Voice Search for Real Estate: Don't Waste Your Time

Have you seen the Facebook and Instagram ads? There are a couple "voice search optimization" companies running ads to real estate agents warning you that you're losing business because you can't be found when people talk to their Alexa/Siri/etc. devices.

Please ignore those ads.

There are many different facets to real estate SEO, but voice search optimization for real estate is not a thing.

As long as you've claimed your business listing on Google, Apple, and Yelp, you're in good shape. You don't have to pay for any of those, and you certainly don't need to pay another company to do it for you. (Some of them charge an initial setup fee plus a monthly fee, which is nothing short of ridiculous IMO.)

Voice Search Never Lived Up to the Hype

Beyond the ease of doing these listings yourself, there's a bigger issue: Voice search never lived up to the hype. It's just not a thing you need to worry about.

I was Editor-in-Chief at Search Engine Land in 2014 when Amazon launched Alexa. I wrote numerous articles about voice search, and edited many others. I remember the enormous hype that surrounded voice search. It was going to "kill SEO" by most accounts. No more blue links, we'd all be talking to our devices instead.

But here we are 10 years later and the reality is different. Turns out no one wants to listen to search results.

Think about your own behavior:

• How often do you use your Amazon device to find businesses?

• How often do you ask Siri to find local businesses for you?

I bet it's not nearly as often as you use the Google app on your phone or use Google.com on your laptop/desktop computer.

My most common use of voice search is asking Alexa what the weather's gonna be, or maybe asking for some piece of information like "What time do the Mariners play today?" and "What was the score of the Astros game?" I never ask Alexa to help me find local businesses.

(Note: An article in late 2022 about Amazon laying off large numbers of people from the Alexa project also mentioned that the most common uses are "commands to play music or ask about the weather.")

One Possible Exception Where Voice Search Might Matter

One possible exception to this is when you're driving. If you have a smart car system like Apple Carplay or Android Auto, voice search can be more convenient.

But the more common usage in the car is probably gonna be voice searches for gas stations, tire shops, restaurants, and maybe hotels. I can just about guarantee you nobody's driving around in their car asking, "Find me the nearest real estate agent."

As always, things could change someday. But it's been 10 years since Alexa hit shelves and the impact on search behavior has fallen way short of expectations.

So next time you see one of those silly "voice search optimization" ads, keep scrolling. It's just not a thing.

(Photo by Thomas Kolnowski on Unsplash)