In the competitive landscape of small businesses, staying ahead of the curve is not just advisable—it’s essential. While many small business owners are adept at leveraging traditional digital marketing tools, there’s an untapped reservoir of potential that often goes unnoticed: voice search.
In this authoritative guide, we’ll delve into why voice search is becoming increasingly important and how small businesses can harness its power for tangible gains.
Voice-activated search is rapidly changing how people find information and interact with businesses. As more consumers use smart speakers and voice assistants on their phones, voice search queries have skyrocketed.
This seismic shift presents an immense opportunity for small businesses to connect with customers in new and compelling ways.
Why Voice Search Matters
There are several key reasons why small businesses should pay attention to voice search:
It’s the future of search. Industry experts predict over 50% of searches will be done by voice by 2025. Voice is becoming many users’ preferred search method.
It enables hands-free use. Voice search allows people to get information while cooking, driving, exercising or otherwise occupied. This convenience encourages more engagement.
It facilitates local discovery. Users often search for local businesses by voice to find recommendations for nearby restaurants, stores, services and more.
It creates a conversational interface. Voice queries are more natural and flowing, like a real human conversation. This can help build relationships.
It reaches engaged users. People who go out of their way to speak a search are often more committed to purchasing or converting.
Clearly, voice search is too important for any business to ignore. Smart companies will adapt now to get ahead of the curve.
Optimizing for Voice Search
To fully leverage voice search, small businesses need to optimize their entire presence:
- Focus on local SEO. Make sure your Google My Business listing is complete and accurate. Local keywords and schema markup are also important.
- Create conversational content. Use natural language, long-tail phrases and answer common questions in your website copy and metadata.
- Highlight your offers. Voice makes special deals and limited-time offers more discoverable during the buying journey.
- Add voice search integration. Consider enabling voice search functionality on your website for hands-free site navigation.
- Promote reviews. Positive customer reviews boost local rankings and credibility for voice searches.
- Analyze performance. Use analytics to see which voice searches drive actions and refine accordingly.
The Voice Search Opportunity
We are still in the early days of the voice search revolution. Savvy small businesses have a chance to gain an edge over the competition by optimizing now. As the technology continues advancing, adopting a voice search strategy will only become more crucial.
The consumers have spoken—and they are speaking to their devices to find your business. Ensure your small business is discoverable and ready to be found. With a thoughtful approach to voice search optimization, you can unlock this powerful channel to engage and convert more customers.
Want to learn more or have specific questions? Reach out today.