If you are familiar with sci-fi content, then you will relate to the parts when the many characters would place commands into giant super computers or mini mobile gadgets that would generate some automation spectacle and ultimately lead to the triumph of the good guys. You probably wondered in awe if talking to gadgets to find answers would ever be reality. But here we are, in an age when voice searches into mobile devices are no longer the stuff of fiction. From everyday users to business savvy innovative marketers, voice searching is the mainstream staple for content search and optimization.

The Evolution of Voice Searching
The voice search feature initially rolled out into Apple devices during the mid-2000s, but was not taken seriously by users as an actual means of content searching because of inefficient speech recognition capabilities which generated inaccurate and often hilarious results.

Then in 2008, Google launched their Voice Search App in the iPhone, and with a larger pool of user data and the then latest technology of cloud computing they developed the Google Hummingbird algorithm. That was the stepping stone to build today’s Google Assistant which is now a basic feature of all Google supported smartphones worldwide which makes up about 50% of the market.

Siri on Apple also became a popular contemporary of the Google Assistant. Microsoft and Amazon followed suit with their own witty AI assistants Cortana and Alexa respectively.
A research by Google from early 2018 reported that voice search is the fastest growing form of search with 55% of its users being teenagers and the rest adults. 20% of all of Google’s voice search activated device users predominantly search using voice search rather than typing. Another Google research generated that 72% of owners of voice activated speakers use it as a daily routine and, 62% of this pool said that they do and would purchase products using voice search.

Voice Searching and SEO
Needless to say that voice searching is the key to capturing markets in today’s digitally mobilized world. If you are business savvy and want more potential client or customer exposure to your products and services, you must already have an equally savvy presence on the internet. Which means having an effective and efficient landing page and constantly engaging in local search engine optimization to generate higher clicks from potential customers based on what they have been searching for.

Voice Search commerce sales reached $1.8 billion in the US in 2018 and judging by the growing trend it is predicted to reach $40 billion by 2022. 52% of Google’s voice search shoppers say that they would like to see more promotional content from what they shop based on their searches, 30% want more access to customer support and 48% of them reported that “they want personal tips to make their lives easier” – to this one, surely you can relate.

So what exactly is the concept of SEO?
Search Engine Optimization or SEO includes technical and creative measures taken to increase data traffic and click rates on business websites to generate potential customers. It is not just making a landing page more attractive but to take non sponsored steps to make the webpages appear on the relevant searches feed of customers when they are looking at relatable content. With the rapidly growing user rates of voice searching devices it is paramount for sellers to adapt to the technology to stay afloat.

The Importance of linking Voice Search on SEO
Online marketers are now beginning to understand the profitable impact enjoyed by early innovators of local search engine optimization for their business and adapting to the method faster. Voice searching is no longer a sub-plot for a sci-fi narrative, and the figures derived by the Global Web Index and a Bright Local study on American households and individuals conclude:

– 2 out of 5 people use voice searches at least once a day.
– 46% of all voice search users in the pool look for local businesses every day.
– 76% of smart home speaker users such as the Amazon Alexa perform searches every day.
– 27% of them actually visit those sites.
– 22% of them actually made purchases.
– 74% of all shoppers agree that text-only searching is inefficient for finding relatable content.
– 65% of Google Voice users with many among them being users of Amazon Echo and Google Home said that they “cannot imagine a life without voice searches” – this must also be completely relatable to you.

 

It is predicted that by 2030, approximately 60% of all searches will be voice or visually activated.

 

No more having to actually spell out things. Your wish really is your assistant genie’s command.

Some tricks and tips to effectively optimize voice searches: As website owners now, it is paramount to not rapidly adapt to voice search technology to not only generate more clicks on landing pages but to also improve user experience to have them engaged further.

1. Identify the type an purpose of searches
What types of content are people generally searching locally? Do they fall within your target customer group? Use local voice search statistics and generate algorithms to build your strategies for making your landing pages more present within their feeds.

2. Keep track of keywords
It is important to contain data of the most commonly used key words or phrases that local searches are using to create content that is more relevant to the searches of your target customers.

3. Create Mobile User Friendly Interfaces
With people constantly looking for more easy access to desirable content as well as being hooked to their phones, it is important for your businesses to be more mobile user friendly by providing better access to your services locally.

4. Improve Your Site Speed
Users are more on the go and expect faster and relevant results. Improving site speed is a necessary strategy to keep in touch with the demands and expectations of potential customers. If your site is lagging on a customer’s mobile device, they will immediately leave.

5. Optimize for Local Search Results
A significantly higher percentage of mobile based voice searches are location based queries. Therefore optimizing for local search content is a must. If you have not already, it is imperative that you list your business site on Google My Business.

6. Always be open for constant developments
The key to any technological development is to always continue to stream of said development. Which means constantly updating your features and to keep your user experience up to standard or even better. Use search query data to create personalized content for your customers. It is always important to remain relevant. You may be on top of your game today, but it is imperative to remain so.

The Bottom Line: Voice Search is the Future of Digital Marketing
The world is incredibly fast paced today and there is absolutely no room for laggards. We have already established that voice commands and searches are dominating search marketing. Implementing strategies to optimize voice searches into your business should be an obvious decision. Adopting these steps will have you on your way to generate more customers and build more relatable and personalized content. Incorporating voice searches with SEO your business will be able to easily provide answers that your customers need and increase more clicks to your landing pages. The best way to understand that impact that voice search optimization has on your business is to actually try it out. Do not wait up to capitalize on the biggest growing business building trend of today.