As consumers turn online for all their needs, marketers are focusing more and more on Digital Marketing efforts. Search Engine Optimization (SEO), the set of tools and best practices for higher search engine rankings, is a part of Digital Marketing, of which voice SEO is fast gaining traction. Voice Search Optimization, the latest type of SEO, is the optimization of keywords and phrases used in voice commands and queries. Voice search commands forego the use of keypads and keyboards to ask questions aloud, like:
“Where is the nearest vegetarian restaurant?”
“What cab services are available in the city of Hyderabad?”
“Calcium supplement brands”
The marketing professional leverages Voice Search Optimization in his marketing plans to ensure there is no stone unturned for the business to feature in top search results and listings for a competitive advantage. And this is where an Advanced Digital Marketing Course comes in. It is part of the learning curve of any MBA student or Digital Marketing professional who wants to stay on top of marketing trends.
What is Voice Search Optimization
When you use Google search, you come across the ‘voice search’ button. Often you use the voice option when lazy to type out the search keywords or when your search question is a long and complex one. Well, as a user, you must surely have benefitted from voice searches. But businesses are gaining equally from this aspect of SEO that has become a critical part of Digital Marketing. Today, voice search is commonplace, and with the proliferation of IoT devices, the user base is growing fast.
According to Google, more than 27% of online users use the voice search option on mobile. As it emerges as the fastest-growing search format, companies like Google, Siri from Apple, Alexa from Amazon, and other tech giants are keen to invest heavily in voice search. With more and more gadgets and applications becoming reliant on voice search to deliver their core functionalities, app and website owners realize the importance of voice functions when strategizing their SEO plans.
What is voice search?
It is the technology that allows the searching of topics and keywords on the Internet, a website, or an application. Although text search has existed for a long time, the nuances of voice search are more simplistic and conversational for marketers to understand and serve users. Besides, voice search allows linguistic flexibility. Customers can use the voice search option if visually challenged or unable to use mainstream languages and ignorant about the right spellings. It is especially true for proper nouns where for instance, the user may not know the correct spelling of a location but use it in verbal commands to look for the answer.
Voice Search Optimization uses natural language and speech recognition capabilities to give results when users enquire about something. It optimizes the website or search results to sync with the voice command. This provides businesses with a broad reach among the user base, the reason why they are hiring expert professionals who can incorporate voice search in websites and applications.
How does Voice Search impact Digital Marketing?
With Voice Search Optimization, website owners and search engines can provide instant answers, thus increasing user traffic to landing pages. Responses are highly relevant and fast, serving the needs of the voice command user segment. With time of great value today, users connected 24/7 to the Internet are hungry for instant answers. That’s why businesses are keen to serve the voice search users for a competitive edge.
Marketers keen to tap the digital segment are constantly looking for ways to increase website traffic and online user engagement. As part of their SEO integration, they compete to improve search ranking and feature search engine result pages (SERPs). User experience is better as search results are faster and more precise, reducing bounce rates. Customer satisfaction is the ultimate goal that drives every business, and voice search optimization delivers an optimal customer experience. It is also the perfect answer for digital assistants, where AI technologies store previous queries helping to refine the voice search outcomes. This enables users to engage with their product or service and make conversions.
Voice search allows users to multitask and perform faster on their devices for instant answers and information on the go. Since voice searches are conversational and natural, the semantics of searches are ranked. It impacts the Digital Marketing efforts of marketers. Long-tail keywords and direct answers to user queries replace short keywords used in SEO marketing. It helps businesses understand their consumer needs better. Brands consider the voice tone, choice of words and phrases, and languages used in the voice search to re-evaluate their Voice Search Optimization strategy to rank higher on searches with featured snippets.
Voice Search Optimizations is part of Digital Marketing to understand search trends, customer needs, and how important it is to leverage voice SEO services to optimize content for voice commands.
Why Voice Search Optimization is important for businesses in 2022
Businesses constantly endeavor to implement new strategies that align with their business goals and keep customers happy. With the world increasingly connected digitally, marketers and business owners are investing a sizable amount of their resources in Digital Marketing. Companies keep pace with the latest search algorithms and deploy SEO best practices in voice searches. They realize the functional differences between voice and text searches and are ready to take up the challenge to reap more profits.
Why is Voice Search Optimization changing the rules of the marketing game?
Voice search removes the need for the screen and an international language like English. In the case of digital assistants, it requires only a single answer for responding to voice search requests allowing businesses to compete for that single top answer for sales conversions. It removes the competition out of the equation by eliminating other search results. A win-win situation for any business!
Another element of Voice Search Optimization is location intelligence. Voice searches for navigation or “the nearest store” throw up intuitive results that benefit businesses as they maximize the “near me” search potential. Companies register with search engines like Google or mapping apps to benefit from their listing services and feature in searches or map locations. With the inclusion of long-tail search phrases that mimic conversational phrases, businesses can monetize the same by embedding suitable metadata in the web pages. It allows web crawlers and search bots to recognize web page contents, thus reaping the benefits of advertising online.
In a smartphone-driven ecosystem that works 24/7 across all geographies, voice search technology has revolutionized the way companies and brands market themselves and establish their online presence. Voice SEO strategies connect consumers with businesses to ensure your business stands out from competitors. This has assumed importance in the aftermath of the pandemic when users want instant access to search information from the comfort of their homes. And this trend is expected to continue in 2022.
Summary
Ultimately, building a strong online presence is the prime focus of every brand and business. Making sure that the website or application is optimized for voice search with top results for digital assistants is why Digital Marketing has emerged as a focal point in the hiring landscape.
If you want to be a part of a relevant and fast-emerging discipline in brand marketing, make sure to upskill in Digital Marketing and discover all the elements of Voice Search Optimization.
