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.

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.

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.