You’ve most likely heard the voice search slogan, “50% by 2020,” meaning 50% of internet searches could be voice-related by 2020. Well, 2020 came and went, and we aren’t near that figure.
However, that doesn’t mean voice search isn’t a crucial part of businesses’ content marketing strategy. Voice search content continues to grow, and businesses can’t afford to ignore this shift, especially those that rely heavily on local SEO practices.
This article examines the SEO aspects companies to keep in mind for their SEO content marketing strategy. In the future, companies will have to adapt to more and more devices continuously, and the SEO changes voice search causes.
What Is Voice Search Content Marketing?
To understand voice search content marketing, we first have to know why people search on Google using voice search. Users search using voice search for one of three reasons.
- The users are on the go and need a quick answer to a specific question
- The inquiry doesn’t contain sensitive information. Therefore, the user is more likely to conduct voice searches for the topic out in the open.
- Voice searches are unlikely to lead to a website that requires significant interaction time.
Looking at these three voice search trends, we notice that voice searches have specific aims. Users often make them because they need quick answers. They typically won’t divulge sensitive information via voice search.
Voice searches also tend to focus on local areas. People might be driving while they make these searches trying to find directions to places while they’re on their way.
Voice searches change SEO in a few fundamental ways. They deal more with featured snippets than long-tail keywords since most people don’t speak the same way they type. When it comes to voice search content marketing, you need to target keywords already in the featured snippet for your inquiry.
The Growth of Voice Search
SEO gurus have stressed the growth of voice search marketing over the past five years, and it doesn’t seem likely that will change anytime soon. Even if they have somewhat overestimated the speed at which voice search has taken over, the numbers are more or less in line with earlier estimates.
A famous slogan, “50% by 2020,” hasn’t lived up to the hype. That said, voice search isn’t showing any signs of stopping its growth. Currently, over a quarter of all Google searches are voice searches, about half of what we predicted and proof that our analytical hubris often fails to account for everything.
Regardless, voice search will be an integral component of any content marketing strategy going forward.
What are the Most Common Devices Used for Voice Search?
Smart technology is everywhere, but what devices account for the most voice searches, and what devices should you plan to develop a voice search strategy around in the future?
The following devices are the most commonly used voice search devices. Understanding their various uses will help you devise a content marketing strategy.
- Amazon Echo
- Google Nest/Google Home
- Apple iPhone
- Apple Watch
- Android smartphones
- Samsung Galaxy Watch
- Apple and Android tablets
- Samsung smartphones
- Some Microsoft devices (Cortana)
These devices don’t approach voice search SEO the same, and they utilize different data to conduct queries.
The Top Five Voice Search Platforms
When creating a voice search SEO strategy, you should consider the five most common search platforms.
- Amazon Alexa
- Google Assistant
- Apple Siri
- Samsung Bixby
- Soundhound
Voice Search Best Practices
Optimizing your content for voice search requires you to implement the following strategies into your content.
Voice Search Queries are Longer
Traditional searches and SEO focuses on short keywords and phrases. The average length of these phrases is two to three words. Voice searches tend to be much longer and typically posed as questions. When creating content optimized for voice search, think about how the questions relate to your industry. Optimized content marketing has to be much more specific to your customers’ questions.
Local Voice Search Is Growing
Local searches have grown more than 130% year-over-year, especially those containing the words “near me.” Incorporate the words “near me” in your meta descriptions, internal links, and anchor text. The local institutions and landmarks around your location will also help users identify more closely with your business.
Users Want Immediate Results
Voice search optimized content gets straight to the point because users are looking for immediate answers to their inquiries. In voice search cases, short-form content works best. Users want to gather information about your company quickly, without having to search through multiple pages or continuously scroll through your website.
The Future of Voice Search Will be More Intuitive
As more and more smart devices infiltrate our society, the demand for comprehensive voice search strategies increases. One of the trends you need to stay on top of with voice search is its correlation to video content. Because video content is easier to consume, more voice searches will direct to videos. So, if you’re looking to optimize your voice searches, you need to consider your video roster.
Conclusion- The Future of Voice Search Content Marketing
Voice search is an inextricable component of SEO already. In the future, you can expect it to become an even more integral component of SEO. This type of SEO will be critical if you have a local presence since most people who conduct voice searchers are looking for specific locations.
The future of voice search content marketing depends on your business’s adaptability to emerging devices and its ability to analyze accumulating data. Suppose you continuously revisit your digital marketing strategy and implement effective voice search content marketing practices. In that case, you will be able to capture a significant portion of the voice search traffic out there.
