Search Different | Understanding Apple's "New" Search Engine

Andrew ShotlandCEO, LOCALSEOGUIDE.COM

Search DifferentUnderstanding Apple’s “New” Search Engine

Local Search Advantage WorkshopSMX East, NYC 09.26.16

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/about-us

10 years of Multi-Location & Enterprise SEO for Brands & Agencies

Think Apple Maps Suck?

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You Know What Doesn’t Suck?

http://www.asymco.com/2016/08/18/counting-apples-customers/

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64MM People In U.S. Use Apple Maps

https://www.comscore.com/Insights/Rankings/

Apple’s Local Search Evolution

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Spotlight Search’s Desktop Evolution

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Spotlight Search’s Desktop Evolution

Apple “Quietly” Skimming The Best Queries?

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iOS 9: The Search Game-Changer• Siri• Spotlight• Safari

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iOS9 Search: Siri• Apple Maps• Bing Search• App-Specific Commands

• “Open”, “Play”, “Call”, etc.

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iOS9 Search: Safari• Apple

Maps• App

Content• Suggested

Websites

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iOS9 Search: Spotlight• App Content• Websites• Bing Search

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And Don’t Forget About…

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Apple News

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Oh Yeah…Apple TV + Siri

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So What’s Apple’s Game?

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So How Can You Play?

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Two iOS Search Indexes

Applebot crawls + “Standard SEO” User-created content/engagement with

apps on user’s device

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Spotlight Search Algorithm Test• Enter query• Click on first Best Buy Locator

result• Repeat query• Record rankings• Click on first Best Buy Locator

result in “pack”• Repeat

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Query = “tv”Result # 1 2 3 (Accidental

Click on Contacts)4 5

1 1 App Xfinity TV Go 1 App Xfinity TV Go 1 App Xfinity TV Go 1 App Xfinity TV Go 1 App Xfinity TV Go

2 3 “TV” Contacts: Tim Villaneuva, Amy Vernon?

3 “TV” Contacts: Tim Villaneuva, Amy Vernon?

3 “TV” Contacts: Tim Villaneuva, Amy Vernon?

3 “TV” Contacts: Tim Villaneuva, Amy Vernon?

3 “TV” Contacts: Tim Villaneuva, Amy Vernon?

3 3 Apple Music  “Townes Van Zandt”

3 Apple Music  “Townes Van Zandt”

3 Apple Music  “Townes Van Zandt”

3 Apple Music  “Townes Van Zandt”

3 Apple Music  “Townes Van Zandt”

4 1 Podcast 1 Podcast 1 Podcast 1 Podcast 1 Podcast

5 1 iCal event 1 iCal event 1 iCal event 1 iCal event 1 iCal event

6 3 BB 3 BB 1 iMessage 3 BB 3 BB

7 1 iMessage 1 iMessage 3 mail 1 iMessage 1 iMessage

8 3 mail 3 mail 2 Notes 3 mail 3 mail

9 2 Notes 2 Notes 3 videos 2 Notes 2 Notes

10 3 videos 3 videos 3 BB 3 videos 3 videos

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Query = “appliance”Result # Query #1 2 3 4 5

1 2 suggested websites

1 BB 2 BB 3 BB 3 BB

2 3 maps 2 suggested websites

2 suggested websites

2 suggested websites

2 suggested websites

3 1 podcast 3 maps 3 maps 3 maps 3 maps

4 3 mail 1 podcast 1 podcast 1 podcast 1 podcast

5 3 BB 3 BB 3 BB 3 BB 3 BB

6 Wikipedia 3 mail 3 mail 3 mail 3 mail

7 3 Bing Wikipedia Wikipedia Wikipedia Wikipedia

8 3 Bing 3 Bing 3 Bing 3 Bing

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Spotlight Search Algorithm• The app must contain the keyword or some close variation to

rank

• The more you use an app the more likely it is to show up, regardless of what you use it for

• The more common a keyword the more likely irrelevant results are to rank

• Content/engagement ratio appears to be a non-factor at the moment

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How Yelp “SPAMs” Spotlight Search

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Apple Maps Search Does Suck

If Keyword Not Mapped To Biz Name or Category U R Screwed…

SIRI Doesn’t Get It Either…

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Voice Search is Your Frenemy

Apple Maps Ranking Factors•Category relevance to query•Keyword in business name•Proximity to searches’ centroid (user’s and/or city’s)•Yelp Meta Data (e.g. $$$$) – Unclear how important reviews are for rankings, but likely affect CTR.

Broad Geo Queries Can Lie…

Dupes Can Screw Up Categorization & Rankings

There are two dupe listings in

MapsConnect.

UNCLAIMED LISTINGCategory: Hardware Stores, Keys & Locksmiths

CLAIMED LISTINGCategory: Keys & Locksmiths

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A Picture Is Worth a 1,000 Lost Reservations…

Sources

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The Mysterious Case of DCNine Nightclub

https://www.tomtom.com/mapshare/tools/https://mapsconnect.apple.com/http://www.openstreetmap.org/http://www.flickr.com

Non U.S.? Check http://gspe21.ls.apple.com/html/attribution-38.html for geospatial & business listings sources.

(Warning: Updates to new URL every few months)

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Patience Grasshopper, Patience…

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Monitor for Legacy Business Problems• Moving Locations• Changing Phone #s• Rebranding• Acquisitions• Disasters• Crappy Local Listings Management Vendors You Hired Previously Because You Were Cheap…

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Near Term Considerations:• Make sure your business data is up to date on Apple

Maps• U.S. Data Providers:

- mapsconnect.apple.com- Axciom- Booking.com- Factual.com- GasBuddy.com- GreatSchools.com- Neustar Localeze- Parkopedia- TripAdvisor.com- Yelp.com

Non U.S.? Check http://gspe21.ls.apple.com/html/attribution-38.html for geospatial & business listings sources.

(Warning: Updates to new URL every few months)

Near Term Considerations• Claim all dupes and shut them down or recategorize them to the category you want to display

• Get as many people as possible to report incorrect categorizations in Apple Maps via “Report an Issue” UI

• Update Apple Maps data aggregators, including TomTom & OSM, to make all categorization as consistent as possible

• For non-category keywords, like “copy keys”:• Target Bing rankings for SIRI queries • Implement app indexing on your iOS app • Mark-up website location pages with http://schema.org/Organization using the correct categorization.

• If all else fails, consider submitting via one of these providers as their data is likely more• Brandify (Where2GetIt)• DAC Group• Location3• MomentFeed• PositionTech• RioSEO• SIMPartners• Yext

One More Thing…

Millions of More Things…https://maps.apple.com/place?address=122%20W%20Neal%20St%0APleasanton%2C%20CA%20%2094566%0AUnited%20States&auid=4717289857834049159&ll=37.660145128309622%2C-121.87523612755341&lsp=9902&q=Hap's%20Original%20Steaks%20%26%20Seafood

URLS = AM ID + Lat/Long + Name

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Further Reading• AppleMapsMarketing.com• iOS App Search Programmer Guide• Yext:Optimizing Local Search for iOS9 (reg req’d)

TL;DR?

andrew@localseoguide.com

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