How To Use Voice Search In Your Marketing Campaign
We’re entering an era where search will be dominated by voice. Digital assistants like Siri and Cortana have grown much more popular as their capacity for recognizing human speech has improved significantly, and their presence has expanded. Smartphones and tablets have been joined by smart speakers, which spiked in sales in 2017 and drove the voice search trend even further into the mainstream.
You’ve probably already noticed your friends and family members using voice search more often, and if you haven’t, you probably will in the next few years.
In your personal life, you might debate whether you want to rely on traditional methods or opt toward a more conversational mode of search, but the real question for marketers is: how can you take advantage of this rise in voice search volume for your own campaigns?
There are several potential approaches.
Focus on Long-Tail Keywords
Your first and most powerful approach is to include more long-tail keywords in your search engine optimization (SEO) campaign. In case you aren’t familiar, long-tail keywords are longer phrases, with several words, usually in a conversational sentence-based format. They’re different from “head” keywords, which are shorter, with usually 1–2 words, and target a broad topic or category.
For example, a head keyword might be something like “hot dogs,” while a long-tail keyword might be something like “what’s the best hot dog stand near me?” This is important to note, since the majority of voice searches tend to be long and conversational like this example; optimizing for them increases the likelihood that you’ll appear for voice searches.
So how can you make this happen?
· Create specific articles. First, you’ll need to create specific articles that target long-tail keyword phrases, rather than head keywords. You can do this by researching topics that your audience commonly searches for, and brainstorming various phrase variations that mimic natural search patterns; for example, you could use Moz’s Keyword Explorer tool to identify a cluster of high-volume keyword phrases, and write up a few dozen questions that users might ask about them. The more content like this you have, the more searches you’ll potentially show up for.
· Write in a natural voice. Next, you’ll need to write in a more natural, conversational voice. Rather than trying to stuff as many keywords into your content as you can, write like you speak. Without intending to, you’ll naturally optimize for keyword phrases that your readers will likely search for in the future.
· Consider FAQs or knowledge base content. As an addition to your initial topic selection, consider creating a section of your site for frequently asked questions (FAQs), or developing a full-scale knowledgebase. These help-focused content archives tend to address many common user questions, which puts you in a prime position for future user searches.
Cater to User Search Intent
Pay close attention to the types of queries your audience is making, and why they’re making them. Search intent is becoming more important, now that queries are becoming more common and more specific. By analyzing a phrase, you should be able to tell what a search user intends to do.
In general, there are three types of search intent:
· Informational, where a user is only looking for information. These are common, but don’t often lead to a transaction.
· Navigational, where a user is looking for a specific destination site or product.
· Transactional, where a user is ready to buy something or engage with someone. These are the most valuable searches to target.
Prioritize Local SEO
Voice searches aren’t inherently more likely to be local searches, but a significant percentage of local searches are done with voice; when people are on-the-go, or looking for fast answers, they’re often seeking an immediate fix for something, such as a restaurant recommendation or a nearby store. You can boost your chances of getting featured here by following basic tenets of local SEO:
· Local keywords. Try to incorporate more keyword queries that have local flair, such as naming your city, state, or region. As long as your site is optimized and categorized appropriately, this isn’t strictly necessary, but could provide you with a valuable boost.
· User reviews and ratings. You do need to ensure you’re present in multiple third-party apps and local directories, especially those dedicated to reviewing establishments like yours. The more reviews you get, and the better those reviews are, the higher you’re going to rank in local results. While you’re at it, optimize your presence within those third-party apps as well; users may search through these as they would straightforward SERPs.
· Traditional SEO tactics. You’ll also need to make sure you have plenty of ammunition from a traditional SEO campaign, with a good on-site optimization strategy and plenty of high-quality inbound links to support your authority. You won’t rank for local searches unless you’re in good shape here.
Voice search is leading to significant disruption in the marketing world, but it’s also leading to significant opportunities. If you’re proactive and willing to adapt, you can beat your competition to the punch and win over your shared audiences.
There’s still much room for growth in the voice search realm, especially as most major tech companies compete to offer the dominant voice search product, so keep your eyes peeled for more news, and stay up-to-date with the latest trends.
For more content like this, be sure to check out my podcast, The Entrepreneur Cast!
