A quick guide to SEO for IoT (The Internet of Things)
The rapid technical development of the digital landscape and the increasing popularity of Internet of Things (IoT) devices has a big impact on SEO. This is why businesses need to understand how to adapt their organic strategies.
Before we look into how businesses can adapt their strategies, let’s discuss what we really mean when we say IoT (The Internet of Things).
Well, the term refers to connected devices and the technology that enables those devices to communicate with each other and the cloud. Any devices that connect and exchange data over the Internet. Nowadays are more than just computers and smartphones, they can be usual household appliances such as speakers and even washing machines.
So what does SEO have to do with speakers? Well everyone knows that as how users search changes, so must our SEO strategies.
The impact of IoT on SEO
The biggest impact of IoT on SEO is that as devices develop so does the way in which users interact with the internet. Users aren’t just going to traditional search engines and looking for answers they’re using a variety of devices, multiple platforms and sometimes not even typing to ask questions.
For example, products such as Amazon Alexa or Google Home have become increasingly popular in households, and the convenience they provide with such features as asking them a question, means SEO strategies need to be adjusted for voice search to ensure they show up in the results.
The benefits of using SEO for IoT
The popularity of IoT isn’t going anywhere, and the good news is neither is organic search. This is why SEO is a vital part of your digital marketing strategy. Some benefits of SEO for your business include:
- Generating business – SEO can be a cost-effective way to create leads and purchases.
- Increasing brand awareness – By optimising your website for search engines you can improve your reach into new audiences and potential customers.
- Building trust and authority – Creating website content that demonstrates experience, expertise, authority and trust meets Google’s E-E-A-T criteria and shows them that the site is one worthy of high rankings.
- Enhancing your customer experience – Technical SEO can enhance the performance of your website and how users engage with it. A positive experience will encourage visitors to return, which also plays a part in ranking factors.
Ways to optimise your SEO for IoT
There are many ways you can optimise your SEO strategy for IoT devices and therefore benefit. Here are some tactics to think about when adjusting your SEO.
Voice search
As mentioned voice search optimisation plays a huge part in IoT devices and therefore it needs to play a key role in your strategy. Ways you can do this is through your keyword research and focusing on long-tail keywords that are more popular for your audiences. For example question keywords, ‘How’, ‘what’, ‘why’ and ‘when’ are all popular phrases used in voice search. Conversational keywords that reflect how users speak are also important. Such as ‘What’s the weather forecast today?’ or ‘How do I edit a PDF?’
Complex searches
As IoT advances so does the understanding of the devices. This means they can learn the nuances of language and how users might speak. This is why your strategy should include semantic SEO and focus on intent and allowing Google to identify the context.
Metadata and Meta Tags
These provide information about the content and structure of a website, allowing search engines to understand and interpret what it is reading. This data can then provide visual cues for IoT devices such as product categories, reviews and ratings.
Use influencers for reviews and demos
User-generated content (UGC) is a great way to showcase products and services in an authentic way and build trust with your online audience. Teaming up with those who regularly review IoT products and devices is a great way to do this as you can tap into their audience and increase your reach.
Local SEO
A key reason why IoT is so popular is the convenience they provide for users. This is why local SEO is important, as it focuses on areas where the user is situated. For example, if a user is out of home, they may use an IoT device to find a certain business close to them, by searching for ‘restaurants open near me’.
What the future of IoT has in store for SEO
By 2023, the IoT worldwide annual revenue is expected to be worth $621 billion, and worldwide devices are meant to have tripled. Statistics show that IoT isn’t going anywhere but up, meaning those who aren’t prepared for it will be left behind. This is why it is so important to ensure your SEO strategy includes IoT and the changes they bring with them.
