How important is voice search in the digital marketing world? Simply put, voice search has skyrocketed over the past few years. It’s already a big part of how consumers are searching for products and services and that looks to only increase over time. I would challenge that most anyone today has or is using some form of voice search on their mobile devices, smart speakers, etc. “Hey Alexa, look for a plumber near me?” That is voice search. So, with voice search becoming ever more popular it is a necessity to know how to optimize for voice search.
Why Voice Search
Perficient did a survey of one thousand people, and 55% of them said they would use voice search on a regular basis. Only 33% said they never use voice search. Those numbers are only looking to climb as your parents, aunts, uncles, and others start to get more in touch with their smartphones and smart speakers.
The Best Tactics for Voice Search Optimization
I am sure if you ask most any digital marketer they would have their own opinion on how to optimize for voice search but you should let your customers do the “talking.”
- Know your customer – Marketing 101 is knowing who your customer is. The younger your customer is the more likely they are to use voice search. Even if you are marketing to an older demographic, eventually time will catch up and you will need to tailor to the younger demographics.
- Conversational key phrases – During voice search you are basically having a conversation with your device. Make sure those long-tail keywords would make sense in a conversation.
- FAQ – Frequently asked questions about your page’s content is a great place to start. Using tools such as, answer the public can help you generate questions your customers are asking.
- Mobile Friendly – Where do you think most of these voice search queries are happening? Google is mobile first, make sure you are set up for mobile.
- Always think local – “Where can I find a ____ near me.” Think local SEO when optimizing for voice search.
What to Avoid with Voice Search Optimization
It’s easy to get into the weeds when it comes to this or anything that may be “new” to your marketing strategy. Avoid overcomplicating this process. Find out what people are asking, and see where that question would make sense on your site. You don’t need to reinvent the wheel.
The Future of SEO
The future of SEO is evolving almost daily in some ways. Voice search is not going anywhere anytime soon. Get a leg up on your competitors and optimize for voice search now as opposed to down the road when it will already be too late. If you want to see if your website is optimized for voice search, contact us for a free website consultation.
