Voice search has become an increasingly critical part of digital marketing strategy. With the rise in ownership of voice assistant devices like Amazon Alexa and Google Home, voice queries now account for 20% of all searches on Android devices and Apple Siri.

Brands that optimize for voice search stand to gain huge competitive advantages as voice continues to revolutionize how consumers engage with content. Getting voice search optimization right improves discoverability, drives more natural conversions, and positions your brand for the future of search.

Understanding the Voice Search User

Before diving into tactical advice, it’s important to start by understanding user intention and behaviors. Here are the key characteristics of the voice search audience:

• Convenient – They are turning to voice for efficiency and hands-free convenience.
• Personal – They expect personalized results catered to their exact need or query. 
• Impatient – They expect an instantaneous answer or action, with little time for brands to make an impression.
• Discovery-driven – They are often still researching or discovering solutions rather than ready to directly convert.

This means brands need to be ultra-convenient, helpful and concise to delight the voice search user. Optimized content should lead users smoothly to the next logical action in an automated format.

Why Voice Search Optimization Matters

Here are the key reasons voice search optimization needs to be on every digital marketer’s radar:

• Rising Adoption – Ownership of voice assistants grew over 40% last year alone. The current install base sits at over 118 million adults.
• Shift In Searches – Comscore predicts that by 2020, 50% of searches will be voice searches.
• Consumer Preference – 46% of users say they now prefer searching by voice rather than typing, especially for local recommendations.
• Unique Intent – Voice queries are more colloquial, longer and more natural than text queries. They represent a distinct user need. 
• Fresh SERP Opportunity – Optimizing for voice can open up placement opportunities as voice results differ from traditional text SERPs.

With voice adoption accelerating, usage behaviors becoming ingrained and search engines placing more emphasis on voice optimization now is the time for brands to act to capitalize on this trend.

Optimizing For Voice Search: Key Tips

Here are ten crucial tips for optimizing your digital marketing for voice search success:

• Identify Key Questions – Study search trends tools to uncover questions consumers are asking voice assistants that are relevant to your products.
• Match Questions With Answers – Create helpful, factual responses to those questions in natural language on your site or structured data.
• Include Conversational Keywords – Use words like “you”, “I” and “me” as well as question formats in your content to match voice queries. 
• Feature Instructional Phrasing – Utilize imperative verbs like “find”, “see”, “get” or “buy” to lead users to take action.
• Align With User Intent – Voice users are typically in the discover/research phase, so focus copy on information delivery not hard selling.

The Future is Voice Activated

Recent studies predict that by 2023, digital assistants will influence around $2 trillion worth of consumer spending. Savvy brands are acting now to implement the tips above or risk getting left behind as voice becomes consumers’ preferred way to research and purchase.

Those who learn how to optimize for voice search will gain exposure to new high-intent users and unlock more personalized ways to directly engage customers.

Voice Search User Statistics and Data 

Recent surveys illuminate voice assistant adoption and usage trends that marketers should factor into strategies:

• 118 million adult Americans currently use a voice assistant device. (NPR/Edison)
• Most owners use voice search at least once a day, asking on average 3-4 queries per session. (McKinsey) 
• The top verticals for voice search are local listings, music, information requests and shopping comparisons. (BrightEdge)
• 2 in 3 smart speaker owners say device use increased their online searches and website visits. (Digiday)
• 57% of device owners say voice is now their preferred search method. (Brandmuscle)
• 41% of users would like more sponsored recommendations from their smart speakers. (MediaPost)

This data indicates voice search has hit mainstream adoption and is influencing digital behaviors across multiple verticals. Users are embracing assistants to conveniently meet both informational and transactional needs.

Tools To Assist With Voice Keyword Research

Determining the questions consumers are asking voice assistants is foundational for optimization. Here are some of the top tools providing access to this invaluable data:

• Übertags – Übertags aggregates anonymous questions asked of Alexa to uncover new long-tail opportunities. Filter by vertical or drill into millions of real user queries.
• Trint Machine Learning – Trint applies advanced machine learning to conversations and broadcasts to auto-generate highly accurate voice transcripts at scale. Uncover trends across mass quantities of vocal content.
• Google Trends – Look beyond the web to see the most commonly asked questions directly to Google Assistant. Compare general voice trends with typed search volumes.
• AnswerThePublic – This tool visualizes autofill suggestions and questions around search terms sourced from Google Suggest to kickstart voice keyword ideas.

With these and other tools now available, lack of data should no longer be a barrier to discovering relevant voice optimization opportunities.

Best Practices For Voice Content Creation

Creating content with voice optimization front of mind requires a refined approach tailored to how voice assistants interpret and surface information.

Here are the best practices to bear in mind:

• Focus on natural language – Write as you speak using simple words and a conversational tone to match how queries are phrased.
• Lead with the key question – Start content with the likely user question, then follow with a factual answer.
• Highlight key information – Call out numbers, dates or entities the assistant should emphasize if reading aloud.
• Include common misspellings/synonyms – Account for ungrammatical questions or phrasing variations assistants must understand. 
• Keep sentences short and scannable – Craft content from digestible fragments readable by voice AI.
• Describe visuals/data – Add detail around images, charts or tables unable to be shown in voice results.
• Emphasize atomization – Break up advice into numbered list steps easy for assistants to digest.

Bearing these tips in mind from the start of the content production process will yield pages infinitely more digestible for voice assistants.

Key takeaways for brands getting to grips with the fast emerging voice search landscape:

• With 50%+ of searches expected to be voice-initiated by 2023, voice now demands a primary focus for organic visibility.
• Early voice-optimized content gains a march on competitors still focused solely on text search trends.
• Mastering voice search requires embracing key user experience differences and speaking to customers literally like a helpful human assistant.
• While some upfront effort is required, adjusting to serve voice queries enhances brands’ long-term desirability and discoverability as assistants only continue to proliferate.
• With revisions likely needed across information architecture, content and technical website structure, take an iterative approach focusing initially on where voice aligns best with overall business objectives.

Conclusion

As voice continues its expansion into the mainstream, marketing strategies must now expand to encompass voice search optimization front and center. Users are turning to voice for its unrivaled convenience and personalization when researching purchases or locating services on the go. The opportunity is now to cement natural language voice capabilities at the heart of marketing strategies.

Ready to supercharge your digital marketing efforts? Dive into our blog for expert tips and tricks that drive real results. Start optimizing your strategy today!