INSIGHTs & INTUITION Q.

Laura Mitchell Vice President of Digital Lawrence & Schiller Sioux Falls, S.D.

By 2020, 50 percent of all searches will be voice searches. Think about how a customer might ask a question about your product or service. What questions are your call center or front desk staff hearing?

Write your website content in a way that answers those questions in natural, conversational language. FAQs, bulleted lists and numbered step-by-step instructions are a great place to start.

In addition, make sure your business on Google Maps (Google My Business), Yelp and Bing Places is up-to-date and descriptive, so that when someone asks about your store hours or location, your information is available and correct.

The question that marketers need to ask themselves when they’re trying to create content for voice search is a very simple one: What are people asking for?

More specifically, HOW are they asking for it?

Conversational-style searches consist of very specific questions. Marketers need to make sure that their content is addressing those questions.

It’s also important to keep your online business information on directory listings and platforms, such as Google My Business, up to date. Updating this information regularly will help search engines access your business information.

Sam Thorson Growth Strategist Epicosity Sioux Falls, S.D.

“Alexa, what is voice search?”

Google Assistant, Siri, Alexa and Bixby are all voice assistants that let you speak to your smart devices to search the web for information or accomplish small tasks. By 2020, it’s estimated that 50 percent of all internet searches will be voice searches.

It can be overwhelming, but there’s an easy start to ensuring your website is optimized for vocal queries. Begin by anticipating what your user may be asking, then incorporate those questions into your website’s content.

Fast page load speeds, HTTPS, and high quality content (standard SEO stuff) will also help.

Nick Kramer Director of Web Development Marketing & Advertising Business Unlimited

Today, 46 percent of people report using voice search daily to look for a small business – but only 23 percent of those searches result in a visit to a website.

Lesson One is to make sure your online information is complete, accurate and answering questions. Update your information on Google My Business, Bing Places, Yelp, TripAdvisor and sources related to your industry.

Be sure to answer frequently asked questions with definitive answers such as your hours, handicapped accessibility, delivery service offerings or availability of a certain product.

By anticipating questions and having accurate information, you will be found more frequently on voice searches.

STATE AND LOCAL INDIVIDUAL INCOME TAX COLLECTIONS PER CAPITA, FY 2016

Notes: D.C.’s rank does not affect states’ ranks, but the figure in parentheses indicates where it would rank if included. Alaska, Florida, Nevada, South Dakota, Texas, Washington, and Wyoming do not levy an individual income tax. New Hampshire and Tennessee do not tax wage income but do tax interest and dividend income.

Source of Map and Data: The Tax Foundation, TaxFoundation.org

2019 COST OF LIVING COMPARISONS: BESTPLACES.NET

CHART LEGEND:

This Cost of Living comparison assumes homeownership and a salary of $50,000, but does not include the costs of either child care or taxes.

In the chart, 100 = the U.S. average. Below 100 means cheaper than the U.S. average, while above 100 means more expensive.

Data: BestPlaces.net

FIXED RATE MORTGAGE AVERAGE IN THE UNITED STATES

•15 YEAR •30 YEAR

Data: Freddie Mac, 15-Year & 30-Year Fixed Rate Mortgage Average in the United States, retrieved from FRED, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis; https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/MORTGAGE30US, https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/MORTGAGE15US.