Just the other day, we were contemplating picking up some food from a restaurant on the way home from an event. Unfortunately, we had no cash, just a credit card.
We wanted to make sure that the restaurant took our credit card before making an order over the phone. I pressed the little microphone symbol on the phone and asked: “does such and such restaurant take credit cards?”
The answer came back that “yes, this restaurant accepts American Express, Discover, Mastercard, and Visa credit cards.”
Once we parked, I curiously looked at my phone to see that the answer Google presented came from the restaurant’s Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page.
While waiting for our order, I scanned the restaurant’s FAQs. Subjects ranged from payment methods to open hours to types of food to nutrition. This was a rich source of information that Google was more than happy to access to present to their searchers.
It also reinforced the idea that local businesses need to optimize their online presence for voice search.
That’s Because a Lot of Users Will Be Using Voice Search
Today, 20% of mobile searches are by voice. Google predicts that 50% of searches will be by voice by 2020. In preparation, Google and other search engines are indexing content that will satisfy voice searches, which are typically:
- 1% longer than text-based searches
- More naturally/conversationally spoken
- 3 times more likely to be for local purposes
And we’re not just talking about mobile voice searches.
Homes are Filling Up with Voice Assistant Devices
Your customers’ homes are filling up with voice assistant devices.
- Google Home
- Amazon Alexa
- Apple HomePod
- Facebook Portal
- Microsoft Cortana
Soon, voice searches will be the primary way people get information about your business, products, and services.
A local business that optimizes their online presence for voice will be the businesses that provide the voice searchers with the answers they’re seeking.
How to Get Your Business Content Noticed for Voice Searches
Fortunately, optimizing your business’ online presence for voice search is primarily the same as optimizing for searches.
You Need to Establish Your Online Presence
All of these devices rely on information from the web. That means if you’ve taken the time to establish your online presence, you’ve provided these devices with the information they’re looking for.
Each of the devices tends to rely on multiple online sources for information about your business.
Google Home
- Search Results: Google
- Business Listings: Google My Business
- Reviews: Google My Business
Amazon Alexa
- Search: Bing
- Business Listings: Yelp & Yext
- Reviews: Yelp
Apple HomePod (Siri)
- Search: Google
- Business Listings: Apple Maps
- Reviews: Yelp
Microsoft Cortana
- Search: Bing
- Business Listings: Bing
- Reviews: Yelp
Facebook Portal
These devices are the new kids on the block. Facebook probably relies heavily on information found throughout their Facebook platform:
- Facebook business pages
- Reviews found on Facebook
Don’t Forget a FAQ Page
FAQs, when written correctly, can serve voice search queries better than most of the content on your website.
Content for FAQs is generally concise (under 30 words) and built to answer specific questions.
Develop and maintain a FAQ page on your website. Make a list of questions your customers tend to ask and answer them on your page.
Also, don’t forget about your Google My Business account. The search giant has conveniently added a section for you to add questions and answers about your business.
Is Managing Your Online Presence More than You Can Manage? Reach Out for Help.
Give Business Solutions Unlimited a call at (904) 429-4588 to learn more about the ways we can help your business today.