iPhone recently introduced Siri, their 4S’s digital ambassador. Siri is the voice recognition app that allows iPhone users to control their cell phones verbally. Users are able to perform such tasks as sending text messages from their spoken instructions, checking the weather and setting up calendar reminders.
Some experts are predicting that this added functionality may mean the end of traditional local SEO. They contend that the real impact of Siri isn’t just that she acts like a personal assistant. The ramifications for local SEO come from the depth of information Siri is able to access and the range of actions she can perform. Little is known about how Siri collects and processes information, although some assume that the program is drawing on well-cultivated public data sources. Their concern is that if Siri can pull information from third party apps, she could effectively eliminate traffic to some traditional websites.
For example, Siri can call you a cab after a night on the town by automatically processing information about local cab companies in response to the query, “Call me a cab.” Automating the search process means you never look up “cab companies in your area” in the search engines, avoiding the traditional search engine results pages and pay-per-click advertisements entirely, therefore limiting their importance and influence.
What do you think? Would bypassing traditional websites be a plus or a minus?