Local GEO: Maps, reviews and AI recommendations

1. Google Business Profile

Creating a profile is free^{[2]Source 2: Google Business Profile: Is a Business Profile on Google free?Google Business Profile: Is a Business Profile on Google free?Googleaccessed: 26 September 2026}. Key points from Google’s rules^{[1]Source 1: Guidelines for representing your business on GoogleGuidelines for representing your business on GoogleGoogle Business Profile Helpaccessed: 26 September 2026}:

• The business name must be the real name used on signage and documents; no keywords or city names added.
• Virtual offices or mailbox-only addresses are not eligible.
• Businesses that serve customers at their locations hide their address and show a service area.
• One profile per business; duplicate profiles cause problems on the map.

2. Apple Business and Yandex Business

In March 2026 Apple announced Apple Business, replacing Business Connect; business details appear in Apple Maps, Safari and Spotlight^{[3]Source 3: Introducing Apple Business (24 Mar 2026)Introducing Apple Business (24 Mar 2026)Apple Newsroomaccessed: 26 September 2026}. Apple’s feature list includes Brand and Location Management for Türkiye^{[4]Source 4: Apple Business feature availabilityApple Business feature availabilityApple Supportaccessed: 26 September 2026}.

Yandex Maps is used in Türkiye as a navigation and search source. Adding a business in Yandex Business takes a few steps with name, activity, address and phone verification^{[5]Source 5: Yandex Business: Hızlı başlangıçYandex Business: Hızlı başlangıçYandexaccessed: 26 September 2026}.

3. Reviews: real experience only

On Google Maps, content not based on a real experience, reviews and ratings obtained in exchange for something, and content posted by one person from several accounts count as fake engagement and are removed^{[6]Source 6: Fake engagement (Maps user-generated content policy)Fake engagement (Maps user-generated content policy)Google Maps Helpaccessed: 26 September 2026}. What you can do is build asking for reviews into your routine after a service and reply clearly to every review, negative ones included.

4. Avoid the city-page trap

Do not create near-identical pages for cities where you have no physical presence. Google treats similar pages that target specific cities or regions and funnel users to one place as doorway abuse spam^{[7]Source 7: Spam policies for Google web searchSpam policies for Google web searchGoogle Search Centralaccessed: 26 September 2026}. If you have a real branch, one page with that branch’s real details is enough.

5. LocalBusiness data on the site

The facts on the maps must match the site. In LocalBusiness data, name and address are required, coordinates need at least 5 decimal places and the subtype should be the most specific possible^{[8]Source 8: Local business (LocalBusiness) structured dataLocal business (LocalBusiness) structured dataGoogle Search Centralaccessed: 26 September 2026}. You can prepare the code with the schema generator.

Checklist

• Listings exist and are verified on Google, Apple and Yandex.
• Name, address, phone and hours match on all three and on the site.
• No keywords or city names in the business name.
• Reviews come only from real customers; every review gets a reply.
• No duplicate pages for cities without a branch.
• LocalBusiness data on the site follows the rules.