2GIS: how to claim a place in the directory
2GIS is often underrated as an outdated directory. Yet in a number of cities it is used more actively than Google Maps, and its audience is distinctive: people arrive with a formed intention to buy or order something.
2GIS works without an internet connection and remains the main directory in many cities, so even businesses that live on Google keep a listing there. Completeness matters most: categories, entrance and floor, opening hours, photos. It is worth stating exactly where the entrance is — that cuts the number of clients who never made it to you.
In this article8 sections
What makes the service different
2GIS is historically a directory of organisations rather than a map with organisations on it. Its strengths follow from that: detailed company information, floors within buildings, entrances, opening hours and deep categorisation.
- It works offline — people use it on the road and where connectivity is poor.
- A strong position in Russian and Kazakh cities, present in Uzbekistan.
- The audience searches for a specific organisation or service rather than browsing a map.
- Detailed categorisation: you can land in a narrow category with few competitors.
What to fill in
- Check for an existing listingYour company is often already in the database: 2GIS collects data itself. You claim it rather than creating a duplicate.
- CategoriesChoose the most precise. A narrow category with little competition often gives more than a broad one.
- Contacts and entranceGive not only the address but the floor, entrance and landmarks. This is exactly what 2GIS is valued for.
- Opening hoursIncluding breaks and days off.
- PhotosThe façade and entrance are essential — that is how people find you.
- Services with pricesA price list right in the listing removes half the questions.
The most useful detail people skip is a description of how to find you inside the building. In business centres and shopping complexes that directly affects whether someone reaches you.
Paid placement
2GIS earns from priority placement: a highlighted listing, top positions in a category, extra banners. This is not a scam and works predictably, but you need to know what you are buying.
- Priority in the category list — worth it in competitive categories.
- Highlighting the listing with colour and a logo — raises visibility.
- Extended information — more photos, offers, extra fields.
Before paying, bring the free listing to a complete state. If you have no photos and no price list, paid placement simply shows people the emptiness faster.
Who gets the most from 2GIS
| Type of business | Return | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Services in business centres | High | People look for the entrance and floor |
| Car services, parts shops | High | Searched on the road, often offline |
| Medicine, salons | Medium | Competition with maps |
| Online services with no address | Low | The service is built around physical locations |
What to do regularly
- Update the price list — outdated prices repel more than missing ones.
- Watch reviews and reply to them.
- Check that no duplicate listing has appeared.
- Update photos after a renovation or a change of signage.
Categories: how to pick the right one
The 2GIS category tree is more detailed than that of the maps, and that is an advantage. Instead of a generic «medicine» you can land in a narrow one with several times fewer competitors.
- The primary category should describe what you do most of the time, not everything at once.
- Add secondary categories for services you genuinely offer — they widen your query coverage.
- Do not add categories «just in case»: a mismatch attracts complaints and user edits.
- Check which category the competitors in the top sit in: often it is not the obvious one.
How people use the directory
Understanding the scenario explains what to fill in. The typical path: a person opens the app, types a service, gets a list of nearby organisations, opens a listing and looks at three things.
- Opening hours — are you open now.
- How to get there and where exactly the entrance is.
- Prices, if a list exists.
Everything else — photos, description, reviews — matters afterwards. So those three fields come first.
Duplicates and outside edits
Data in 2GIS can be edited by users, and that regularly produces surprises: a changed phone number, a moved pin, a business marked closed by mistake.
- Check the listing quarterly — it takes five minutes.
- Watch for duplicates: they appear when a name or address changes.
- When you find a duplicate, report it for merging rather than deleting your own listing.
Frequent questions
Do we need 2GIS if we have Google and Yandex?
In cities where it is actively used, yes. The listing is free, fills in within an hour, and the audience arrives with a formed intention. It is one of the best effort-to-result ratios available.
Does 2GIS work in Uzbekistan?
Yes, the service is present, though its audience share is smaller than Google Maps. For a local business it makes sense to cover all three services.
Is paid placement mandatory?
No. A free but fully completed listing with reviews works. Paid placement makes sense in crowded categories with dozens of similar companies.
How often is data in 2GIS refreshed?
Edits made through the dashboard usually take a few days. The offline copy on users' devices updates when the database is next downloaded, so changes do not arrive instantly.
What if we have several entrances?
Give the main customer entrance and describe the landmarks in the address field. In business centres and shopping complexes that decides whether a person reaches you or turns back.
Does 2GIS affect the site's search rankings?
Not directly. Indirectly yes: it is another consistent mention of the company with the same data, and such mentions strengthen local results.
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