Apple Business Connect (Apple Maps & Siri Optimisation)
Apple Business Connect was Apple's platform for managing how a business appears in Apple Maps, Siri, Spotlight and CarPlay, and it has since been folded into "Apple Business". Apple describes the new platform as one that combines "the capabilities previously found in Apple Business Manager, Apple Business Essentials and Apple Business Connect into a single, comprehensive offering", and the documentation now sits in the Apple Business user guide. There, businesses maintain the display name, description, address and coordinates, opening hours, phone number, website, categories and attributes in a central "Place Card". Apple does not state in this documentation which factors determine placement in Apple Maps.
In practice
Set up the Apple listing independently of the Google Business Profile, because Apple Maps and Siri work from Apple's own location data. Do not look for the instructions under the old brand any more: Apple now keeps them in the Apple Business user guide. Choose the primary category as specifically as possible and add the optional categories as well as the "Good to Know" attributes, so that the Place Card reflects your offering precisely. Keep name, address, opening hours and phone number identical to your website and other directories – this avoids contradictory information, even though Apple publishes no ranking factors of its own. Showcases, Apple's counterpart to Google Posts, suit menus, offers and announcements and should be updated regularly.