Digital Marketing – Siri and Local Search

This October, thousands of gadget geeks visited Apple stores to check out the new iPhone 4S after its launch. The most exciting new digital marketing-related feature of this device has to be its new voice-recognition application known as ‘Siri’. While voice-recognition is by no means new, Apple has combined it with geo-targeting to develop a captivating feature that can change digital marketing.

The main difference between Siri and other voice recognition applications is the type of results shown. While old voice-recognition systems were usually embedded in single programs or apps, showing only one type of result like phone dialing or web search, Siri is connected to the phone’s operating system. This means that simple voice commands can be used to directly access different apps. For instance, if we say ‘Siri help’, we get a list of answers from 14 different programs.

So, what role does Siri have to play in local search? Well, Siri offers a user-friendly way of running local searches, through voice commands. For example, if you say ‘hotel near me’, Siri checks proximity of business listings from a database, before throwing up a list of nearby hotels, as well as the approximate distance from each one. Even Google had something like this, with their iPhone app that displayed web results. However, Siri goes one step further, allowing you to place calls just by tapping on a hotel name in the list.

In addition to calling, users can also use Siri to ask for directions to any of the hotel locations, without having to run another voice query or switch applications. According to various digital marketing specialists, this seamless integration makes the product very easy to use, and will be the main reason why customers will flock to Apple stores to purchase the product. While many bugs have also been noticed by digital marketing specialists, such as incorrect recognition of words/accents, Siri is believed to be a major step forward in the direction of more effective digital marketing.

In light of Siri, small and medium businesses that want to improve their local digital marketing strategy should begin with the basics. This means ensuring that their business listings are updated and accurate, so that customers can find them easily. As Apple is using the Google Maps product to derive details of contact information as well as driving directions, digital marketing professionals need to ensure that their client’s digital marketing listing on Google Maps is fully optimised.

Qudos Digital is a leading digital marketing agency and can be contacted on 020 8891 2077 or info@qudosdigital.co.uk.

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