The rise of voice assistants like Amazon’s Alexa or Apple’s Siri is a development that the digital marketing community cannot ignore. Businesses must have a strategy in place for voice search; since this is relatively new in SEO, you will likely rise above industry players who are not putting a concerted effort into gaining ground.
Companies competing against giants like Walmart and Starbucks should seize the first-mover advantage afforded by voice. Fortunately, there are various low-cost SEO strategies you can implement today.
What does it take to build a winning voice strategy?
The key to leveraging voice search is understanding its differences from traditional search. We often don’t speak how we write, and customers are more direct with questions when they say it aloud. Here are some tips to help you create the best strategy for voice.
Prioritize long-tail keywords
Long-tail keywords sound more organic; they mimic how a person would speak. In contrast, one-word search keywords are more typical for traditional search. When choosing keywords, get ones that are short and easily understood. Know what people are asking about your service or product as well, and target these. When you use keywords like these, you improve your chances of voice assistants finding your website.
Feature a block of content with the keywords
On average, a voice search is around 29 words long. As such, you should summarize your content into an answer that has several sentences with 29 words or fewer. Use hashtags, bullet points, and lists in your content; Google can read these easily and rank them favorably. Be sure you include the long-tail keywords you chose in your featured content.
Know what your audience is looking for
Make sure you are connecting genuinely with your audience. Understanding your target market’s ‘who’, ‘what’, ‘why’, and ‘how’ questions would help you respond better through your content. When you know what drives people, you will have a smoother time interacting with the people who drive your growth. If you don’t know what they’re looking for, nothing in your content will resonate with them.
Make your content location-specific
Location-based content dominates these types of queries. Twenty-two percent of spoken searches are about local businesses or services, which is excellent for small to medium entrepreneurs. To ensure that you rank highly for this kind of search, use “near me” or similar phrases, which customers often include in voice search.
Doing this entails preparing your online business listings as well, and keeping correct, up-to-date information online. Doing so will ensure that voice assistants direct users online to your pages.
Conclusion
Since voice search is an emerging trend in digital marketing, you have the chance to get in on the ground floor. There are plenty of tools and knowledge online that can help you rank for your industry’s best keywords and phrases. You’ll soon find enough competition when big players move in—remain ahead of the curve and start implementing your plans today. If you don’t know where to start, let a voice SEO expert work with you to figure out where your strategy should go!
Team up with Local SEO Pro to unlock new avenues of growth for your company. Our voice search SEO platform will help you optimize your local business listing, improve your conversions, and create brand awareness for your company. Request a live demo or sign up with us today!
