Just Released: State of Audio - Trends Report

Let's Talk About Voice Search

By Stacey Schulze, Vice President of Digital Sales, Audacy

Whether you’re looking for a farm-to-table restaurant in Philadelphia with an outdoor patio or a plumber to fix your leaking water heater in Denver, one of the easiest ways to search is by simply talking to a smart resource. While savvy friends and family members might be able to help, more and more people are using voice search on smartphones or smart speakers for the quick and qualified answers they need. 

Here are three key insights you need to know about voice search. 

It’s just what it says: voice search uses voice-enabled commands, which are then converted to text to allow a search engine to comb the internet for matching information. If you’ve used Siri, Alexa, or Google Voice Match, you’ve used voice search.

40%
More than 40 percent of U.S. residents currently use voice search
20%
More than 20 percent of mobile Google searches also use voice search
1B
One billion voice searches are done per month
58%
of consumers have used voice search to find local business information in the last 12 months
How do you optimize for voice search on an iPhone?
Understand the four categories of voice search intent: Information, location, assistance, and entertainment.

Who cares whether searches start written or with spoken word? 

In theory, it might not seem to matter, but in reality, business owners should care. Voice searches are abundant and growing, making them an important component in engaging with folks who are actively looking for your products and services in your community.

What can you do as a business owner or marketer to become more relevant within voice search results? 

The short answer is search engine optimization (SEO) and its collateral paid approach, search engine marketing (SEM). Whether you have in-house experts or you partner with an industry leader like Audacy, having a solid SEO and SEM strategy is vital to your success. Regardless of how somebody is searching, you need to show up as a relevant, trusted source in the search engine results page to get the website traffic that can lead to sales. Additionally, it is important to consider the way people search. Some search by asking a question. A great way to help boost your traffic and become a resource is to develop an FAQ page within your website. Fill it with the questions people looking for your product or service might use in their research, and you’ll be helping Google see you as relevant when searches are executed as questions. Ranking within the top 3 results for keywords relevant to your business is important, but it’s even more important when dealing with smart speakers that might only speak the top couple of results – because if you’re not one of those, you’re losing business. 

Focusing on voice search is important, but it should not be a standalone piece of your marketing plan. Rather, it belongs in your holistic strategy for all the things that matter when making sure your voice is heard in your potential customers’ search engine results. 

Want to talk more about reaching your target audience?

Let´s Talk
SOURCES

oberlo.com

Search Engine Land

Local Bright

SEM Rush

Related Insights

Man with radio Advertising Tips The Next-Gen Measurement Tools Transforming Audio Advertising
November 27, 2024
Cowboy boots Advertising Tips Striking Gold in Country: Leveraging Country’s Biggest Stars & Stages for Your Brand
November 13, 2024
wave Advertising Tips Brand vs. Performance: Can They Build a Happy Union?
November 7, 2024

Ready to Make Audio Work for Your Brand?

ADVERTISE WITH US
soa2024
×