and Bing, with review management. That fits the Growth package. All prices are listed under our published pricing.
| Item | Value | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| Locations | 30 | Fictional franchise brand |
| Profiles under management | 90 | 30 x 3 map services |
| Package | Growth | Profile management, NAP monitoring, review management, posts |
| Price per location | €400 per month | Excl. VAT |
| Total per month | €12,000 | 30 x €400, excl. VAT |
Which mistakes do chains make with Google, Apple and Bing?
- Duplicate listings after a move or a takeover by a new franchisee.
- Closed locations still shown as open in Apple or Bing.
- Inconsistent names, such as a town name or slogan after the brand name in one service.
- No ownership at head office, so nobody has access when a franchisee leaves.
On franchiseseo.nl you can read more about the benchmark study. To tick off every point per location, use a local search visibility checklist. Other guides can be found in the knowledge base for franchise marketers.
What does a location outside the Google Maps top 3 cost you?
This calculation uses Dutch figures instead of American click-through rates. The average revenue per franchise location comes from the Dutch Franchise Association (NFV) statistics, reference year 2025. Nobody can say in advance exactly how much revenue a location loses without a top position in Google Maps, with a Google Business Profile that is not in order, or without proper review management. So you calculate a scenario per cause: a few percent of revenue going to a more visible competitor. Add them up and you see the combined cost.
| Sector | Revenue per location per year | 1% revenue missed | 3% revenue missed | Growth package (€4,800 a year) as share of revenue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All sectors (average) | €1,445,000 | €14,450 | €43,350 | 0.33% |
| Services | €480,000 | €4,800 | €14,400 | 1% |
| Hospitality | €1,230,000 | €12,300 | €36,900 | 0.39% |
| Health care | €1,270,000 | €12,700 | €38,100 | 0.38% |
| Non-food retail | €1,750,000 | €17,500 | €52,500 | 0.27% |
| Food retail | €2,910,000 | €29,100 | €87,300 | 0.16% |
| Other brands | €680,000 | €6,800 | €20,400 | 0.71% |
- 6 of the 100 largest Dutch franchise chains reply to a Google review within 24 hours; the average response time is 6.8 days and 90% has no demonstrable review management process.
- Only 40% of the 500 Google Business Profiles examined is fully completed.
- In the measurement one review was viewed around 15,000 times on average: an unanswered complaint stays visible to thousands of people.
- 42% of consumers would rather not do business with a company that never replies to reviews (BrightLocal 2026).
Sources: NFV Franchise Statistics, reference year 2025 (34,937 locations, €50.5 billion revenue); Local SEO Franchise Benchmark 2026 (100 largest chains, 500 profiles); sector model on franchiseseo.nl (in Dutch). The percentages are scenarios you choose, not a measurement or a promise. We do not promise rankings or revenue.
Questions about Google Maps, Apple Maps and Bing Places
Which map service should a chain sort out first?
Does Apple Maps take its data from Google?
Is Bing Places still worthwhile for a franchise brand?
How do I prevent duplicate locations in map services?
Who should own the map profiles?
How does a chain use Apple Showcases for national campaigns?
How often should you check map details per location?
Do accurate map profiles also help with AI assistants?
Can a franchisee edit their own map profile?
Can I see per map service how often a location is found?
Sources
Gijs Bodenstaff
Franchise marketer, local SEO and GEO specialist, author
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