It has been five years since Apple introduced Siri voice search as part of its iPhone 4s. Since then, voice search has grown significantly with the launch of Google Voice, Microsoft Cortana and Amazon Alexis. Researchers have been crunching the data and are more convinced that voice search will experience even more rapid growth in the near-term.
Consider that in 2014 a research report from Google found that more than half of teens and 41% of adults in the United States were using voice search more than once per day. This is clear indication that the added convenience of voice search, especially in the context of mobile computing, is simply too good to pass up.
Forward-leaning businesses are already considering ways they can benefit from the growing popularity of voice search. Understanding this unique segment of the market can help them navigate disruptions in search engine optimization (SEO), content marketing and social media marketing.
It wasn’t too long ago that we were telling businesses they needed to be on social media…some of us still are by the way! In 2016, it appears it’s time to begin adjusting to voice search. After all, the research clearly shows that keyword searching is declining. Websites and social media strategies not optimized for voice-over keywords could see a sharp decline in traffic and overall engagement.
Remember Ask Jeeves with the quirky butler that never actually found anything you were looking for? Well, consumers today are actually asking questions of the internet like they would in everyday life. The growth of voice search means that SEO campaigns must be angled more toward natural language as opposed to mechanized keyboard scripts.
According to Search Engine Watch, search queries involving “who,” “what,” “where,” and “how” have surged 61% year-over-year. This makes perfect sense, given that people use these words all the time when asking questions in real life.
So now that we’ve established that voice search is important, what can you do about it? Below are three ways you can take advantage of this growing trend.
Research the most common questions asked by your customers.
What kinds of questions are your customers or target audience asking? This is the first question you need to answer to unlock the opportunities provided by voice search. To make answering this question a bit easier, begin by searching industry and product forums. Look at comments and rating in your industry and do a full scan of review sites like Amazon, Yelp or Trip Advisor, just to name a few. Question and answer sites like Quora are also helpful in understanding your target audience’s most pressing concerns. Also consider including an FAQ or Q&A section on your own website.
Search common questions using voice search
So you’ve identified your target audience’s most important questions. It’s time to see how they are written. Use Siri, Google Voice or any other voice search medium to see what’s appearing as the top results. This not only allows you to size up the competition, but gives you the opportunity to improve your answers. Chances are excellent that your competition hasn’t answered each question as fully as it could. This gives you the chance to develop even better answers using keywords your target audience favours. Remember, voice search really allows you to adopt a conversational tone. Don’t lose sight of that when providing answers to these and other common questions.
Create content that directly answers your customers’ questions.
Now that you have a better understanding of the types of questions your target audience is asking and know how to answer them, it’s time to adapt what you learned to your content and social media campaigns. The success of your new social media campaign will depend on how well you can answer the “who,” “what,” “where,” and “how” questions. Your answers should be concise and to the point, but should also include an accompanying explanation that allows you to really provide more added value.
The great thing about this approach is you can always expand the topic by responding to similar questions.
Embrace the new trend
When it comes to new technologies, there are always early adopters and laggards. You don’t need to see yourself as either, really. Let the early adopters make the mistakes so that you can build off their shortcomings. At this point, you won’t have to worry about the laggards because those who don’t embrace technology are usually left out in the cold.
Voice search will continue to grow in popularity as the likes of Apple and Android release more powerful smartphones to an increasingly global market.
The growth of the Internet of Things – a term that describes the integration of the internet to everyday objects, allowing them to collect, store and transmit data – means that consumers will soon be talking to their fridges, cars and other handheld devices. According to Gartner, there are already 6.4 billion connected “things” in existence today. This figure will reach a staggering 20.8 billion in 2020. If your business is already thinking that far ahead, adopting a content strategy around voice search is absolutely essential.
What do you think about voice search marketing? Tweet me @Charli_Says and let me know!