Sometimes, it feels as if Apple owns the world. From the ubiquity of iPhones to Apple Watches, Macs, iPads, and AirPods, few brands are quite as omnipresent and recognizable in today's market as Apple.

That’s why we recommend keeping an eye on Apple as a wise strategy for your business. But with such a wide array of products and services, mastering Apple can be a bit daunting. That's why Creekmore Marketing is here to tell you everything you need to know about this innovative company and how you can use it to help grow your business.

When we talk about Apple within the context of Search Engine Optimization (SEO), we’re largely talking about Apple’s own web browser, Safari. Until 1997, Apple computers were manufactured to run the browsers Netscape Navigator and Cyberdog. Apple then struck a short-term deal with Windows to package its computers with a version of Internet Explorer designed for Mac.

In 2003, Steve Jobs announced that Apple would be creating its very own web browser: Safari. Safari did not see any major changes until the release of the iPhone, which necessitated the development of a mobile version. In 2008, Apple repaid its bargain to Windows and released Safari for Windows. However, when it stopped allowing Safari to be run on Windows machines in 2012, Safari could no longer be run on anything other than Apple products.

Apple’s Safari is not, technically, a search engine. Instead, it is much more like the aggregating web browsers of days past, such as the early forms of MSN. But, rather than being at the mercy of whatever search engine that Safari pulls, you can actually designate which search engine you would like to pull results from.

According to W3Counter, Safari only accounts for 15% of desktop browser market share compared to Google Chrome at a whopping 69%.

Simply, Safari is less popular than Chrome, even among Mac users. Instead, Safari gets much more traffic from people who use mobile Apple devices, such as iPhones and iPads. Interestingly, Apple phones are no longer the most popular phones in the United States; so far, in 2024, Samsung is the leading smartphone brand. No matter whether you prefer Apple or Android, Google is the number one search engine, followed by YouTube and Bing.

One element that makes Apple so powerful for businesses is Apple Maps. This comes pre-installed on most Apple devices and is directly connected to Safari in the same way that Google Maps is connected to Google Chrome. If you search for your business on Safari and have an Apple Maps listing, it will automatically display.

This makes claiming your listing on Apple Maps just as essential as claiming your listing on Bing Places or Google Business Profile. While you can’t leave long-form reviews like you would on Google Business Profile, Apple Maps offers a “thumbs up” or “thumbs down” rating system with subcategories to choose from.

Comparing Apple's importance to a search engine like Google is a bit like comparing apples (wink wink) and oranges. They are services that do similar but ultimately very different things. While Google may have a monopoly on the internet, Apple and Android have monopolies on the devices (particularly mobile ones) that access it.

Our best recommendation for building your presence with Apple Maps is consistency. Ensure that all the business information across your website, business listings, and social media are the same so that potential customers can easily find your business.

Need help optimizing your business listings like Apple Maps? Contact Creekmore Marketing today, and we can help you get ahead of the competition. We’re located in Lexington, Kentucky, and we serve businesses worldwide with innovative digital marketing services.

Curious about other business listings and search engines? Check out our guides to Bing, Google Search, LinkedIn InMail, Yahoo, and more.