The address quirk
Carolina Forest is a large, fast-growing unincorporated community in Horry County. Most addresses there use Myrtle Beach as the postal city, and some use Conway, depending on where you are. Customers, though, search for “Carolina Forest.”
- Use your official postal address on Google, Apple Maps and everywhere else, exactly as the post office has it. Don’t change the city to Carolina Forest.
- Say “Carolina Forest” plainly on your website, in your Google business description, and in the services and area you list, so searches for the area still match you.
- Mention the landmarks people use: Carolina Forest Boulevard, River Oaks, International Drive, the nearby schools or shopping centers you’re near.
When the map doesn’t know your building
- New construction often isn’t on Google or Apple Maps yet, or the pin lands in the wrong spot.
- On Google Business Profile, you can adjust the pin to the right place during setup. Do it carefully; a wrong pin sends customers to the wrong parking lot.
- Report missing roads or buildings through Google Maps and Apple Maps’ own feedback tools.
- Add simple directions to your website (“behind the gas station, second building”) until the maps catch up.
- Verification may take longer for a new address. Have your signage up and a business license or utility bill with the address ready.
Written by Nikita Huttenlocher, founder and lead engineer at Huttenlocher Technologies, a web design and software company in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.