Voice Search Marketing: What It Is & Why You Need a Strategy

The rise of voice assistants has forever changed how we interact with technology, and as a result, digital marketers must adapt. Voice search marketing is now a critical part of optimizing your business for the future. With advancements in voice recognition technology and a growing reliance on smart devices like Google Home, Amazon Alexa, and Apple’s Siri, businesses must adjust their strategies to stay competitive.

As voice search continues to gain momentum, particularly for local searches, understanding how to effectively incorporate it into your digital marketing strategy is more important than ever. Here’s how you can optimize your business for voice search and leverage it to stand out in local search results.

What Is Voice Search Marketing?

Voice search marketing refers to the practice of optimizing your content and data to appear in voice search results, such as through platforms like Google Assistant, Siri, Alexa, and Copilot. The goal is to ensure your business is discoverable when users search using their voices instead of typing.

Voice search started as a fun, novel feature, but as technology has evolved, so has its usefulness. Today, it boasts a 95% accuracy rate in English, making it a widely relied-upon tool for getting quick answers to questions. With 72% of US residents aware of voice search having used it, optimizing for voice search is essential for staying relevant and visible in today’s fast-paced, hands-free world.

Why Is Voice Search Marketing Important?

Voice search marketing has become an essential strategy due to the growing number of users adopting voice search for convenience and efficiency. According to a study, 72% of US residents who are aware of voice search have used it. The hands-free nature of voice search is particularly appealing to users who are multitasking, commuting, or simply looking for quicker answers. Consumers no longer want to waste time typing out their search queries—voice search provides a faster, more efficient way to get the information they need.

Furthermore, voice search is increasingly being used to find local businesses. In fact, 58% of voice search users are looking for local businesses, so ensuring your business is visible in these results is crucial. As voice assistants become integrated into more everyday devices, such as home appliances and smart speakers, consumers’ comfort with using voice search is only increasing.

How Is Voice Search Different Than Traditional Search?

The primary difference between voice search and traditional search lies in the way users ask their questions. Typed queries are typically short and to the point, using minimal words like “best bakery Toronto.” In contrast, voice searches tend to be more conversational. For example, someone might ask, “What’s the best bakery in Toronto?”

To rank for voice search, you need to optimize your content in a way that provides direct, natural-sounding responses to these questions. This means crafting content that sounds like a real person is answering the query. Voice search marketing is all about creating content that answers specific questions with a clear, concise, and conversational tone.

Tips for Optimizing for Voice Search

If you want your business to appear in voice search results, it’s important to follow some best practices for optimization. Here are some essential tips for improving your chances of ranking in voice search:

1. Use a Conversational Tone: Craft content that mirrors the way people speak. Use natural, easy-to-understand language and write in a tone that matches a spoken conversation.

2. Focus on Local Queries: Many voice searches are related to local businesses. Optimize your content around commonly asked questions, such as “Where is the nearest coffee shop?” or “What time does the post office close?” These local searches are highly relevant for businesses aiming to appear in voice search results.

3. Leverage Schema Markup: To help search engines better understand your content, use schema markup to provide additional context about your business. By including rich data like business hours, contact information, and location, you make it easier for voice search platforms to pull relevant information from your site.

4. Keep Responses Concise: Voice search responses are typically short, with the average answer being 23 words long. Ensure your answers are brief, direct, and to the point. The more succinct your response, the more likely it is to be featured in a voice search result.

5. Rank for Featured Snippets: Many voice search results come from featured snippets on Google. Optimize your content to increase your chances of appearing in these coveted spots. This involves providing clear, well-organized content, using headers and bullet points, and answering questions directly.

How Semrush Local Can Help Your Voice Search Visibility

Semrush Local offers powerful tools that help businesses optimize their voice search visibility. From managing reviews to monitoring local rankings, these features are essential for businesses looking to boost their performance in voice search.

1. Manage Reviews to Maintain Your Reputation

Reviews are crucial for local businesses, especially when it comes to voice search. According to Semrush’s 2020 Voice Search for Local Businesses study, businesses with a 4.5+ star rating are more likely to show up in voice search results. The more positive reviews your business has, the better your chances of ranking in voice search.

Semrush Local’s Review Management tool helps you manage and respond to reviews across various platforms, including Google Business Profile, Facebook, and Yelp. By keeping track of customer feedback and maintaining a positive reputation, you increase your likelihood of appearing in voice search results.

2. See Your Local Rankings

Understanding where your business stands in local search rankings is key to improving visibility in voice search. Semrush Local’s Map Rank Tracker tool allows you to monitor your position across different locations. This data helps you understand how well your business is performing in voice search results and which areas need improvement.

3. Optimize Your Business Information Across Platforms

To improve your chances of appearing in voice search, it’s essential to have consistent, accurate business information across all relevant platforms. Semrush’s Listing Management tool distributes your business details to top directories such as Google Business Profile, Apple Maps, and Bing Places. By ensuring that your business information is up-to-date and consistent, you improve the chances of being featured in voice search results.

4. Build Citations and Links to Boost Rankings

Citations and backlinks are important ranking factors for voice search. To rank for local queries, your business must be listed consistently across multiple directories, such as Yelp, Yellow Pages, and Google Business Profile. The more authoritative sources that reference your business, the better your chances of ranking in local voice search results.

5. Fix Duplicate Listings and Correct Incorrect Information

One common issue with local listings is duplicate or incorrect information. If your business details are inconsistent across various platforms, search engines may not trust your data, which could hurt your rankings. Semrush Local’s Listing Management tool allows you to quickly identify and fix duplicate listings, ensuring that your business information is accurate and up-to-date.

Conclusion

Voice search marketing is becoming an increasingly important part of a comprehensive digital marketing strategy. As voice search adoption continues to grow, businesses must adapt to this new way of searching for information. By optimizing your content for voice search, managing your local listings, leveraging schema markup, and focusing on delivering concise, conversational answers, you can position your business for success in the voice search era.

With tools like Semrush Local, managing your local presence, monitoring reviews, and optimizing your business information across platforms has never been easier. By following these strategies and focusing on local search optimization, you can ensure that your business remains competitive in voice search results.

Ready to boost your business’s visibility with voice search? Contact Engage Coders today to optimize your website for local searches and start driving more targeted traffic.

Let’s unlock your digital potential together!