“SIRI, where can I find chips and queso?” We use our phones for everything. So, chances are, you’ve asked SIRI, Google (or even Alexa) a question in the last week. In 2018, it was recorded that 40% of adults used voice-based search on a daily basis. Those numbers are expected to be up to 50% by 2020. Research, like ones gathered from Infront.com, have concluded that 22% of people that used voice search purchased something from their result. It’s time to start incorporating voice search when it comes to strategizing for your SEO plans.
It’s a Conversation
How do you make your content marketing work for voice search? We’ve got to start at the beginning and ask how users are searching for things. Usually, it’s very conversational. Have you ever heard a friend ask SIRI for something? It’s usually conversation-like. Most likely than not, they’re asking where to find something or describing what they want to find and not just saying, “chips and queso”. Now that we know that, apply it to your content (because content is everything)! Think about your audience and how they would converse or ask for something.
Google is now using a system, Rank Bank, that looks at the entirety of a website instead of giving results based on a few keywords. So, your content should reflect that. Be more conversational in your content, your blogs and your ads. This also means staying away from bigger words. Your Flesch reading score should ideally be at 70% or higher. That means shorter sentences, concise thoughts, and language that everyone can understand (not just the higher educated).
There are other words people are including in their voice search that you do want to use. Words like “best” or “close by”. Your blog post can include that you make “the best chips and queso”. Another really important factor is jargon. A regular customer or client isn’t going to use the same industry-based vocabulary that you do. Keep that in mind when you’re writing content. You’ll make it easier for people to understand what it is exactly that you provide. In turn, you’ll make it easier to decide if they need to purchase your service/product.
Stay Relevant (aka Stay Active)
Post, post, and do some posting. It takes a lot of research to know what you should be posting and how to write copy that is directed to the demographic you want to target. That said, you should be posting a lot. But, you should make sure it’s content that is relevant and concise. How does this help with voice search? Google places importance on websites/companies that are active. Consumers are on social media. They plan trips, tag themselves at various locations, read the news and find events on social media. The more you engage with people and post content, the more relevant you become. The more relevant you become, the more likely that Google’s voice search results will include you.
Remember that in order to keep your business successful, you’ve got to be flexible and evolve with the times. With the increasing number of voice searches, the smart thing to do is reconstruct your website and content to reflect that change.
