The still relatively new iPhone 4S's latest and greatest invention is Siri, the voice activated personal assistant. Siri can do everything from send a text message to read a text message to find directions to the nearest restaurant just by being asked in plain language. Siri can be a huge benefit to businesses if they are able to utilize the correct tactics in order for their business to show up through the mobile assistant. Here are four critical strategies that will get businesses recognized more often by Siri.
List Local
A great place to start is by creating an in depth Google Places page. If there are multiple locations, be sure to create a separate page for each location. When describing the business be as specific as possible. If the business sells pants don't put pants under listing category. A better usage of this space would be to include "jeans," "khakis," and "corduroys."
Apple is pretty quiet on the topic of where its Siri searches come from but Mike Blumenthal, author of the blog Understanding Google Maps and Local Search, explains, "We do know that their core listing data comes from Localeze.com." Along with Localeze.com, Apple overlaps data from Yelp, TripAdvisor, Yahoo and other local business directories to find the best possible match for the user. On top of having a quality Google Places page, be sure to do the same for a good amount of local directories.
Stay Accurate and Consistent
For every directory page that is made, it is essential that every last detail is identical between directories, even down to "St." or "Street." Addresses should be kept the same as well as the company description. The more of the same content about a particular business the more likely Siri is to think that business is credible and in turn recommend the business to the user. This syncing between different directories will make or break the success a business has in being found by Siri.
Get Reviewed
You may think that reviews are beneficial so when potential customers read them they are more likely to visit if the reviews are positive. While this is usually true, Siri also takes reviews into account before recommending businesses. Reviews are important for both the amount of reviews the business has, as well as the content within the review. As far as the amount goes, Siri prefers businesses with a great number of reviews because that usually means it is a heavy trafficked location. The content of the review is important too because located within the reviews will usually be what the business specializes in. For example, if a user is looking for a burger joint Siri will look into a sports bar and grill with a lot of reviews specific on how good their burger is, rather than simply directing the user towards a restaurant with burger in the name.
Optimize Your Business
Rankings in Google search are important, but so too are Yahoo and Bing. The higher the rank in three of the main search engines, the better change Siri will recognize you. It is also beneficial to localize website content. Rather than naming a photo on the website "burger", include a location such as "Denver, Colorado, burger."