Voice Search Strategy: What Marketers Need to Know Now
The way people find information is changing rapidly, and voice search is at the forefront of this evolution. With the proliferation of smart speakers, mobile voice assistants, and AI-powered chatbots, more and more consumers are using natural language to interact with brands and discover new products and services.
As a marketer, it‘s essential to understand how voice search differs from traditional typed queries, and to adapt your SEO and content strategies accordingly. By optimizing for voice now, you can gain a significant competitive advantage and be well-positioned for the future of search.
The State of Voice Search in 2023
Voice search has seen explosive growth in recent years, driven by improvements in speech recognition accuracy and the expanding array of voice-enabled devices. Here are some key voice search statistics every marketer should know:
- 41% of adults use voice search daily (PwC)
- Voice shopping is expected to reach $40 billion by 2025 (OC&C Strategy Consultants)
- 55% of households are expected to own a smart speaker by 2025 (Juniper Research)
- Nearly one-third of the US population uses voice search monthly (eMarketer)
- 71% of consumers prefer to conduct queries by voice instead of typing (PwC)
- 20% of all mobile searches are now done by voice (Google)
What‘s more, voice search adoption spans all age groups. While millennials are the heaviest users, with 39% using voice search daily, 65% of 25-49 year olds and 57% of those over 50 also use voice search at least once a day according to PwC.
| Age Group | Daily Voice Search Usage |
|---|---|
| 18-24 | 39% |
| 25-49 | 65% |
| 50+ | 57% |
As these numbers show, voice is quickly becoming the preferred way for people to interact with digital devices and find information online. For brands, this means rethinking many traditional SEO practices and focusing on creating content that aligns with natural language queries.
How Voice Changes the Search Landscape
One of the biggest differences between voice search and typed search is the use of long-tail, conversational keywords. When people type, they tend to use short, condensed phrases like "Italian restaurants NYC." When speaking, they use fuller sentences, like "What are the best Italian restaurants in New York City?"
Voice searches also tend to be more locally focused, with users looking for businesses and services near their current location. In fact, voice searches are three times more likely to be local-based than typed searches according to Search Engine Watch.
Another key characteristic of voice search is its action-oriented nature. Voice searchers often have a specific task in mind, whether it‘s booking a reservation, checking store hours, or making a purchase. This leads to higher intent compared to more research-based typed searches.
Finally, voice search results are typically more concise than typed results. Rather than displaying an entire SERP with multiple links, voice assistants usually provide a brief direct answer or a very narrow set of options. For marketers, this makes it critical to optimize for "position zero" and featured snippets.
How Different Voice Assistants Source Results
To rank well in voice search, it‘s important to understand how each of the major voice assistants determines its results. While there‘s some overlap, each platform has its own algorithms and data sources.
Google Assistant
Google Assistant, found on Android phones and Google Home speakers, unsurprisingly relies heavily on Google search results. Structured data like FAQ schema can help a page become the default voice answer. For local searches, Google My Business listings are the primary source of information.
Siri
Apple‘s Siri, the default on iPhones, pulls information from a variety of sources including Apple Maps, Yelp, and Bing. Optimizing your Yelp business profile with photos, hours, menus, etc. can improve your chances of showing up in Siri local searches.
Alexa
Amazon‘s Alexa has its own knowledge base called Alexa Answers, which is partially crowdsourced from users. It also sources local business info from Yelp, Yext, and Bing. Alexa tends to prefer brief, factual information for general knowledge queries.
Cortana
Microsoft‘s Cortana, found on Windows devices, relies heavily on Bing search results. Cortana can also integrate with Microsoft Office apps for queries related to calendar, email, and documents. Optimizing for Bing SEO best practices will help with Cortana voice results.
Voice Search Optimization Strategies
Now that we‘ve covered the key characteristics of voice search and how different assistants source results, let‘s dive into some specific tactics marketers can use to optimize their content and brand presence for voice.
1. Claim Your Business Listings
Since voice searches are often local-oriented, it‘s critical to claim your Google My Business profile, Yelp page, and other relevant business listings. Fill out your profile completely, with up-to-date details on your hours, location, contact info, products/services, etc. Encourage satisfied customers to leave reviews, as these are an important local ranking factor.
2. Target Long-Tail Keywords
Incorporate more natural, conversational phrases into your website, especially in page titles, headings, and FAQ sections. Consider how a user might phrase a voice search related to your business, and create content to directly address those queries. Tools like Answer the Public can help generate relevant questions to target.
3. Structure Your Data for Voice
Use structured data markup whenever possible to give voice assistants more context about your content. Schema properties like speakable, FAQ, and HowTo can increase your chances of being read aloud as a voice result. For key pages, test how they sound when read aloud using voice simulator tools.
4. Prioritize Your Mobile Experience
With the majority of voice searches happening on mobile devices, it‘s essential to have a fast, responsive, mobile-friendly website. Use Google‘s Mobile-Friendly Test and PageSpeed Insights to identify areas for improvement. A poor mobile UX can hurt your chances of ranking in both typed and voice search.
5. Create Engaging Voice Experiences
Consider building an Alexa skill or Google action related to your brand. This allows you to create custom voice-based content and reach customers directly through their smart speakers. You can provide helpful information, play games or quizzes, or allow voice-based ordering/scheduling.
6. Analyze Your Voice Performance
While tools for voice search analytics are still limited, you can use Search Console and Google Analytics to identify potential voice-driven queries. Look for question-based keywords, long-tail phrases, and terms with high mobile usage. As more voice-specific metrics become available, incorporate them into your SEO reporting and optimization processes.
Voice Commerce and the Customer Journey
Beyond just providing information, voice interfaces are increasingly being used to conduct transactions and make purchases. Known as voice commerce or v-commerce, this hands-free shopping method is expected to reach $40 billion by 2025.
To capitalize on this trend, marketers should look for opportunities to incorporate voice into the customer journey, from initial research to final purchase. This could include:
- Providing voice-based product recommendations and reviews
- Allowing customers to check order status or initiate returns by voice
- Integrating with voice-based payment platforms like Amazon Pay
- Offering voice-exclusive deals and promotions to drive trial and adoption
As with any commerce strategy, it‘s important to balance convenience with security and privacy. Be transparent about data collection practices and give customers control over their voice purchasing settings.
The Future of Conversational AI
Voice search is just one aspect of a larger shift toward conversational, AI-powered interfaces. As natural language processing continues to advance, we‘ll see more brands leveraging chatbots, virtual agents, and other conversational AI tools to provide personalized, 24/7 customer service and support.
These AI assistants will be able to handle increasingly complex tasks, from troubleshooting technical issues to providing product recommendations and processing transactions. For marketers, this means rethinking traditional customer touchpoints and developing content and experiences that can be delivered through conversational interfaces.
At the same time, the rise of conversational AI raises important ethical questions around data privacy, bias, and transparency. As a marketer, it‘s important to develop voice and chat experiences with these considerations in mind, and to be proactive in addressing any concerns or issues.
Conclusion
Voice search is no longer an emerging trend, but a mainstream reality that is fundamentally changing how people find information and interact with brands. By understanding the unique characteristics of voice queries and optimizing your content accordingly, you can stay ahead of the curve and deliver the kind of intuitive, conversational experiences today‘s consumers expect.
Of course, voice is just one piece of the larger digital marketing puzzle. It should be integrated into a holistic strategy that includes other key channels like mobile, social, email, and more. By taking a customer-centric approach and leveraging data and AI to personalize experiences across touchpoints, marketers can build deeper, more valuable relationships with their audiences in the voice-first era.
As with any new technology, there will be challenges and obstacles to navigate, from technical limitations to privacy concerns to measuring ROI. But by staying informed, testing and iterating, and keeping the customer at the center of your efforts, you can harness the power of voice to drive meaningful business results and create more value for your customers.
