A New Kind of Search

You may already be familiar with search engine optimization (SEO) and how it works. Basically, you determine a keyword or phrase you think someone may use on Google to find your product or service, and you tailor a web page to focus on that topic. With a little luck, a lot of skill, you’ll get a good rank.

But, what about when someone asks Alexa or Google Home about something related to your business offerings? This is where things get interesting (and a bit complicated). But, with over 50% of American households owning Smart Speakers in 2022 according to Juniper Research, it’s time for your business to start considering how to optimize your content for the possibilities.

If you provide any sort of consumer product, then this is a no-brainer for your next marketing plan, but even B2B companies can find a slew of advantages by implementing some strategies and tactics to help you get found through this type of query.

Here are three (of many) things to know:

1. Write your content headlines with questions in mind. “What if…” “What does X mean…”. This lets the algorithms know you are ready for high placement within a vocalized search.
2. There can only be one result from a verbal inquiry, so prioritize configuring your web pages that are most important for sales.
3. Get a Wikipedia page. Many results will be derived from trusted, public, informational websites.

Check out some statistics that will convince you this new online trend is for real. This is a growing field with nowhere to go but up.

• Over 50% of Americans use assistants from a few times a day to at least one time daily, according to NPR.
• Almost half of all online buyers research products before buying using this method.
• According to Capgemini, 70% of people will shop using their Echo or similar device in 2022.

Yes, this will take some research to get right, but if you want to stay up on what’s current and also pursue new marketing channels, this is a topic worth investing in. And you could get started by simply saying, “Hey, Siri!”