Siri is a virtual assistant which Apple launched back in 2009 that delivered actionable / transactionable results after doing a voice search / request, instead of just a search engine results page (SERP).

On Monday the 10th of May the creators of Apple’s ‘Siri’ launched a smarter Artificial Intelligence assistant called Viv, which could be described as Siri 2.0.

Siri is more than capable of handling many different queries from users, but Viv is able to tap into many third party applications and promises to handle far more complex queries.

A Virtual Assistant (VA) is an artificial human-like representation of an organisation, designed not only to answer questions, but also to hold conversations with users.

Why should you care?

The use of voice search and virtual assistants is growing dramatically; and the way people search when using these tools is different to how they search when using a keyboard.

It’s important for digital marketers to start thinking of how to optimise their website and content for voice search, which will involve a new take on keyword phrases and more conversational search requests.

To get on top of optimising your website for voice search, here are some of the things you should be focusing on:

1. Providing answers to queries that meet the user’s intent

There’s a need to shift focus from stuffing unnatural keywords into content, and try to provide answers to the specific questions your users are asking.

2. Having an optimised mobile friendly website

I think it’s safe to say that voice search is primarily used on mobile devices – which shows the importance of having an optimised mobile friendly website.

3. Optimising your website for local search

Mobile search goes hand-in-hand with Local search; another important factor in today’s world of search. Search engines want to give users the best possible search experience, providing users with results that meet their intent.

4. Using structured data on your website

Using structured data helps search engines make sense of your website, which in turn helps them to achieve their goals.

Links to further reading

 https://searchengineland.com/son-siri-viv-aims-go-way-beyond-todays-digital-assistants-248861

https://www.technobuffalo.com/2016/05/05/siri-creators-viv-smart-ai-assistant/

https://gadgets.ndtv.com/apps/news/siri-creators-to-launch-viv-virtual-assistant-on-monday-833919