Semalt Shares Its Thoughts On How Apple Could Change Local SEO Marketing

Michael Brown, the Semalt Customer Success Manager, tells that Apple has recently launched a 6th generation iPhone alongside its next gadget, the Apple Watch. Though many companies have been experimenting with smartwatches, Apple's entrance into the wearable technology could herald a new way of doing things including a major shift in local SEO marketing.

Now Apple seems keen on changing the rules of local SEO, if you run a local business, it is time to adjust to the new way of doing business introduced by the company to help you stay ahead of your competitors.

The Apple Watch: Bringing wearable technology into the limelight

Smartwatches have been around for several years. However, none of these devices have caught on the market. While wearable gadgets have generated some interest, their sales and reviews have been lukewarm. But that was until Apple Watch was launched. Suddenly, the landscape changed and people started taking wearable technology seriously.

With features such as voice-activated digital assistant, Apple Music, and Apple Play as well as many other apps, the Apple Watch is giving its rivals a run for their money.

One of the features that gave Apple's watch a competitive edge is its new mapping app. Why is this app important? The feature is great for local SEO because instead of just showing a map or providing audible directions, the smartwatch uses a system known as "haptic feedback" to give eye-free directional buzzes without requiring input using hands.

Though time will tell how practical this feature is for navigation, the interest generated by the system seems overwhelming for a new device. And considering that Apple is known for delivering high-quality devices, this explains why the public is buzzing with excitement over the watch.

Siri's interaction with Bing

For a long time, users have depended on search engines to locate businesses in their locality. By far, Google leads the pack, especially for local results. As a result, most local SEO marketing efforts are directed by Google's demands.

However, with the rise of smartphones, most users are searching for information on mobile devices rather than their computers. This has the effect of changing how queries are made. Instead of the conventional way of typing queries on keyboards, users are speaking their queries via smartphones' microphones. With the coming of the Apple Watch, Siri is likely to speed up the new trend and encourage users to speak their queries compared to typing them.

When you ask Siri to look for burger restaurants in the vicinity, the digital assistant will populate the screen with several local results. While Siri uses Bing to provide the search results, local marketers are likely to focus on Bing rather than on Google to attract Apple SmartWatch users.

Apple Maps

The Apple Watch features Apple Maps as the default navigation system. For years, most people have used Google Maps including iPhone users. That is likely to change as the watch is likely to foster a new generation of Apple Maps users. This means that local marketers will have to take steps to make sure that users can find their businesses on Apple Maps.

Apple Maps seems to have a different approach compared to its competitors such as Google when dealing with business owners. Rather than taking the "claim your business" approach, it allows business owners to identify their ventures and give accurate data in their directory.

While local search results are already making huge waves with Google's IP-based detection system, Apple's new technology could give rise to new, more accurate GPS-based search results. This may sound speculative, but there is no harm in predicting the future.

Mobile coupons and user interaction

Mobile coupons have already gained popularity with smartphone users including interactive features such as QR codes. With time, users will demand for more sophistication and immediacy, so if you find a way to meet their demands faster than your competition, you are likely to get a bigger share of the market.

Ultimately, the basics of a local search may not change overnight, but Apple Watch has revolutionized how local SEO marketing has been conducted for years. Now, marketers and business owners have to spend more time optimizing for Apple Maps and Bing to gain a competitive edge over their rivals.