From Desktop to Home:
Optimizing for Voice
Dr. Pete Meyers, Marketing Scientist, Moz
Two Revolutions
Easy access to
microphones led to
an input revolution.
Smaller and smaller
displays led to an
output revolution.
@dr_pete
OK, Google:
What is a
revolution?
@dr_pete
Revolution: A
forcible
overthrow of a
government or
social order in
favor of a new
system.
Knowledge Engine
@dr_pete
Knowledge Cards
dominate mobile
screen real-estate.
@dr_pete
OK, Google:
How far away is
the moon?
@dr_pete
The moon is
238,900 miles
from Earth.
@dr_pete
Knowledge Cards
have expanded into
many formats.
@dr_pete
OK, Google:
What is an
exoplanet?
@dr_pete
Exoplanet:
A planet that
orbits a star
outside the solar
system.
@dr_pete
Even personalized
information is now
available to Google’s
knowledge base.
@dr_pete
OK, Google:
When is my
flight to
Portland?
@dr_pete
That flight,
United 569 to
Portland, leaves
on the 8th of
March, 2017, at
9:01am.
@dr_pete
@dr_pete
Featured Snippets
on mobile and
desktop have full
attribution, but…
@dr_pete
OK, Google:
How many
exoplanets are
in TRAPPIST-1?
@dr_pete
Here’s a summary
from Space.com.
The ultracool star
TRAPPIST-1, located
about 40 light-years
from Earth, hosts at
least seven
exoplanets.
@dr_pete
Here’s a summary
from Space.com.
The ultracool star
TRAPPIST-1, located
about 40 light-years
from Earth, hosts at
least seven
exoplanets.
OK, SEOs:
Is this a good
thing for
Space.com?
In the future, you
may not even get a
choice of screens.
Or, you may get to
choose all of the
screens…
What*, Why, & How
@dr_pete
OK, Google:
What is an
extrasolar
planet?
WHAT QUESTIONS
@dr_pete
According to
Universe Today…
An extrasolar planet
(also called an
exoplanet) is a
planet that orbits a
star other than our
own.
@dr_pete
OK, Google:
Extrasolar
planet?
IMPLIED WHAT?
@dr_pete
According to
Wikipedia…
An exoplanet is a
planet located
outside the solar
system.
@dr_pete
OK, Google:
Why is there a
moon?
WHY QUESTIONS
@dr_pete
According to Quora…
The moon was formed
when a Mars sized
protoplanet collided with
earth several billion years
ago. The debris from that
collision formed a
temporary ring around
earth which coalesced to
form the moon. The
impact also gave the earth
its axial tilt.
@dr_pete
OK, Google:
How do I get to
the moon?
HOW QUESTIONS
@dr_pete
Here’s a summary
from Live Science…
Step 1: Assemble the
Pieces.
Step 2: Power Up.
Step 3: Shoot the Moon.
Step 4: Pull Up for a
Landing.
Step 5: Take a Walk and a
Souvenir.
@dr_petehttps://moz.com/explorer/
@dr_petehttps://moz.com/explorer/
@dr_petehttps://moz.com/explorer/
@dr_petehttps://moz.com/explorer/
Writing for Answers
@dr_pete
OK, Google:
How do I write
inverted
pyramid?
@dr_pete
According to Web
Wise Wording…
Start with your
conclusion. Journalists
are taught to write news
stories using this
structure. They front-load
their story, putting the
essential and most
attention-grabbing
elements first…
@dr_petehttps://moz.com/learn/seo/title-tag
@dr_petehttps://moz.com/learn/seo/title-tag
@dr_pete
OK, Google:
Title tag?
@dr_pete
According to Moz…
A title tag is an HTML
element that specifies the
title of a web page. Title
tags are displayed on
search engine results
pages (SERPs) as the
clickable headline for a
given result, and are
important for usability,
SEO, and social sharing.
@dr_petehttps://moz.com/learn/seo/title-tag
@dr_pete
@dr_pete
Sorry, I don’t
know how to
help with that
yet.
@dr_pete
@dr_pete
Sorry, I can’t
help with that
yet.
@dr_pete
@dr_pete
My apologies.
I don’t
understand.
@dr_petehttps://getstat.com/blog/featured-snippets/
2021: A Search Odyssey
@dr_pete
OK, Google:
What will
happen in 2021?
@dr_pete
According to
Wikipedia…
2021 will be a common
year starting on Friday of
the Gregorian calendar,
the 2021st year of the
Common Era and Anno
Domini designations, the
21st year of the 3rd
millennium, the 21st year
of the 21st century…
@dr_pete(icons via FlatIcon.com Š2017)
It was only then
that I realized
that killer robots
need love, too.
@dr_pete(icons via FlatIcon.com Š2017)
OK, Google:
Who is this?
@dr_pete(icons via FlatIcon.com Š2017)
That voice is Dr.
Sarah Connor,
from her 2020
FRED talk.
@dr_pete(icons via FlatIcon.com Š2017)
OK, Google:
Is there a video
of her FRED
talk?
@dr_pete(icons via FlatIcon.com Š2017)
Yes, I’ve found a
video. Would you
like me to save it
for you?
@dr_pete(icons via FlatIcon.com Š2017)
OK, Google:
Yes, please save
it as FRED-1.
@dr_pete(icons via FlatIcon.com Š2017)
OK, Google:
Play saved video
FRED-1.
@dr_pete(icons via FlatIcon.com Š2017)
Please welcome
Dr. Sarah
Connor, author
of such books as
“T-800 and Me.”
@dr_pete(icons via FlatIcon.com Š2017)
OK, Google:
Find books by
Dr. Sarah
Connor.
@dr_pete(icons via FlatIcon.com Š2017)
I’ve sent the
results of your
search to your
smartphone.
@dr_pete(icons via FlatIcon.com Š2017)
OK, Google:
Sort results by
publication
date.
@dr_pete(icons via FlatIcon.com Š2017)
OK, Google:
Order “I’ll Be
Back: Life with
A Terminator.”
@dr_pete(icons via FlatIcon.com Š2017)
I’ve ordered that
title and am
downloading to
your tablet.
@dr_pete(icon by Dave Gandy via FlatIcon.com)
OK, Google:
Read my book.
@dr_pete(icon by Dave Gandy via FlatIcon.com)
OK, Google:
Tweet: “Dr. Pete
is as humble as
he is ruggedly
handsome.”
From Desktop to Home: Optimizing for Voice

From Desktop to Home: Optimizing for Voice