In order for small businesses to keep up with trends in digital marketing and maintain their rankings in search engines, they need to understand that a "voice search" is quickly growing in popularity. While there are still a few problems being worked, voice searches now account for between 40% and 50% of most searches performed over the internet. Voice searches are much different analytically than the traditional way of typing a query in a search bar using specific keywords and phrases. With voice searches, SEO still plays an important role but now things are more streamlined.
Voice Activated Devices and Voice Search Options
Most voice-activated devices like Alexa or Echo use Bing as their primary search engine. This means that you want to be checking the analytics from the Bing search engine just like you do Google. Overlooking this small detail can be a big mistake if you plan on fully utilizing voice search potential. It's also important to remember how voice searches work. In most cases, when you perform a voice search, you will only get one result, a short snippet of an answer. With other types of searches, you may get pages on pages of results. To keep things simple, a voice search will provide on result based on the detail of the keywords or phrases you use in your search. This means that if you want your name or information to be in that number one spot, you need to be "voice search ready" in terms of keywords, phrases, and other data that will drive you to the top of the rankings.
Long-Tailed Keywords and Natural Voice
Voice searches are capable of understanding your natural speaking voice and the use of long-tailed keywords. When performing a voice search, most people speak to their device as they would to someone they know. This means the device must be capable of understanding what is being said, perform the search and then tell you the results in as natural a voice as possible. The long-tailed keywords allow for natural voice to be used in much the same ways as shorter, more concise keywords are used in a manual search.
Voice Recognition and Confirmation Codes
When it comes to security, voice-activated devices are intended to recognize the owner's voice and respond to the "wake-up" word. In the past, however, most devices would respond to almost any voice if it was remotely close to that of the owner. By using voice recognition and confirmation codes to prevent others from accessing the devices, users can now feel more comfortable making purchases from their devices. Google Voice has actually improved its accuracy to almost 95% in this area. With that being said, almost 33% of those who own a voice-activated device have not only searched for information but also purchased an item by using a voice command. Confirmation codes can be added to prevent unauthorized users from making purchases through these types of devices.
The Benefits of a Managed IT Service
With the increased use of voice-activated devices such as Echo and Alexa, companies need to learn how to optimize their strategies toward these new technologies. This is where having a managed IT service on the payroll can offer maximum benefits. Instead of having a staff member struggle through the analytics and all of the data associated with this type of technology and networking, a managed IT service can get down to business and get the job done in a lot less time, saving you money and man-hours in the process.
Visit Ulistic.com to perform a self-assessment on your website. You will be able to determine how well your site is performing compared to past analytics. You will also be able to check out how your website is performing compared to your competitors. This information will show you how to improve your search rankings and the tools you need to effectively manage your IT needs. You will also learn the benefits of having a managed IT service as part of your team is a win/win situation for everyone involved. A professional IT service has one job. They manage your internet presence and make it easy for your company to stay up to speed with the latest in technology. This not only gives you an edge, but it also frees up your team to do the work they were trained to do.
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