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. If you’re wondering what is your current location according to Google then you can check out https://whereamirightnow.com.
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