As voice-activated devices like smart speakers and virtual assistants become more prevalent, voice search is rapidly gaining popularity. Voice search is changing the way people access information, and for digital marketers, it presents new opportunities to reach consumers. Understanding how to optimize your advertising strategy for voice search can help you stay ahead of the curve and connect with a growing audience of voice search users. Here’s how voice search is transforming digital advertising and what you can do to leverage it.
What is Voice Search?
Voice search allows users to speak queries aloud rather than typing them into a search engine. Devices such as Amazon Echo, Google Home, Apple’s Siri, and Microsoft’s Cortana have made voice search a common feature in many households. These voice-activated assistants provide users with information, answers, and suggestions almost instantly, making them a preferred method for quick searches and tasks.
How Voice Search is Changing Consumer Behavior
- Conversational Queries
Voice search queries are more conversational and natural compared to text-based searches. Instead of typing short keywords, users tend to ask full questions or phrases. For example, someone might type “best coffee shop near me” into a search engine, but with voice search, they are more likely to say, “What’s the best coffee shop near me?” This shift to natural language queries requires advertisers to rethink their keyword strategies.
- Increased Use of Long-Tail Keywords
Since voice searches are more conversational, they tend to use longer, more specific phrases—also known as long-tail keywords. These longer queries present an opportunity for advertisers to target more specific and relevant searches, allowing them to reach users who are further along in their buyer’s journey.
- Mobile-First Approach
Voice search is primarily used on mobile devices, meaning marketers must optimize their ads and content for mobile platforms. Additionally, many voice searches are conducted on the go, with users seeking local information or immediate answers, which makes local SEO and mobile responsiveness more important than ever.
- Local Search Dominance
A significant percentage of voice searches are local, with users often searching for nearby businesses, stores, or services. Optimizing for “near me” searches and ensuring your business has accurate, up-to-date location information is critical for capturing these voice search users.
How Voice Search is Impacting Digital Advertising
- Shift in SEO Strategies
With the rise of voice search, traditional SEO strategies need to be adjusted to account for longer, conversational queries. Brands must focus on optimizing for question-based keywords and natural language phrases. This can involve creating FAQ-style content and structuring web pages to answer specific questions that users might ask via voice search.
- Optimizing for Featured Snippets
Voice assistants often pull answers from featured snippets (position zero) on Google. This means that securing the featured snippet spot can significantly increase your brand’s visibility in voice search results. To optimize for snippets, create content that directly answers common questions related to your industry or products in a clear and concise manner.
- Voice Ads on Smart Speakers
Some voice search platforms, like Amazon Alexa, are experimenting with voice-based advertising. While still in its early stages, voice ads could offer brands a new way to engage users through personalized, conversational interactions. Marketers should keep an eye on the development of voice ads as a future advertising opportunity.
- Focus on Local Search Ads
With voice search’s heavy emphasis on local results, advertisers should invest in local search ads to capture nearby consumers. This involves optimizing your Google My Business profile, running location-based ads, and ensuring that your business information (hours, address, phone number) is accurate and easily accessible.
- Integrating Voice Search with eCommerce
Voice search is becoming increasingly popular for eCommerce, with users making purchases through voice-activated devices like Amazon Echo. Brands can optimize their eCommerce platforms to be voice-search friendly by using structured data, optimizing product descriptions, and ensuring a seamless shopping experience on mobile and voice-activated devices.
Preparing Your Advertising Strategy for Voice Search
- Adapt Content for Conversational Search
As voice search queries become more conversational, it’s important to adapt your content to reflect how people speak. Incorporate natural language in your website copy and ad content, and focus on answering specific questions that your audience might ask through voice search.
- Focus on Local SEO
Since a large portion of voice searches are local, optimizing your digital presence for local search is key. This includes updating your business listings, ensuring consistent NAP (Name, Address, Phone Number) information across all platforms, and encouraging customer reviews to boost your local SEO ranking.
- Create Voice-Optimized Ads
When crafting ad copy, consider the longer and more conversational nature of voice search queries. Use long-tail keywords that reflect how users speak and adjust your ad strategy to target questions that potential customers may ask via voice search.
- Optimize for Speed and Mobile
Voice search users expect quick answers, so ensuring that your website loads quickly is critical. Optimize your website for mobile devices, as most voice searches are conducted on smartphones, and focus on delivering a smooth, fast-loading experience for visitors.
- Stay Updated on Voice Ad Opportunities
As voice search continues to grow, new advertising opportunities will emerge. Keep an eye on platforms like Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant for developments in voice-based advertising. Experimenting with voice ads early on can give your brand a competitive advantage in this evolving space.
At Advida, we recognize the transformative power of voice search in digital advertising. By optimizing for conversational queries, focusing on local SEO, and preparing for emerging voice-based ad formats, we’re able to stay ahead of the curve and connect with consumers in new and innovative ways. Voice search is here to stay, and brands that adapt their advertising strategies to accommodate this shift will be better positioned for long-term success. Embrace voice search as part of your digital strategy and unlock new opportunities for growth.
