The number of voice searches has undergone exponential growth and SEO strategies, especially those in the hospitality sector, have been redefined.

Every day, hour, and minute, the number of people using voice searches is increasing. The current figure is that 20% of searches from mobile phones are done by voice. It is estimated that by the end of 2020 30% of mobile searches will not require a screen. In the United States, the number of smart speakers is 21.4 million, and we are starting to see this technology integrated into cars. When it comes to the turnover around these devices it is predicted that it will reach 30 thousand million dollars by 2024. Impressive, right?

1. Semantic and keywords.
   It’s surprising that users who choose to make voice searches, also decide to use longer sentences when talking to their devices. The relation between human and machine becomes closer and we go from using keywords such as “boutique hotel Palma” to “which are the best boutique hotels in Palma de Mallorca?”
2. Longtail
   From what we have seen in the last point, and with this new focus, we can assume that optimization with more defined keywords(which will become longer) and with a neutral tone will play a relevant role in content strategy.
3. Scannable content.
   Content optimized for these searches must be easy to read, in other words, scannable and it must not include annoying pop-ups that could prevent readers from obtaining the essential information they have searched for. It’s also advisable to use simple sentences, short statements, and bold subtitles to frame and divide content ideally. We also recommend optimizing featured snippets, to do this it is important to detect which keywords will allow you to position yourself in these parts of the source code. You will probably have to ask yourself questions such as “steps to”, “how too”, etc. and we recommend including contents that are short and useful for your audience. The quick loading of the page will still be important.
4. Local focus.
   Google My Business is still an essential part of your strategy and when you detail your business’s data, schedule, and precise information; optimize it thinking of all the users that search by using the mainstream “close to me” option. Voice users continue to make searches such as “pharmacies near me”, ”designer hotels near to me”, or “cheap hotels near me”. Speed is a factor and the search for local businesses in improvised situations has a special relevance: “trend bars close to me”, “pizzeria close to my location”. In this situation, appetite will determine the search and final decision.
5. Tone
   Emotional AI is here and large technology companies are developing new strategies to change the focus of written search in which the user doesn’t consider tone or context. Imagine you arrive home tired from work and your Alexa, Cortana, or Google Home detects a fatigued tone and at the same time dims your living room lights and plays soft music or launches your favorite show on Netflix… It’s a new paradigm, isn’t it?
6. Smart Speakers
   Nowadays there are more than 120 million smart speakers. This means we shouldn’t only think about Siri or Cortana when planning SEO for voice searches. We also have to think about smart speakers that not only offer information, but also manage commands such as asking for an uber, planning events, or online shopping.
7. You can only win
   Currently, your SEO strategy is based on obtaining the first positions in organic searches. In voice searches, you only obtain a single answer to your question. Only the one who aims for the first position can answer the user’s question.

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