Optimizing for local search is no longer a matter of mentioning your location and including a map for SEO. You need to set up a Google Business Profile for your business. We provide in-depth details about the importance of using this Google feature in “Search Marketing: Google Maps And Google My Business (Now Google Business Profile) Listings.”
There are other ways to optimize for local search beside Google Business Profile. Read more in “How to improve local search engine results: local SEO for your business.”
Customers are voicing their requests more and more frequently so you also need to optimize for voice search. A 2018 Price Waterhouse Cooper study revealed that 71% of respondents preferred talking to typing their search questions. Google’s statistics show 41% of adults and 50% of teenagers use voice search at least once each day. A recent survey by BrightLocal revealed that 53% of AI device (like Alexa, Cortana, Google Assistant, and Siri) owners and 46% of those with smartphones use them daily to verbally seek for information concerning local businesses. Those with voice-enabled tablets and desktop computers are not far behind at 43%.
Google’s statistics show 41% of adults and 50% of teenagers use voice search at least once each day. A recent survey by BrightLocal revealed that 53% of AI device (like Alexa, Cortana, Google Assistant, and Siri) owners and 46% of those with smartphones use them daily to verbally seek for information concerning local businesses. Those with voice-enabled tablets and desktop computers are not far behind at 43%.
Voice-enabled search is here to stay. If you read “Getting Started With A Chatbot For Business” and “What A Bot Can Do For Your Business,” you know how artificial intelligence can assist with customer service. Optimizing local search for voice queries is the next step to improving customer experiences with local businesses.
You need to know what your customers are asking
Prospective customers frequently want to quickly
• Check price
• Determine the availability of an item or a service provider
• Get immediate help
• Make an appointment or reservation
• Order food for delivery
• Purchase
• Speak to a professional instead of a machine
Recognize natural language patterns
People don’t want to feel like they are talking to a computer. Choose natural sounding words and phrases that your customers actually use. Allow for natural conversation and allow follow-up questions without requiring a restart from the beginning of the computer script. Pay attention to grammar rules and long-tail phrases, not just keywords.
Create content that positions your business to appear in AI answer boxes
Begin with a list of topics related to your business. Under each topic, list as many questions as you can that might be search queries. Frequently asked questions and those beginning with who, what, when, where, why, how, or how much are especially important. Pose each question on your list to Alexa, Cortana, Google Assistant, Siri, or Google itself and note which answers give you an opportunity to give a better response. Be sure to note what was missing or incorrect so you don’t make the same mistake. Add a Frequently Asked Questions page to your website and showcase this relevant content there. Tate Design can create content for you and update your website.
Encourage good online reviews
Online reviews (especially on sites like TripAdvisor, Google Business Profile, and Yelp) with superlatives like awesome, best, great, and outstanding are going to show up better in the search results used in voice queries than those with lesser words and slang.
Continue to pay attention to mobile
Individuals on the go may not be in a location where they can hear your response as clearly so supplement with excellent smartphone graphics. Include an easy-to-read confirmation message after a discussion, order, reservation, etc. Provide a map to your local business location. Make sure your delivery-tracking mobile app actually works.
Tate Design is equipped to optimize for local search and perform other kinds of search engine optimization. Call Tate Design at 610.725.0702 or e-mail [email protected] to get started.
Updated August 2022
