With the introduction of SIRI through iPhone 4S, one thing is now clear that a whole lot of things related with the web is going to be evolved, making many a thing much more convenient and easier than never before. Presently, SIRI is startling its users with allowing them doing the following things:

i) Sending emails

ii) Writing texts

iii) Updating calendar

iv) Setting up reminders

v) Checking weather

Though users of it were previously skeptical about its outputs, they soon began to perceive its excellence. SIRI is now being seen as a serious voice recognition app, making web-use experience much more convenient. For instance, locating an address of a hotel in a city precisely, quickly and conveniently, or calling a cab has become as simple as dreaming of a thing! Users need to simply instruct the application via their voice.

However, if the users of SIRI consider her to be their personal assistant in light of this discussion, they won’t be wrong. But, SIRI is gradually coming out of its mere ‘personal assistant’ label and becoming a necessary hand-held gadget. Predictably, world is restless to give a grand welcome to SIRI because of the following reasons:

1) Search is entirely voice driven.

2) Instantaneous results are produced in response to a query.

3) Users need not to supply search-words or keyword phrases to the search engines in writing.

Under these considerations, there have come some apprehensions.

a) Will SIRI phase search engines out gradually?

b) Will SIRI put search engines in soup?

It is difficult to say in a word. However, there are some possibilities that are intensifying the spell of apprehension. But, one thing everyone ought to be sure of that the search engines are never to die down, nor is their significance going to get belittled.

What is expected in the aftermath of SIRI advent is SEO or search engine optimization strategy is going to get hurt. It is not that the affect would be all pervasive all the same. Rather it would be partial, chiefly affecting the local SEO.

Regarding the SIRI impact on search engines, SIRI might influence ‘web users’ behavior’ considerably. SIRI does not rely on Google search results like Android-based application. She retrieves them from Yelp. However, Google knows as to how to adapt to changing web user behavior.

SIRI impacts might be on SEO strategies. Unless they adapt and change time to time with the evolution of such apps like SIRI, they would lose their sheen in some areas of optimization. This time the local search area is likely to get affected. Here are some possibilities that could happen if SIRI is left free and uncontested.

1. Web users would bypass the use of search engines. They would simply ask SIRI for any information, such as ‘giving details of a restaurant or guiding to an address’, etc. and she would come up with relevant results based on user’s current location. SIRI now collects data from Yelp. This trend seems to be a poser for SEO, especially for local SEO. With this app being voice-driven, users don’t need to start searching with keyword phrases. If the significance of keyword use is dented, then SEO would definitely get hurt.

Inference: Is SEO based on Keyword optimization wholly? Isn’t it about providing reputation management and solution to a website? If yes, then SEO is there to stay forever.

2. Local business would focus more on optimizing their business in their local territory, leaving aside optimizing their site globally. Consequently, Yelp, Foursquare, Facebook, Google places, or Epinions would get priority.

Inference: This does not mean minimization or elimination of SEO altogether. However, SEO strategies need to be revamped accordingly, taking users’ behavior into consideration. Internet marketing strategies are doing it always.

3. Pay-per-click (PPC) campaign would significantly get hurt and be irrelevant as SIRI users would bypass search engines. So, if an SEO strategy is involved in driving web traffic through this, it would work no longer.

Inference: This inorganic SEO strategy is promoted by search engines themselves. They get paid for advertising the brands. Search engines are never going to stop their earnings, thereby rubbishing the possibility of the elimination of this SEO strategy.

4. It is apprehended that social media marketing concept would largely get affected due to the disappearance of subjective or personal reviews. Social media sites would depend more on objective reviews.

Inference: Such apprehension seems to be utterly senseless because social media sites are chiefly interactive. They bring people close, let them exchange their views or opinions about anything, or let them run their business indirectly. Users would rely more on personal reviews.

Conclusion:

Software can never be an all-pervasive solution. It must have limitations too. If you remember the examples given in the very first paragraph, you would then definitely understand having limitation is integral part of any software however intelligent it is. Basic system will always be there underlying a latest version of the system. For instance, conventional marketing still reigns even in the age of web marketing!