How To Get Your Business On Alexa

As voice search becomes increasingly popular, small businesses need to adapt their online presence to stay ahead of the competition. Amazon’s Alexa is one of the leading voice assistants, and optimizing your business for this platform can help you reach more customers. In this blog post, we’ll discuss the steps small businesses can take to improve their visibility on Amazon Alexa. We’ll also introduce Simply Be Found, a marketing platform that can help streamline the process of registering and optimizing your business for voice search.

1. Optimize Your Online Presence for Voice Search: Before diving into Alexa-specific optimizations, it’s essential to improve your overall online presence. This includes claiming and optimizing your Google My Business listing, enhancing your website’s local SEO, and building local citations. Focus on providing accurate, up-to-date information about your business and incorporating relevant local keywords in your content.
2. Add Structured Data to Your Website: To make your website more discoverable by Alexa and other voice assistants, add Schema.org structured data markup to your site. This helps search engines and voice assistants better understand your content, ultimately improving your website’s visibility. Use the “LocalBusiness” schema for local businesses and provide essential details such as name, address, phone number, and opening hours.

Here’s an example of how you can add structured data to your website using JSON-LD:

htmlCopy code<script type="application/ld+json">
{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "LocalBusiness",
  "name": "Your Business Name",
  "image": "https://example.com/logo.jpg",
  "address": {
    "@type": "PostalAddress",
    "streetAddress": "123 Main St",
    "addressLocality": "Anytown",
    "addressRegion": "CA",
    "postalCode": "12345",
    "addressCountry": "US"
  },
  "telephone": "+1-555-123-4567",
  "openingHoursSpecification": [
    {
      "@type": "OpeningHoursSpecification",
      "dayOfWeek": [
        "Monday",
        "Tuesday"
      ],
      "opens": "09:00",
      "closes": "17:00"
    },
    ...
  ],
  "url": "https://example.com"
}
</script>

Replace the example values with your own business information.

3. Create a Custom Alexa Skill (Optional): For a more interactive experience, consider creating a custom Alexa Skill for your business. This allows customers to interact with your business through voice commands, ask specific questions, or even schedule appointments. Here’s a summary of the steps to create and publish your Alexa Skill:a. Plan your skill: Define the purpose, target audience, and voice commands (intents).b. Sign up for an Amazon Developer account and create a new Alexa skill.c. Define the interaction model: Create intents, slots, and sample utterances.d. Set up an endpoint: Link your skill to a hosting platform (e.g., AWS Lambda).e. Write your skill’s code using a supported programming language.f. Test your skill in the Alexa Developer Console and on an Alexa-enabled device.g. Prepare for publishing: Provide necessary information and submit for certification.h. Monitor and update your skill based on user feedback and performance.
4. Leverage Social Media and Online Reviews: Maintaining an active presence on social media platforms and encouraging customers to leave reviews can help improve your visibility on voice search platforms. Share useful content, engage with your audience, and respond to customer queries and reviews.

Simplify the Process with Simply Be Found: If you’re looking for a more streamlined solution, Simply Be Found’s marketing platform can help small businesses register and optimize their online presence for voice search. This all-in-one platform can save time and effort by handling various aspects of your online presence, making it easier for customers to find your business on Amazon Alexa and other voice search platforms.

Conclusion: Optimizing your small business for Amazon Alexa can provide a significant competitive advantage, as more consumers turn to voice search to find products and services. By following the steps outlined in this blog post and leveraging a platform like Simply Be Found, you can improve your business’s visibility on Alexa and attract more customers. Don’t miss out on the potential benefits of voice search – start optimizing your business today!