The Rise of Voice Search & How to Adapt Your Digital Marketing Strategy
In the ever-evolving world of digital marketing, staying ahead of the curve is essential for success. One of the latest trends reshaping the landscape is the rise of voice search. With the proliferation of smart speakers, virtual assistants, and mobile devices, voice search has become a game-changer for both consumers and digital marketers. In this blog, we’ll explore the impact of voice search and share strategies on how to optimise your digital marketing strategy to harness its potential.
Did you know, it’s estimated that by 2023, there will be over 8 billion voice assistants in use worldwide. As a digital marketer, it’s crucial to understand the impact of voice search on your digital marketing strategy, and how to optimise your content for this emerging trend.
What Is Voice Search?
Voice search is technology that allows users to search on the internet without having to type. They can ask questions or make requests based on their own natural language and the voice assistant will provide relevant results based on the request. The voice search technology is available on a range of devices such as phones, cars and smart speakers.
The Voice Search Revolution
Voice search technology has rapidly evolved, thanks to voice-activated assistants like Siri, Google Assistant, Alexa, and Cortana. Whether you’re asking for directions, checking the weather, or searching for a recipe, voice commands have become increasingly common. Here’s why this trend is worth your attention:
Convenience: Voice search allows users to interact with devices more naturally and conveniently, making it a preferred choice for various tasks.
Growing User Base: The adoption of smart speakers and virtual assistants continues to rise, and more people are integrating voice search into their daily lives.
Changing Search Behaviour: Users tend to phrase their queries differently in voice search compared to traditional text search. This shift in search behaviour presents both challenges and opportunities for digital marketers.
Optimising Your Digital Marketing Strategy For Voice Search:
Conversational Content: Optimise your content for natural, conversational language. Voice search users tend to ask complete questions or use longer phrases. Tailor your content to answer these questions concisely and informatively.
Local SEO Focus: A significant portion of voice searches is location-based. Ensure your local SEO is strong by claiming your Google My Business listing and providing accurate, up-to-date business information.
Answer Questions: Voice searches are often questions, meaning its important for your business to be able to answer these questions. Using tools like “Answer The Public” or “SEMrush” to find out what kind of questions people are asking about your industry and create questions and answers based of that information.
Featured Snippets & Knowledge Graphs: Aim to get your content featured in featured snippets, as these often appear as voice search results. Provide clear, concise answers to common questions related to your industry.
Mobile Optimisation: Voice search is frequently performed on mobile devices. Ensure that your website is mobile-friendly and loads quickly to enhance the user experience.
Scheme Markup: Implement schema markup to help search engines better understand and display your content in rich snippets. This can improve your visibility in voice search results.
Long-Tail Keywords: Voice searches often use long-tail keywords. Research and integrate long-tail phrases into your content and SEO strategy.
Natural Language Processing (NLP): Leverage NLP to understand the context and intent behind voice searches. This can help you create more relevant and valuable content.
User Intent Optimisation: Understand the intent behind different voice search queries and align your content to fulfil these intents effectively. This requires an in-depth understanding of your audience.
Local Content & Reviews: Encourage customers to leave reviews on platforms like Google My Business and Yelp. Positive reviews can improve your visibility in local voice searches.
Voice Search On Your Website: Consider adding voice search functionality to your own website to enhance user experience and convenience
Monitoring & Adapting:
Voice search technology is continually evolving, and it’s essential to stay up to date with the latest developments. Regularly review and adapt your digital marketing strategy based on changes in user behaviour, technology, and best practices in the voice search space.
The rise of voice search is transforming the way people seek and receive information. By optimising your digital marketing strategy to accommodate this shift, you can stay ahead of the competition and provide a seamless experience for your audience. As the voice search landscape continues to evolve, Talking Stick Digital is committed to helping our clients leverage its potential for their marketing success.
