We have seen a dramatic increase in the use of voice technology over the past few years, especially in smartphones. As of 2021, more than 65% of the people between ages 25 and 49(1) use voice-activated technology.
In 2023, experts suggest that the number of active voice assistants will increase from 6 billion to 8 billion(2). Marketing agencies never ignore trends as they are constantly looking forward to introducing innovative ways to enhance a brand’s exposure.
The point being that the voice-activated search technology is estimated at more than 19 billion(3) over the next 4 years. Therefore, the rapid adaption of voice technology is quickly changing the marketing landscape as well.
Why is voice technology considered a game-changer?
People keen on using smartphones have different motivations. They need answers to their questions and they land on the only reliable platform, the internet. The times are changing and more than half of people are not interested in visiting your website. A survey carried out in the United States suggests that people would rather use a voice assistant than navigating through a website.
How people are using the internet is quite alarming for content marketers. However, there’s no need to panic and be alarming about it. Even if we continue to move in the future, content marketing will always be an integral part of digital marketing.
However, content marketers will have to evolve and adapt to the new tech so that their content reaches the right audience.
Voice search far better than typing when it comes to:
- Checking directions
- Checking answers to your question
- Carrying out basic research
- Checking breaking news
(Also Read: What is Voice Search: The Beginners Guide )
Is voice technology a concern for the content marketer?
Every marketer, including you, is well-aware of the impact of content marketing and the power it has to generate referrals, traffic, and sales. But voice search is a recent development that is surely going to impact the strategies of a content marketer.
Voice search assistants impact our SEO efforts. Since search engine optimization and content marketing go hand in hand, producing content and optimizing it through voice-search assistant is a win-win strategy. It has become vital for every content marketer to use the technology in his SEO efforts.
The world is moving towards question-based queries. It means that the content generated must address a user’s problems, needs, and solutions.
To implement voice technology, content marketers have to think about the user’s intent. If one creates content centered around queries, it becomes easier to adapt to the advancements and use voice search technology.
Why should brands use voice-activated technology?
Voice-driven content marketing(4) strategies bring a lot of benefits to the table. The increased interaction and selling opportunities allow you to stand out from the competition.
Here’s how you can grow by using voice-activated technology in your content marketing strategy:
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Voice technology lets you stay ahead of the competitors
Many brands make it to the first Google search result page. However, the rank still does not guarantee conversions and sales. You are still a potential competition with all other brands.
But voice results pull up a single name and display it to the user. This status is well-known as position zero. If you manage to take your brand to position zero, you are dominant over your competitors.
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The sales opportunities increase
Adequate research shows that people are more than open to the idea of voice searches. They are ready to receive voice-activated content from the brands. In fact, 52% of the people in the survey wanted access to voice-activated promotions and deals.
The point being that voice searches increase conversion rates and open new selling opportunities.
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The Customer-Brand communication increases
Stats show that more than 28% of people(5) get in contact with the business after receiving a voice-activated search. But how will it benefit your brand? Well, more business calls convert to 10x more revenue. In Addition, the conversion rate also increases by 30%.
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It improves SEO
Voice technology also improves the content’s efficiency so that a search engine can well-understand the complex terms well. When it comes to complex product names, potential customers take the name accurately rather than typing it.
What are different ways to optimize your content for voice technology?
Every content marketer will likely embrace the new technology by 2023. Even the customers will shift from type searches to voice searches. But what does it mean for content marketing? How can you optimize your content as per the changing trends?
Here are the best ways to add the essence of voice technology to your content:
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Mobile-optimized website
Most voice searches come from smart devices(6) such as tablets, smartwatches, or mobiles. If your website is not mobile-friendly, it won’t be included in the voice search result.
Make sure that your website domain supports PC as well as mobile browsing. Regardless of any hand-held device, your customer is using, you must provide a seamless experience.
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Improve SEO efforts
Local SEO such as keywords in meta description will definitely qualify your website to appear in the voice search result. As opposed to type searches, voice searches are not abrupt or to the point. The tone is quite different and the search is usually a full sentence. For type searches, tail keywords are perfect but voice search has a conversational tone. For instance, ‘What is the temperature today?’
Therefore, you must also consider replacing long-tail keywords with specific questions relevant to your website.
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Add structured data to your website
Structured data, also known as schema mark up is a type of website code. It makes it easier for Google to crawl, organize and use your content. It simply communicates to the crawlers about what your content means. Without schema mark up, a search engine would never find out why is the content on your website in the first place.
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Focus on long-tail keywords
Gone are those days when marketers used to optimize their websites using specific/targeted keywords. Back then, the keywords were quite short and almost fit in any sentence. However, voice technology crawls through full sentences before it can display accurate results.
Therefore, adding long-tail keywords (that basically defines a customer’s query) increases your chances to be in position zero.
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Generate compelling yet relevant content
If there’s one thing that you need to do to drive a tsunamic of traffic through voice search, it is creating compelling yet relevant content. It’s great to have an ‘About Us’ page, a home page, a location page, a services page, and a contact page on your website. Make sure all the pages include relevant info about your brand and the services you provide.
In addition, making a FAQs page will make it easier for you to use long-tail keywords while trying your luck to make it to position zero.
Final Thoughts
Businesses are set to integrate voice-activated technology with their marketing strategies. Therefore, you must recognize its importance in the digital marketing industry and use it consistently to create endless selling opportunities.
