This year, the annual Consumer Electronics Show (CES) is being held in Las Vegas from the 9th to the 12th of January. CES sets a global stage for technological innovation, bringing in speakers and developers and manufacturers from big brands such as LG, Sony, Samsung, and many more. Here companies showcase their ground-breaking technologies to prepare consumers for what’s in store in the next 12 months.
And this year, Google has stepped fully into the limelight. The leading internet technology company is definitely out to do more than just showcase, it’s out to take over — with Google Assistant.
From plastering, ‘Hey Google’ to billboards and slick-looking mono rail trains, to creating a Google Assistant Playground complete with a fake gumball machine and a slide, Google wants to make the message loud and clear: Google Assistant is here and it’s more powerful than ever.
Google already claims the biggest share in internet searches, and now it’s here to assert itself in the modern home. From integrating voice search with our very own personal Google Assistant, to managing electrical appliances in our homes with voice commands, it’s now safe to say, “This is indeed the future.”
The fact that Google is aggressively, although inexplicitly, trying to kick aside its main competitor Amazon’s Alexa, means that a future where Google Assistant is heavily integrated into our lives is possible. In fact, it’s just looming in the distance. Whether we’re driving, trying to find a restaurant to eat, or controlling our home appliances, Google will be there to assist you.
And with Google integrating the Assistant into third party partners, such as Sony, LG and Lenovo, we’ll definitely be seeing more of it around.
All the ruckus about Google Assistant raises many questions regarding SEO: What does this mean for SEO? How will SEO evolve or change once Google Assistant gains momentum? How do we optimise for voice search?
The questions are endless – and, quite frankly, impossible to truly answer.
We cannot accurately predict the future, or how the technology will evolve as Google Assistant starts taking over, for that matter. However, it’s safe to say the big G has been preparing for this, and if you’ve been keeping up with Google’s updates, you should be at least somewhat prepared for voice search too.
Perhaps the most important lead-up to Assistant is the Mobile-First Index, focusing on optimising your website for mobile devices. High-quality Accelerated Mobile Project (AMP) pages have also been a priority. Many consumers will be talking to Google Assistant on-the-go with their smartphones, so optimising for mobile use is a no-brainer.
The push for high quality content is another example of Google’s groundwork for voice search. Having Assistant provide the best possible answers will help encourage more people to ask it more questions, and since it has AI learning capabilities, it will only get better at finding the right information.
Although all this isn’t necessarily new information, with its push for voice search and Google Assistant, Google has cemented the importance of all these updates for the future of search itself.
Need more information on voice search optimisation? Read up on our tips for optimising for voice search.
(Image source: Tech Crunch)
Google Assistant is here to stay. Although it’s not very big in New Zealand yet, pretty soon a lot of us will be optimising for ‘Hey Google’, although exactly how remains to be seen. In the meantime, visit Google’s dedicated website for Google Assistant to get an overview of its capabilities.
Make sure to stay tuned to the CES and any Google announcements – it’s looking to be an exciting year in search.
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