Voice Search
Recent advancements in Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology have transformed how consumers search for products and services. Such advancements have opened new and exciting opportunities in the world of marketing and local SEO. Let us show you how.
Voice Search SEO and Ranking
The Future is Voice Search
Over the past decade, the use of smartphone assistants and smart speakers, such as Apple’s Siri, Amazon’s Alexa, and Google Home has skyrocketed. With that uptake in usage, services such as Alexa Voice marketing and Google Voice marketing have become essential. Digital marketing continues to evolve, and voice search queries are predicted to occupy a huge space of the market in the near future.
Over recent years, smartphone assistants and smart speakers have triggered a revolution in how we live, work and do business. AI systems such as Google Assistant and Amazon Echo hold growing levels of influence, each with their own complex algorithms and natural language processing systems. ProfileTree’s developers and AI experts can introduce your business to the tech revolution, bringing your digital marketing strategy to the audiences that matter.
Modern technology continues to create more opportunities in the world of marketing, and AI is no different. ProfileTree’s team of developers and analysts can harness AI research and problem solving technology to run diagnostics on your site, identifying areas for further improvement and optimisation.
Recent data suggests that increasing numbers of consumers are interacting with their favourite businesses and via official websites and social media channels. The ways in which consumers expect customer support are in a constant stage of change, partly in thanks to Chatbots. Chatbots instantly give your target audience the information they require at an instant. ProfileTree continues to innovate in this field, building interactive chatbots for clients across a range of sectors in Northern Ireland and beyond.
Content Marketing with ProfileTree
Amazon’s Alexa Voice is one of the most popular examples of deep learning voice assistant technology available in the world today. Where companies once vied for dominance in online visual search rankings, the tide is continuing to turn in favour of voice search, where increasing numbers of web users are deciding to browse and purchase products. Stay ahead of the curve by ensuring that your business is represented in the ongoing tech revolution.
For a generation, Google has remained the dominant voice in the search engine industry, with hundreds of millions of searches entered on a daily basis. However, the evolution of AI technology has expanded Google’s relevance, thanks to its immensely popular Google Voice devices. Companies wanting to truly stay ahead of the curve will not only be taking account of regular Search Engine Optimisation (SEO): they will now seek to establish a presence in the world of voice search content marketing.
ProfileTree offer each and every one of our clients a totally bespoke Voice Search Marketing Service, taking account of their business model, their goals and their current digital strategy. Following initial consultations, our team can communicate stages of progress every step of the way.
Voice Search Marketing
Over the past decade, the use of smartphone assistants and smart speakers, such as Apple’s Siri, Amazon’s Alexa, and Google Home have skyrocketed. With that uptake in usage, services such as Alexa Voice marketing and Google Voice marketing have become essential. Digital marketing continues to evolve and voice search queries are predicted to occupy a huge space of the market in the near future.
ProfileTree’s developers and AI experts can introduce your business to the tech revolution, delivering your digital marketing strategy via technologically advanced means. Help your business stand out from competition and start targeting audiences with curated voice search marketing.
What is voice search?
Think of smart speakers like the Amazon Alexa or smartphone assistants like IPhone’s Siri. Voice search is a simple process of using vocal commands to ask questions of a search engine or a smartphone AI assistant. Currently, over 27% of search queries are voice searches and that number is predicted to rise.
AI systems such as Google Assistant and Amazon Echo hold growing levels of influence, each with their own complex algorithms and natural language processing systems. Voice assistants are artificially intelligent programs that are constantly learning. In addition to answering queries, they can also interact with a number of appliances in your home that use wifi, such as heating, electric, security etc.
Voice search assistants understand thousands of commands and respond to queries through speech, creating a synthetic, digital conversion between the user and the smart device. It’s a revolutionary new way of engaging with users and is a real milestone in the advancement of technology.
Many digital conglomerates such as Google, Amazon and now even Facebook, are creating their own versions of AI assistants to enhance the user interface and make surfing the web more convenient. A whopping 65% of smartspeaker owners say they couldn’t go back to using non-voice activated devices. In this technologically advanced world, people expect to be able to be able to use voice commands when interacting with their with their smartphones and smart devices.
What do people use voice activated technology for?
Voice activated technology provides a quicker, more convenient way of accessing information and performing actions. It is a popular feature in most smartphone technologies and smart speakers, quickly becoming part of everyday home appliances that many can’t live without.
There are many uses for voice activated technology and many businesses are adapting to this shift in how we access information and perform actions. You can read more about voice marketing trends in this article.
Some of the current uses for voice activated technology include:
Performing search engine queries
This is arguably one of the most popular uses for voice search technology, instead of typing queries into a search engine, many internet users now speak the query into their smartphone or smart speaker. This has led to search engines like Google, Safari and Bing, to create their own versions of AI assistants that can respond to user’s voice searches.
This arena of vocalised search queries is where many businesses compete for traffic. The goal of businesses in voice search marketing is to provide the source of information for voice search answers. Take for example a voice search query for instructions on how to change a tyre, this information may be provided by a tyre seller, which results in more traffic to their website, increased search engine rankings and ultimately more sales for the tyre business.
Burger King got creative with using this technology in their advertising strategy. Their ad included the phrase, “Ok Google, what is the Whopper Burger?”, which incited a response from Google Home device owners. This type of marketing was fun and creative, but arguably a little cheeky and intrusive. Still though, it’s great in showing off the power of voice activated technology.
The uses for voice search technology is endless, whether its recipe or a recommendation, you have the opportunity as a business to engage with potential customers. If you can understand what potential customers are voice searching for, then you can create content that will increase traffic to your site and improve website rankings.
Playing music and podcasts
Smartphones and Smart speakers have voice controlled commands embedded for playing music. The smart device is synced with your music or podcast account e.g.) Itunes, Spotify, Youtube. A simple voice command will play a chosen podcast or music track, simplifying access to entertainment.
Setting alarms or reminders
Whilst the human brain is a marvellous thing, it’s often forgetful and prone to forgetting important information. You could jot important information on a note piece of paper, but a piece of paper won’t remind you of upcoming appointments or what’s included in your day’s schedule. It’s much easier and simpler to say, “Hey Siri, remind me to take my medicine at 3pm”.
An AI assistant is just that, a personal assistant who helps you live and work better. Smart device users are increasingly relying on AI voice assistants to plan their days accordingly, record quick thoughts and document eureka moments.
Purchasing products
Voice technology is probably the most efficient form of the purchasing process. Smart devices like the Amazon Echo allow users to purchase products from their cart or order history with a simple voice command, it’s literally like asking someone to run to the shop for you.
This voice technology is not just limited to the worldwide king retailer, Amazon. Companies like Starbucks and Dominos have also created voice technology that eliminates the need for the customer to pick up the phone or use their app. The purchasing process has become more simplified and convenient for users.
Calling, texting and emailing
Voice activated technology has simplified how we communicate and engage with one another. The technology has removed the process of picking up a phone, laptop, or tablet to contact someone, a simple voice command of, “Hey Google, call Mum,” suffices.
The handsfree contact is also a safer method for drivers taking a call, and it can even assist those in medical emergencies who may not have the means to get help using a phone. Users of voice activated devices embed the technology for contacting persons in their personal and professional lives, it’s more efficient, convenient and simple.
What is voice search marketing?
Voice search marketing is the process of curating your website’s content so that AI voice assistants use it to answer voice search queries. It’s based on similar principles as SEO – Search Engine Optimization, in that the content is useful for audiences and provides the best answer in response to their questions.
Voice Search Marketing differs slightly from standard SEO practises. With voice searches, users tend to structure their queries more informally and use more words, therefore voice search marketing creates content that is articulated clearly and makes for good readability. With well structured voice search marketing, you can position your brand as an authority within your industry.
With the steep incline in voice searches, more and more companies are preparing their content in order to appeal to this type of user queries. You can read more about the future of voice search marketing for businesses in this blog.
How to adapt content for voice search marketing?
It’s an obvious point that we communicate differently via speech as opposed to text. This needs to be kept in mind when curating content for voice search marketing purposes. While the devices themselves take care of the complex voice recognition, a search query on voice is different to a traditional SEO search. Does it matter if it is on an iPad, iPhone or Google device? We also need to consider how consumers use voice to shop, how does it impact ecommerce and what should we look for in analytics. Some important tips to remember when trying to create content that’s useful for voice searches includes:
Create a local listing
Voice search provides local, up to date information for its users. You should ensure your product/service is a local listing in order to appear for searches that relate to a specific location, e.g.) “Alexa, who is the best hairdresser near me?” Voice search marketing should boost traffic to your website and direct users to your actual physical location. Make sure you have claimed your free Google Business Profile listing and review the information to ensure it’s accurate.
Embed long-tail keywords
In standard SEO, keywords are kept short and succinct in order to appeal to search engine algorithms, but with voice search queries, it works a bit differently. When we speak we tend to use more words, therefore, your content should opt for long tail keywords, as users are more likely to ask longer questions.
Voice search content should also include keywords that sound more subjective to users rather than objective to search engines. Write keywords into phrases as opposed to short keyword headings. For more information on embedding SEO for voice search marketing, check out this blog.
Use a conversational tone
No matter how realistic AI assistants appear, they do not create the conversation themselves, they simply select relevant information and communicate that back to the user. The conversational tone comes from the content online, in order to maximise voice search optimization, you need to provide content that can be read naturally and in a conversational tone. Content should be written as if you’re speaking to someone in order to mirror the nature of a voice search.
Answer FAQs
According to voice search statistics, over 61% of voice searches are posed as questions, beginning with the Who, What, Where, When, Why and How type queries. Users are unlikely to just state a couple of keywords in their search, they ask questions, so your content should mirror that.
Answering questions in your content also contributes to a more natural and conversational tone, you should avoid structuring content in a document-type format as this will be more difficult for AI assistants to read from.
Grammatical correctness
Grammar is the written code for how sentences should be structured and read aloud. Search engine algorithms prescan for grammatical correctness, so if your content has poor grammar, it will affect its readability and damage the potential voice search optimization. You can use extensions like Grammarly to help you tidy up on grammar and optimise content for voice search marketing.
Good Readability
Search engines and AI assistants prefer content with good readability for responding to voice search queries. In order to maximise voice search marketing, content should be easily understood and make sense. You need to avoid jargon, perfect sentence structure and create content that’s elocute, clear and informative. If content is confusing to read aloud, it won’t be used for voice search queries.
You can read more about optimising your website’s content for voice search marketing in this blog. Otherwise, get in touch with ProfileTree today and we’ll have a chat about your voice search marketing options.
What are the different types of voice search devices?
With the rise in voice search queries, many online companies have created their own smart speakers, smartphones, smart devices and AI assistants with embedded voice search technology. The goal is to enhance the user interface and simplify the users search engine experience.
If you’re thinking of delving into the world of voice search marketing, it’s useful to know which smart devices and AI assistants are on the market and what users are seeking from voice search technology. It’s also useful to know which search engine is supporting the voice activated device, as this will have an impact on the search engine algorithms that you’re trying to appeal to.
Amazon
| Devices: | Amazon Echo, Amazon Echo Show |
| Search Engine: | Bing |
| AI Assistant: | Alexa |
Amazon designed and created the Amazon Echo device that is supported by the AI assistant Alexa. In modern times, the Amazon Echo has become a staple in households, helping users with anything from cooking recipes, guiding workouts, and even turning off their lights at home; read more about these uses of Amazon Echo here. Due to its popularity, there is now a second-generation device available, the Amazon Echo Show, that includes a screen for displaying information.
Voice Controlled Devices for Businesses – Amazon Alexa UK
The Amazon Echo has become a giant in monopolising voice search technology; even if you don’t own an Amazon Echo, most people would know who Alexa is. With these changes in technology, so has the marketing landscape changed. Companies can now conduct Amazon Alexa Content Marketing in which they can form their own messages and personality in Alexa’s response to user queries. This type of content marketing allows for strategies to be delivered directly into customers’ domestic lives in more intimate ways than ever; read more about content marketing for Amazon’s Echo here.
| Devices: | Google Home, mobile, laptop, tablet, smart TV. |
| Search Engine: | |
| AI Assistant: | Google Assistant |
As the world’s leading search engine, it makes obvious sense for Google to lead the revolution of voice search technology. Google has embedded voice search onto its actual
Google search engine, so if your internet-connected device is capable of performing voice search, Google’s search engine will support it.
Google has also created the AI Google Assistant, which supports voice commands on smartphones and the Google Home device. The Google Home is similar to Amazon Alexa, a dedicated home appliance that integrates technology with better living.
Google Assistant will work on a variety of devices with a microphone; it’s not just limited to android devices; you can even add the Google assistant extension to iPhones and iPads. For more information on Google Assistant and its uses, check out this article.
Apple
| Devices: | iPhones, iPads, Apple Watch, Homepod Mini |
| Search Engine: | Safari |
| AI Assistant: | Siri |
Apple has embedded all of its products with the virtual AI assistant Siri which supports and vocally responds to voice search queries. Arguably, Siri offers the most natural and conversational experience when using the AI voice software. It is pre-programmed with thousands of phrases, and some responses even provide comic relief, e.g.) when asked, “Siri, who created you?”. The response from Siri is, “Like it says on the box, I was created by Apple in California.”
Voice search is intertwined with Apple technology; it is almost an expected feature of all their products. Apple is a notable leader in the advancement of voice-activated technology, and they have even created the Homepos Mini, which is a similar product to Amazon Alexa and Google Home. Dedicated voice search home hubs are becoming increasingly popular, and companies like Apple are creating their own versions to remain relevant.
Microsoft Windows
| Devices: | Windows 11 apps, Microsoft Windows 8.1 smartphones, and Microsoft Windows Surface laptops. |
| Search Engine: | Bing |
| AI Assistant: | Cortana |
Microsoft has created its own digital AI Assistant, Cortana, which is a voice-activated personal assistant embedded within Microsoft Windows devices and programs. Cortana helps users increase their efficiency and work smarter; it can answer queries, open apps, make calls and schedule events, among many other uses. Bing is the search engine that supports users’ voice searches, so it’s worth checking out their algorithms before implementing a voice search marketing strategy, as it will differ in some respects from Google.
Voice Search Marketing from our Expert SEO Agency Team
Over recent years, smartphone assistants and smart speakers have triggered a revolution in how we live, work and do business. Voice search queries are becoming increasingly more common and are predicted to occupy a huge space of the market in the near future. Stay ahead of the curve by ensuring that your business is represented in the ongoing tech revolution.
Modern technology continues to create more opportunities in the world of marketing; where companies once vied for dominance in online visual search rankings, the tide is continuing to turn in favour of voice search. Increasing numbers of web users are deciding to browse and purchase products via voice search means. Companies wanting to truly stay ahead of the curve will not only be taking account of regular Search Engine Optimisation (SEO), they will now seek to establish a presence in the world of voice search marketing.
ProfileTree offers each and every one of our clients a totally bespoke Voice Search Marketing Service, taking account of their business model, their goals and their current digital strategy. Following initial consultations, our team can communicate stages of progress every step of the way. At ProfileTree, our team of developers and analysts can harness AI research and problem-solving technology to run diagnostics on your site, identify areas for further improvement and increase voice search optimization. Get in touch today to see how we can help you with voice search marketing.