For the most part, we aren’t talking about major algorithm changes by Google, but we need to take a look at how VDAs interpret what the consumer is actually saying. What happens if spoken in another language? With a thick accent? With slang? With text speak? Or even in the case of “media two interactive”, how does the word “two” translate?
For years we’ve resisted branding ourselves as “M2i” and we’ve owned the organic search results for the term “media two” despite another company owning the .com version of our domain. But VDAs translate “media two” initially as “media to” and then in a split second, re-translate it to “media2”. The organic search results that appear for “media2” are the exact same on desktop and mobile devices, showing that the actual search algorithm has not changed, only the interpretation from Google’s search VDA.
Brands such as Old No. 7 not only query perfectly, but also include a quick Siri explanation of the Jack Daniel’s brand. Others, such as the band Paramore and their “Tour Two” concert series, might need some extra content writing and keyword creation for their paid search campaigns to keep up with the trends of voice-activated search.
