Positioning Your Brand for Success
With smart speakers and virtual assistants becoming mainstream, voice search is now a popular way for people to find information online, which has significantly affected search engine marketing (SEM) strategies.
Instead of typing short phrases, users can now perform searches by speaking longer, more conversational queries. This shift has major implications for search engine marketing (SEM)!
In this article, we’ll dive into how voice search is shaping SEM and share tips for optimizing your campaigns to capture voice search traffic.
The Rise of Voice Search
If there’s anything certain, it’s change.
Even the way we search for products and services is continually evolving, with the rise in use of voice-assisted technology, voice search is becoming the method of choice for consumers seeking quick and convenient answers. Here are some interesting stats.
In a 2023 blog by semrush.com, 58% of U.S. smartphone users use voice to search for information about a product or service.
Just as important, people are not only using voice search during the initial stages of discovering a product or service, but they are also relying on voice search when they are seriously considering their options and making final decisions to purchase. Essentially, voice search is influencing consumer behavior throughout the entire buying process.
Voice search offers a lot of advantages, and by recognizing these benefits, businesses can adjust their SEM strategies to match how customers are searching.
For consumers, this means hands-free convenience, faster responses, and more accurate results in natural language.
- Convenient — quickly and easily find information without typing
- Quick — speaking is faster than typing
- Natural Interaction — more intuitive and natural
- Accessible — voice-activated devices are everywhere — your phone, tablet, laptop, speakers (think Amazon’s Alexa, Google Assistant, and Apple’s Siri) — for easy access almost anywhere.
Best Practices
By adjusting your digital marketing strategies to include voice search, brands can increase their visibility, improve user engagement, and ultimately drive conversions.
Here are some best practices to help you get started:
- Use Long-Tail Keywords
Since voice queries tend to be longer and more conversational than traditional text-based searches, it’s important to use long-tail keywords in your content and ad campaigns to match these longer queries.
A long-tail keyword is a highly specific search phrase that usually consists of three or more words. An example of a long-tail keyword is “best personal trainers for weight loss in Orlando”. - Focus on Local SEO
A significant percentage of voice searches are location-based, making local SEO a critical factor in optimizing for voice search.
Ensure that your business’s name, address, phone number, and website (NAPW) information is consistent across all online directories. - Utilize Schema Markup
Schema markup is a type of code added to your website to help search engines understand the content and provide more informative results for users. Including schema markup on your website can help search engines improve their chances of appearing in voice search results. - Optimize for Mobile
Voice searches are often done on mobile devices, so it’s important to make sure your website is mobile-friendly for a smooth user experience.
Final Thoughts
Voice search is here to stay and its impact on SEM strategies will continue to evolve and grow. By understanding the unique characteristics of voice queries and implementing best practices, businesses can stay ahead of the curve and maximize their online presence through voice search.
Optimizing for long-tail keywords, focusing on local SEO, utilizing schema markup, and prioritizing mobile optimization are crucial factors in capturing voice search traffic.
Why wait to start optimizing your SEM campaigns for voice search? The future is now, and those who adapt will dominate.
Picture this: your club is the first name that pops up when someone says, “Hey Siri, find the best gym near me.” Your competition’s still playing catch-up while you’re busy capturing the voice-search market. Don’t just keep up with the times — be ahead of them!
TAG Digital Marketing (TAG) offers comprehensive support for your SEM campaigns, including voice search strategies. Contact us today to discover how expert digital marketing can help grow your business!
Founded in 1999, TAG Digital Marketing (TAG) successfully manages every aspect of digital presence, including a thorough understanding of each client and their business goals and marketing needs.
To grow website traffic, leads, revenue streams, and sales for local, national and franchise businesses, TAG’s comprehensive services include website design and development, search engine optimization (SEO), advertising, online enrollment, custom development projects, and chatbot options.