Once a novelty, voice search just might be the marketing opportunity of the moment. It now accounts for about $2 billion a year in consumer spending. If you haven’t already, it’s time to consider including voice search optimization in your marketing strategy.
Why Ignoring Voice Search Optimization is a Marketing Mistake
Voice search optimization is not something you can put on your marketing back-burner anymore. It has become a viable inbound marketing channel, which now makes up 20 percent of all online searches.
Today, 65 percent of 25-49 year olds speak into a voice enabled device at least once a day. And, that number is expected to grow considerably in coming years.
In addition to this large captive audience, there are three big reasons to consider optimizing your content for voice search.
1) The Volume of Voice Searches is High and Getting Higher
Whether it’s an Amazon Echo, a Google Home or some other similar device, nearly 40 million Americans own a smart speaker. These savvy consumers now opt to speak questions into their phones rather than type them out. It has been projected that by 2020 half of all online queries will be made through voice search.
2) Voice Search Creates Website Traffic
With the popularity of smart devices exploding, voice search optimization has the potential to drive significant traffic to your website. By next year, it has been estimated that 30 percent of all web sessions will be conducted without a screen. Companies that miss the boat on voice search could potentially see a drop in organic website traffic in the near future.
3) Voice Searchers are Looking for Solutions
Voice search optimization is also a smart business strategy, because these types of potential customers tend to be closer to making a purchase. Further along in the buyer’s journey, they ask questions that will help them solve problems, like “where is best burger in the area?” If your business is searching for a new avenue of revenue, voice search could fit the bill.
In digital marketing, diversified campaigns always deliver the best results. Voice search optimization works well when combined with other marketing strategies, such as traditional SEO, social media marketing and blogging. When used together, they can help your business climb to the top of search engine results pages.
