Last Updated on: 22nd April 2024, 04:09 pm

Every local business must optimize itself to enable customers to find them when using Apple Siri, Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, and Microsoft Cortana. Voice search is becoming more popular, not only with the development of smart speakers, but also on phones, computers, and other devices. And people utilize voice assistants for more than basic inquiries and activities, they use them to find local businesses as well 

Here are the basic steps to optimize a local business for voice search:

• Understand the local voice search ecosystem: Users use a wide range of gadgets. Even though Google, Apple, Siri, and Cortana all have roughly equal voice search market share, people use various devices. 

• Understand the three types of local business voice search You can optimize a local business for discovery, brand, and knowledge voice search queries 
• Claim and optimize your Google My Business listing Google My Business powers all local business results in Google Assistant 
• Claim and optimize your Apple Maps business listing On Apple Siri, local business search results are powered by Apple Maps Connect
• Claim and optimize your Bing Places business listing Bing Places powers local search results for Microsoft Cortana 
• Claim and optimize your Yelp business listing Amazon Alexa gets local search results from Yelp. Yelp also provides photos and reviews for Apple Maps and Bing Places 

Did You Know? 

• 50% of people used voice search to find a local business over the past year 
• 74% of voice search users looked for a local business weekly 
• 46% of voice search users looked for a local business daily 

That was nearly two years ago this study was done, and voice search has continued to develop since then. In the end, people are using voice assistants to find local businesses. Are your company’s listings accessible for these consumers? 

Voice Assistant Market Share 

• Cell phones remain the most common search device 
• Smartphone usage has exceeded desktop computer usage 

• Apple, Siri, Google Assistant, Microsoft Cortana, and Amazon Alexa are the four most popular voice assistants 

Three Types of Local Voice Searches: 

1. Discovery 

• “What are the best breweries near me?” 
• “Find a plumber in Fort Collins” 
• “Where is a gas station near me?” 

2. Direct 

• “Call Hanna, Warner and Associates” 
• “Make a reservation at Hearth Restaurant” 
• “Make an appointment at Chase” 

3. Knowledge 

• “Has emerald ash bore been seen in Northern Colorado?” 
• “Does King Soopers carry veal? 
• “What mechanic works on Chevrolet’s? 

Discovery searches are useful for discovering new businesses. Direct queries are made when people inquire about the details of a certain business and those people want to engage or do business with you right now 

Knowledge searches may not have a local business focus, but they can offer information to help answer the query. Knowledge searches are a bit more difficult to capture, although they may lead customers to contact you for your knowledge in a certain area 

Start with the output devices when examining the local voice search environment. People utilize voice search on cellphones and smart speakers, to be sure. However, usage of voice search is increasing on tablets, laptop and desktop computers, and game consoles 

You’ll also notice voice assistants becoming increasingly integrated into other gadgets, including smart televisions, appliances, and watches. Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa, and Apple Siri are now being used in new automobiles 

Optimize for Apple Siri 

For voice search, Siri has a 36 percent market share. It obtains local business data from Apple Maps Connect, which powers not just local business information for Siri but also for Apple Maps. But the basic process is to go to Apple Maps Connect, sign in with an Apple ID, then claim your business listing and optimize your information 

You’ll notice that Apple Maps Connect has no reviews or photographs because Apple didn’t add any. That’s because Apple receives evaluations and photos from a variety of sites, including Yelp, but also others depending on the category. As a result, claiming and optimizing your Yelp business listing is critical for optimizing your business for Siri … and Maps. – There are some newer things being released about Apple Maps Reviews that are coming out and we are monitoring this closely 

Optimize for Google Assistant 

Google Assistant has a 36% market share in voice searches. Because it’s a Google product, it gets all its local business data from Google My Business, including reviews and photographs. 

The same rules apply to optimizing your site for Google Assistant as they do to optimizing it for Google Search or Google Maps. In the end, if you optimize your business to appear well in a Google search or on Google Maps, you’ll be perfectly optimized to show up in a voice search on Google Assistant 

Optimize for Amazon Alexa 

Alexa has a 70% market share in smart speakers. However, when you include all devices, Alexa’s percentage of the overall voice search market falls to 25% 

Two major sources provide Alexa local business data, photos, and reviews. Yelp provides the vast majority of Alexa local search business information, pictures, and feedback 

Also, be careful as unsavory businesses are phoning local firms and informing them that they will not appear in Alexa unless they buy a certain listing. This is a con, trying to sell you listings under false pretenses 

Optimize for Microsoft Cortana 

Finally, there’s Microsoft Cortana, which has a surprising 19% market share. Because it’s built into Windows 10, Xbox and Microsoft Office, one in five voice searches are performed through Cortana 

Bing Places gets general business information for Cortana. While Bing has a little market share on mobile, it still commands a significant presence in desktop web search. And with a 20% market share in voice search, claiming and optimizing your Bing Places listing is well worth your time 

You are Now Optimized for Local Voice Search 

You’ll be well-positioned to show up in both discovery and direct brand local voice search searches once you’ve claimed and optimized your Google My Business, Apple Maps Connect, and Bing Places 

How Simply Be Found helps you Optimize for Local Voice Search on Alexa, Siri, Google, and Cortana 

Getting your local business found by voice search is an important aspect of running a profitable business. Simply Be Found shows you how local voice searchers find you by showing you how to optimize your SEO with a step-by-step plan in 5-10 minutes a day. Simply Be Found helps you get more market share by helping you make sure your address and operating hours are correct across search engines so potential consumers can find you online. We help you claim and optimize your Google My Business listing which powers all local business results in Google Assistant. We help you make sure that your business information is updated and consistent, as it will impact your local SEO (Search Engine Optimization). Simply Be Found’s membership also includes providing you with the ability to manage your business and holiday hours in advance, so your customers always know when to do business with you. You can also boost your SEO by generating and responding to more reviews to get found by more consumers who are looking for your products and services. As a member of Simply Be Found you will have a well-executed local SEO strategy, to ensure that your potential clients see your business first on local search, directories, maps, and social media when they are searching for your industry type in your local area. Simply Be Found helps you make sure that the public details about your company are correct on time and consistent across multiple search engines, voice services, maps, apps, and other discovery tools that people use to help them decide where to shop when using Apple Siri, Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, and Microsoft Cortana.