Voice search has really gained popularity, with devices like Amazon’s Alexa enabled devices becoming more popular and widely used in homes all over. Rather than jumping online or grabbing a phone to type in a search, you can simply use voice commands to get the answer to any question you may have.

They technology is also able to work with other devices to create convenient hands-free operation. Voice search has the potential to advance and also continue to impact local search engine optimization. Several business owners weighed in to give their opinions and thoughts regarding how it could possibly change and what that would mean for local SEO.

More searches while driving.

“Watching my children search YouTube — they only know voice search. As a result I envision voice search from smart phones to grab more and more local searches as adoption increases and people search while driving.” — Shawn Schulze of HomeArea.com

Formation of partnerships.

“I see Alexa and similar services partnering with more data sources, which will then focus local SEO efforts onto the optimization of whatever sources they are pulling information from. Local SEO will never disappear. Instead it will just advance as how consumers perform information searches change.” — Christopher Dziak, CEO of Pure Nootropics

More on-demand focused.

“The next advancement in voice search will be services on-demand — booking hair appointments, scheduling a doctor’s visit, reserving a table at dinner. Local businesses will need to be prepared technologically to be able to not only book these appointments but also make sure they’re easy to find.“ — Sean Christman, Founder of Slamdot

Google Duplex will lead the way.

“ComScore predicts that 50% of all online searches will be voice searches by 2020. The recently unveiled Google Duplex assistant carries out “real-world” tasks over the phone, like booking a consultation with a lawyer. Local businesses should focus on getting more rich snippets in the search results.” — Joseph W. Belluck of Belluck & Fox, LLP

Amazon partnerships.

“I think we will see more companies partner with Amazon to integrate voice search and also tie into Amazon’s massive data resources. Just like Google is the online source of data and info, Amazon is fully controlling the voice market. There are endless possibilities.” — Tom Munroe, CEO of RugStudio

Answer customers’ questions.

“Being able to tell Alexa what to do would be awesome when it comes to local SEO. But being able to have Alexa answer your target customer bases questions in real time would provide an edge that most can only dream of.” — Marc Webb, Founder of Real PDL Help

It will change grocery shopping.

“I think we are going to be able to order groceries directly from Alexa. You can already add items to your Amazon account via voice, and with Amazon’s acquisition of Whole Foods I think they are going to get heavy into home grocery delivery. Alexa will make it an effortless process.” — Ari Evans of AAA Handbags

Order integration.

“I think we will see it integrated with ordering. For example, I think customers will be able to place reservations at their favorite restaurants all by voice, as well as order a pizza from their local spot. Eventually local SEO will be entirely voice search focused.” — Andrew Tran, Founder of Therapy

Search results will become more relevant.

“Optimization of search engines with a focus on the mobile experience. Increasing the ability to use keyword search to produce up to date local results immediately. What that means is as business leaders we need to ensure our businesses are relevant and searchable.” — Shawn Freeman, Founder and CEO of TWT Group

More navigation-based searches.

“With voice search integrated with navigation I think there will be a huge push to optimize for location based searches while driving. Restaurants, gas stations, etc. They all have customers passing by their locations by the second. As voice search is more widely used the opportunity will increase.” — Edward Doskey of Doskey Law, P.L.C.

Yelp and Google reviews will become more important.

“I think reviews from places like Yelp and Google are going to play into the results even more. Nobody wants to ask a question and be provided with a poor choice. This is going to cause businesses to have to get creative in order to get as many strong reviews as possible.” — Jim Epton of Dom Huga Ltd

Used more by local information seekers.

“It seems to me as though it was more meant for local search options when you are on the go than if you were doing research for a blog article to write. I think people will use it more for local information because of its convenience and need for simpler information immediately.” — Ben Walker, Founder of Transcription Outsourcing, LLC

Better voice capabilities from your car.

“Better voice search in your car. Navigation has had a lot of focus, but we will begin to be more conversational about business hours, choosing which business to visit, etc. The systems should get easier to use.” — Matthew Kolb of All High Schools

Annika Bansal and her roommate Matt Segal are dedicated outdoors people. They enjoy hiking, canoeing, and especially rock climbing. One thing they noticed when out in the wild was how difficult it was to find an instant coffee to start their strenuous day that tasted any good. On an impulse, Bansal quit her safe and secure job in 2016 to find a way to make good instant coffee available for the outdoor and camping community.

Using one-hundred percent Arabica beans, she and Segal eventually discovered an instant blend that traveled well and tasted great. They began selling it at sporting goods stores in Ziploc bags. Then the huge sports retailer REI came calling, wanting the instant coffee to sell in all their stores.

Annika says that she thought their company, Alpine Start, was not yet big enough to undertake such a project. She asked REI if they couldn’t start with a target area with just a few stores, as a test run. REI replied it had to be all of their stores or nothing.

So Bansal started networking with coffee distributors, manufacturers, and packaging experts until she was able to offer REI exactly what they wanted.

Her advice to other entrepreneurs is simple:  When opportunity finally comes, get out and network instead of sitting in front of a computer screen all day.

No matter how much you love your job, work can be a challenge. However, if you’re working towards something grander and nobler than just padding your bank account, it makes it infinitely easier to trek to work each day.

When you’re deciding on your next career, consider one of these jobs that are all about helping people.

1. Personal Injury Attorney

You might have mixed feelings when you hear about personal injury attorneys, but when it comes down to it, they’re there to help. If you’ve been injured in a car accident caused by someone else, and the at-fault party refuses to cover the damages and medical expenses, you’ll be glad you have an attorney to get you adequate compensation.

Auto accident lawyers are like knights in shining armor for people who have been injured and need support. You can help them find the evidence they need and file a court case so that they can get their lives back to as close to normal as possible. 

Medical bills must be paid, and your client needs a working car to get around. In some cases, the injury can be so bad that your client is unable to work. If someone has taken the right to free mobility away from your client in an accident, helping them sue for compensation can be the best course of action.

Personal injury attorneys live a comfortable lifestyle. Their hours are relatively regular, and they work on a commission basis. That means that if you want a good income, you have to win a lot of cases. That being said, the average personal injury attorney makes between $73,000 and $164,000 per year. You can help a lot of people on a salary like that.

2. Cancer Researcher

If you’ve never given up hope that there’s a cure for cancer and you’re constantly looking up facts about lung cancer, breast cancer, leukemia, or any other carcinoma, a job in cancer research is probably the best place for you.

Cancer researchers work in teams to identify causes of cancer and develop strategies to diagnose, treat, prevent, and even cure it. You’ll collect and generate countless pages of research through studies and experimentation.

You can choose the specialty and area you’d like to work in. If you prefer experimenting and creating your own research, you’ll want to look into a lab job. If researching facts and making connections on the studies of others is more your thing, search for a desk job.

Cancer researchers are medical scientists, and such occupations require extensive education. You can get started in the field with a master’s degree, but most major research facilities prefer a doctorate of medicine degree (M.D.) and adequate licensure.

Having an M.D. also gives you more freedom to research in every capacity. If your research is successful, you’ll eventually move to clinical trials on human patients, but you won’t be able to be a direct part of the process if you’re not a doctor.

The median salary for cancer researchers is good at $82,000. There’s also a rapid growth projection, so it shouldn’t be difficult to find a job once you finish your education.

3. Nurse

One of the oldest and noblest professions for people who want to help others is nursing. A nurse assists doctors in performing treatments, educating patients, and doing lab testing. Nursing is the largest health occupation in the United States, and it’s in constant demand.

As a nurse, you’ll have the opportunity to work in a hospital, clinic, or private practice. Hospital nurses tend to live a more fast-paced lifestyle as they rush between patients or pull shifts in the emergency room. They may also work odd hours, since hospitals must be staffed 24/7.

If you prefer a slower pace, working in a private practice or clinic is best. You’ll work more regular hours and won’t have to pull night shifts. You’ll also work more closely with doctors in these practices.

Nurses should be interested in helping people. They spend more time with patients than doctors do, and they can help to cushion the blow of bad news and make patients feel better when dealing with pain or sickness.

Currently, there’s a nursing shortage in the United States, which means that you won’t have any problem getting a job as a nurse. Baby boomers make up a large population of older nurses, and they’re retiring. That leave a lot of openings for freshly educated nurses to take their place.

To become a nurse, you’ll need formal education. You can start with a certificate program to get your CNA, but it’s more beneficial to at least get an associate degree in nursing (ADN). After getting an associate or bachelor’s degree, you can take a test to become a registered nurse, which raises your pay outlook significantly.

Pay varies by state, but the average salary for a registered nurse is $68,000. That’s above average for a two-year degree, and if you get a bachelor’s degree or beyond, you qualify for more pay.

4. HVAC Contractor

Imagine that your AC has just gone out and it’s 90 degrees outside with 90 percent humidity. You have fans running, but it just doesn’t cut it. Can you imagine anything more welcome in this situation than an HVAC contractor coming to fix your air conditioning?

An HVAC contractor specializes in installing, maintaining, and repairing all things related to ventilation, air conditioning, boilers, furnaces, heat pumps, and refrigeration systems. They inspect, clean, maintain, and repair HVAC systems in both residential and commercial buildings.  

An HVAC contractor might also help clients decide on the best HVAC system and equipment for their needs. Most people know very little about heating and cooling, so your job as a technician will be to educate them and help them make a great choice.

Helping people repair things they can’t fix themselves is a great profession, and it pays close to $30 per hour. You may also be eligible for commission on sales and repairs, offering excellent growth opportunities.

5. Dietician or Nutritionist

The obesity epidemic is a plague, and dieticians and nutritionists are out to cure it. Along with helping people lose weight through the right foods, they promote health through healthy eating tips and lifestyle changes.

Nutritionists often work with those who have long-term diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, or high blood pressure. They coach patients on what to eat to avoid exacerbating their illness. They may also help patients eat right when recovering from an injury.

As a dietician, you’ll have the opportunity to work in a variety of settings including cafeterias, hospitals, clinics, nursing homes, and private practices. You’ll meet with a variety of clients and work alongside them in an often-difficult lifestyle transition, so good people skills are a must.

A nutritionist needs at least a bachelor’s degree to get into the field, but you can seek a master’s or doctorate if you choose. The median salary is about $60,000, and it’s in very high demand. The growth rate for the dietician occupation is much faster than average, so getting a job should be a cinch.

There’s nothing more gratifying than helping people in your work. It takes the edge off of bad days and helps you stay positive. Whether you’re looking for a career change or getting started in your adult career, consider these career opportunities which provide rewards far beyond the typical paycheck.

Internet users, until now, used to simply type anything that they needed to find through the search engine bar. These words are described as keywords or search phrases. Usually, these keywords are not types in complete sentences. Take, for example, the search ‘Italian restaurant NYC’ rather than typing in ‘I need an Italian restaurant in NYC’.

The keyword basically is an Italian restaurant NYC which in itself does not make complete sense. Google is intelligent — it takes the gist of it and then provides users with results that closely relate to the search.

Since speaking into a phone is much easier than typing, people are now turning to voice search to find information, especially local information. For example, saying ‘I need an Italian restaurant in NYC’ will bring up local options. You should focus on voice search, as its popularity is greatly increasing.

What is SEO today?

SEO is the practice of performing on-site and off-site strategies designed to help rank for specific keywords and search phrases. Take for example the website of any Italian restaurant in NYC — they would show up high in the results when someone searched for ‘Italian restaurant NYC’ on Google.

“It’s important to also understand that SEO involves providing the visitor with a pleasant experience,” says Darryl Howard of Boca Raton Med Spa. “You need content on your website that visitors can engage with, and you need your website to be mobile-friendly, allowing all visitors, regardless of their browsing device, to navigate effortlessly.”

SEO has advanced over the years, and it’s really important to focus on the consumer, and now with voice search becoming more important because of its convenience, it’s time to focus on this component.

How does voice search impact SEO?

It is no secret that voice search will revolutionize the way that content will be written. Since most people will now be speaking more, rather than typing, keyword phrases are going to be longer. Take for example, ‘I need an Italian restaurant in NYC’ — it is exactly the content that will be required to optimize for, rather than just targeting ‘Italian restaurant NYC’.

“Content quality has become more of a focus over the years,” says Dana VanDeCar, COO of Optimally Organic. “Back in the day, content and keywords were targeted that wasn’t natural, because the language types into a search bar was brief and not human-level. Now, with voice, searches are much more detailed.”

Publishing quality content that is focused around the user is always the best practice, and now websites with high authority are going to benefit even more. Voice searches will begin to trigger the content that was written naturally, as it now relates more to the type of searches that come via voice.

Keyword phrases are now more specific.

With the help of voice search, keyword phrases are going to become more specific. People are likely to speak specific details when they search for something by voice. Take, for example, a person may say ‘I need an Italian restaurant in NYC with a cozy atmosphere and seafood’.

The websites that have content which identifies them as Italian restaurants in NYC which particularly serve seafood having a cozy atmosphere will actually be ranked much higher and shown in the results. “In-depth content is now going to benefit websites even more, and those that adapted to long-form content previously are going to benefit greatly,” suggests Luqman Khan, Founder of Wireloo, a websites that just announced the best fitness tracking watch.

It’s not if — it’s when.

Content needs to include clear and short statements. SEO will soon be based on what people would say when they are searching for a particular thing by voice. “Content needs to cater to what people actually say when they are trying to find something online,” says Jake Braun of ChopperExchange, a website that features tips to sell your Harley.

This is not something that may happen or that some experts are predicting. If you look at any of the recent mobile-usage surveys, you will see that mobile use is climbing and voice search is being used more in everyday lives, thanks in part to devices like Amazon Alexa.