Voice Search: Key for Marketers Optimize sites for Siri, Alexa, and Google Assistant

Introduction

Voice search optimization is crucial for businesses to increase visibility, attract more customers, and generate sales. In a day and age where digital marketing voice assistants are everywhere, it is crucial for businesses to jump on this as soon as possible. This blog post explores the importance and strategies of voice search optimization for voice-controlled personal assistants such as Google Assistant, Alexa, Cortana, and Siri. It also distills various questions that you may have into easy-to-follow steps. 

How Do We Understand Voice Search?

Voice search allows users to perform web searches using voice commands, converting audio signals into text for search engines to process. Local voice search focuses on using voice commands to find information about local businesses, bridging the gap between companies and prospects.

What Are Some Reasons To Optimize For Local Voice Search?

1. Stand out from the competition by optimizing for voice search and securing a coveted position in voice search results.
2. Improve local search ranking to attract visitors in close proximity to your business.
3. With voice search, you can reach a wider customer base, as a significant percentage of adults and teens use it daily.
4. Enhance customer experience by providing fast and easy access to information, leading to customer loyalty.
5. Drive more traffic to your website by optimizing for featured snippets, which are prevalent in voice search results.

What Steps Should You Follow For Voice Search Optimization

1. Understand the digital marketing voice assistants ecosystem, considering its expansion to various devices beyond smartphones and smart speakers.
2. Learn the types of voice searches, i.e. direct searches, knowledge searches, and discovery searches.
3. Put a focus on long-tail conversational keywords. These align with users’ natural speech patterns.
4. Think mobile and local, optimizing your website for mobile devices and incorporating location-specific keywords to answer local queries.
5. Claim and optimize your local business listing on relevant directories (Google Business Profile, Apple Maps, Bing Places, Yelp, etc) to provide accurate and up-to-date information for voice assistants.

Optimizing for Voice Assistants

Now, let’s focus on how you can actually optimize for digital marketing voice assistants. 

1. Google Assistant Optimization

• Rethink content structure to provide short and concise answers suitable for voice search.
• Include FAQ sections on relevant pages.
• Opt for long-tail keywords that align with voice search queries.

2. Apple Siri Voice Search Optimization

• Prioritize reviews, as Siri relies on a review-based ranking system.
• Utilize rich snippets and schema tags to provide comprehensive information about your business.
• Tailor search queries to match users' natural speech patterns.

3. Amazon Alexa Voice Search Optimization:

• In the US, there are 40 million Alexa users. Alexa obtains business information, reviews, and photos from Yelp and Yext. 
• If you're not a Yext customer, make sure to claim and optimize your Yelp business listing. If you're already a Yext customer, no further action is necessary.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

To help quell further inquiries, here are some FAQs answered. 

1. What are the benefits of optimizing my website for voice search?
   - Stand out from the competition and secure a top position.
   - Improve local search ranking and attract nearby visitors.
   - Reach more customers as voice search usage is high.
   - Enhance customer experience and drive repeat business.
   - Generate more website traffic through featured snippets.

2. Are there specific techniques or tools for voice search optimization?
   - Structuring content for voice search with concise answers and FAQ sections.
   - Using long-tail conversational keywords.
   - Thinking mobile and local, optimizing for mobile devices and location-specific keywords.
   - Claiming and optimizing local business listings in directories.

3. How does voice search impact digital marketing strategies?
   - Increases visibility and customer engagement.
   - Requires adapting to changing user behavior and providing a seamless experience.
   - Incorporates conversational language and local search intent.

4. What are the best practices for voice search SEO?
   - Understand the voice search ecosystem.
   - Categorize voice search queries into direct, knowledge, and discovery.
   - Focus on long-tail conversational keywords.
   - Think mobile and local.

5. What are the key considerations when optimizing for Siri, Alexa, and Google Assistant?
   - Google Assistant: Rethink content structure, include FAQ sections, and choose relevant keywords.
   - Apple Siri: Pay attention to reviews, leverage rich snippets, and use targeted queries.
   - Amazon Alexa: Claim and optimize Yelp business listing.
6. How can I optimize my website for voice search?
   - Understand the voice search ecosystem.
   - Learn types of voice searches.
   - Focus on long-tail conversational keywords.
   - Think mobile and local.

Conclusion

This blog was designed to dilute the understanding of voice search so you can implement it in your business. By implementing voice search optimization strategies, you can enhance your business's visibility, reach a wider customer base, improve customer experience, and drive more traffic to your website. Start by claiming and optimizing your business listings, and consider using local listing management tools for effective local search visibility.