8 Ways to Upgrade Voice Search Marketing for Your Brand

Does your business use voice search technology? If not, why not? 

According to research, 27% of searches in the Google App are now done by voice—almost ⅓ % of all searches! Here, we’ll weigh up the advantages and challenges of voice search marketing and discuss how to upgrade your current processes.

Whilst SEO still forms a huge part of any digital marketing success, voice search marketing is growing rapidly. If you want your products and services to stand out in a sea of competitors, it’s time to start thinking about upgrading your marketing to include voice search.

Let’s take a deep dive into it.

What is voice search marketing?

Voice search marketing enables users to access voice recognition technology to perform internet searches. To do this, marketers must optimize all digital assets so voice assistants like Alexa and Siri can find them.

However, it’s not as simple as implementing technology. Data and marketing content must be optimized, as well as content across platforms where voice searches can be performed either with a mobile phone or another voice-enabled device such as Alexa, such as email marketing, social media, and local searches.

Upgrading technology is part and parcel of running a business in the digital age, and like all changes, it can pose problems. But don’t panic; there are many tools and services out there, such as Ardoq solution architecture for example, that can help overcome business challenges like implementing voice search by delivering technological solutions.

Why is voice search becoming more popular?

One of the main reasons voice search is becoming more popular is because of smartphone integration and the increase in low-cost devices like echo dots on the market. As people become more accustomed to using voice technology, the use has inevitably grown.

For most of us, it’s also quicker to speak than type. The average speed for normal conversation is 120 wpm to 150 wpm, whereas the average rate for typing on a smartphone is much less, at around 38 wpm.

So, business enterprise architecture maturity models could incorporate voice search to build a powerful customer experience.

What are the benefits of voice search technology?

If you’ve invested in expensive market research tools to get to know your market, it’s important to make your marketing content as accessible as possible. We’ve already noted that voice search is on the rise, but what are the other benefits of upgrading to voice search marketing?

1. Improves customer satisfaction

Because voice search is centered around answering questions, the search results are more relevant and arrive quicker. This saves the customer time and reduces frustration. Voice recognition can also bring a friendlier, more human side to interacting with technology, which in turn can help improve relationships with customers and overall customer satisfaction.

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2. Provides insights into customer behavior

According to recent voice search statistics, a 2020 study found that there are 4.2 billion digital voice assistants in use across the world, with that figure estimated to double by the end of 2024. For many homes, these devices have become part of everyday life.

‘Alexa, order more toothpaste’

This means a huge amount of data is collected through the use of voice search, and this can provide valuable insight into consumer behavior and help you create an accurate buyer persona.

3. It’s multilingual

Voice search marketing is a global technology. This means that it supports multiple languages and opens the technology up to more people. Most voice recognition apps cater to 30+ languages, and this is still increasing. 

This is helpful for businesses wanting to expand into foreign countries but also removes barriers in large multi-cultural cities.

Additionally, advancements in AI voice generator technology have made it possible to create more natural and human-like voices, further enhancing the user experience.

4. It’s hands-free

Hands-free technology makes multitasking easier for customers to access information, buy products, and even call companies whilst they’re busy doing other things such as driving, drinking a warm drink, or even holding a baby. It’s also a huge step forward for people who struggle to access the internet traditionally because of disability.

Additionally, embracing voice search aligns with a growth-focused marketing strategy, tapping into the expanding user base and enhancing customer engagement.

Because of this, having a business virtual phone system can help ensure calls don’t go unanswered and customer analytics aren’t missed.

8 ways to upgrade voice search marketing

While tweaking your current SEO is a big part of upgrading your voice search marketing, there are other things to consider. Here are our 5 top tips:

1. Write like a human

Conversational language is important in voice search technology because people using it phrase their search criteria that way. For example, a typed search might look like this:

> Car rental New York

Whereas a voice search would usually look like a question or command, like this:

> Show me car rental services near me

The difference in search criteria is important to note if you want to land in the top spots for voice searches. Researching long-tail keywords and phrases specifically for voice search can improve your rankings, as can restructuring the content of your website so it aligns with voice search norms.

2. Use voice search SEO

Unless you’ve been in hiding throughout the digital age, you’ll know the importance of SEO in digital content. In voice searches, SEO needs to be tailored towards keywords and phrases used in voice searches. This can help increase rankings.

40.7% of all voice search answers come from featured snippets, so making use of questions like the 5 Ws (who, what, why, when, how, where) in your website can help make sure your keywords and phrases work for voice search. 

Also, ensure that your content is of high quality and relevant, and provide a great user experience using a sound website.

3. Have up-to-date contact information

Not all businesses publish all of their contact information for a range of reasons. They might publish an email address for example, but not a physical address, and this can be problematic in terms of voice searches.

This is because a common voice search for local businesses includes the phrase ‘near me’.

Hairdressers near me

Pizza shops near me

Cheap tyres near me

If your website, Google or Bing profiles, or Apple Maps are missing a location (or even your profile), it won’t be picked up in these local searches. 

4. Promote your content

As you would with normal marketing, voice search marketing includes promoting your content. Promoting content on social media helps to optimize your web pages for voice search marketing because that’s where most of your customers will be looking.

This includes sharing blog posts, product pages, and other valuable content related to your brand on platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Additionally, ensuring your eCommerce website is easily accessible and well-optimized for voice search can significantly boost your visibility in voice search results.

With the ever-evolving landscape of social media platforms and the changes in social media algorithms, staying updated on the latest trends and strategies is crucial for maximizing the visibility of your content in voice search results.

On a side note, since this will likely generate more leads, it might be worth considering marketing automation tools to help with lead capture, customer segmentation, or analytics.

5. Get to the point

A typical Google voice search result is around 29 words, and customers want results quickly. So, if you want to master voice search SEO and save people time and frustration, it’s important to be concise when answering questions.

It’s also important to use natural language so your content will line up with voice searches. An FAQ section is a great way to have concise, to-the-point text that addresses common questions on your website.

6. Use schema markup

This technique helps improve SEO in general. This is because it is code added to your website’s HTML that helps search engines return more detailed results. Usually, this would be key information about your business, such as opening hours and contact information. 

This will make your website seem more relevant and have a better chance of appearing in voice search results.

7. Make sure your website is optimized for mobile

Most mobile phones nowadays have in-built voice assistants and are an easy way for customers to use voice search. By making sure your website is mobile-friendly, you’ll increase the chances of appearing in any voice searches that come in through a mobile.

8. Use a web development company

Implementing voice search marketing might seem like a complicated task for smaller businesses especially. 

Using a web development company that already includes voice search optimization in their websites could be an investment worth making and reduce headaches on your end, freeing you up to focus on other aspects of your business. 

Final thoughts

Voice search isn’t new, and over the last decade, it’s evolved and become a major player, not just in terms of SEO but also in the way customers interact with technology. As with most technology, it will continue to evolve and may eventually become the main way humans interact online. Whilst we don’t know that for sure, we do know its current relevance and importance.

In a world of ever-growing competition, constant technological change, and increasing customer demand, it’s essential to embrace technology that drives sales and enhances UX, and this includes voice search.