Voice Search has been a real buzzword across the marketing industry for the last couple of years, but many people feel like it’s joined the world of white noise, right alongside programmatic and Artificial Intelligence.
The real question is: How can you implement this tool into your existing strategy right now?
With many of us reviewing our marketing plans at the end of the financial year, I’d urge you to read up on the statistics and follow the steps below to make sure you’re ready for the ever-growing impact of Voice Search.
Voice Search in Australia’s current statistics show the following traits in users:
- Predominantly male
- Just under half are 25 to 35 years of age and high-income earners
What should I be doing now to ensure I am ahead of the curve?
Unlike traditional keyword phrases that you’d type, Voice Searches are more conversational and natural in tone. That opens up a real opportunity to find longer-tail keywords worth ranking for. Here’s what’s recommended to best optimise for Voice Search.
1. Google My Business
Back to basics. Get your business details up on Google My Business. This helps users find your phone number, address, opening hours, and the nature of your business.
2. Long-Tail Keyword Research
Your keyword strategy needs to reflect how someone would actually speak conversationally. Take a look at your FAQ page and work the most commonly asked questions into your content strategy.
3. Apply the Correct Schemas
Use structured data markup to give search engines more information about your site and content. Structured data from schema.org is genuinely crucial here, since it’s what lets search engines parse your content and understand its context.
4. Optimise for Mobile Search
Since most voice searches happen on mobile devices, make sure your website is mobile-friendly, loads quickly, and delivers a smooth experience. Google treats mobile performance as a significant ranking factor, and a poor mobile experience can genuinely hurt your visibility.
5. Create Content That Answers Questions
Voice searches tend to be question-based, starting with words like “how,” “what,” “where,” and “why.” Creating content that directly answers these questions through blogs, FAQs, and guides increases your chances of showing up in voice search results.
6. Improve Local SEO
Plenty of voice searches carry local intent, think people searching for nearby businesses, services, or opening hours. Optimising location pages, collecting reviews, and keeping business information accurate across online directories can all help capture more local voice traffic.
This is only the tip of the iceberg for Voice Search. We’re going to see more and more changes across the digital landscape, and early adoption is the only real way to stay ahead of your competitors.
