In just under five years, voice search has become the hottest technology to have since smartphones hit the market. New platforms are hitting the market consistently because everyone wants a piece of the action. First, we had smartphones that could recognize voice commands (i.e., Siri, Cortana, and even Google Assistant). Now, we have small devices that listen to us when we are in our home and can conduct voice searches for us without having to even handle them (i.e., Alexa, Google Home, Amazon Echo, and Apple HomePod). This new technology will bring new faces to online reputation management.
What Can We Expect in the Future for Voice Search?
It has been predicted by many that as much as 50% of all searches will be conducted by voice by the end of the year 2020. This must be the reason that Amazon’s Alexa was the number one selling item for the past two years running. In light of this, it is time to start thinking about ways that you can use this technology to your advantage.
Boosting Your Website for Voice Search
To do this, you are going to have to take off your marketing hat for a few minutes. When we conduct a voice search, we generally use a different language than we do when we are sitting in front of the keyboard. That is to say, we use complete sentences when speaking to others. Since smart speakers are able to understand our language as we usually talk, it would not be sufficient to say, “hardware stores near me.” Preferably you would say, “Hey (smart device), what are the closest hardware stores near me that have sales on lawnmowers?”
For this reason, we must start constructing our webpages to accommodate for the influx in voice searches. In other words, we are going to have to redesign the way we place our content on websites and blogs (more on that later). It is becoming increasingly important to have this type of content for users to access. Google has even stated that they are awarding websites that are voice search compatible with bumps in search engine results page ranks. The question becomes, how do we do this. Well, we are going to tell you.
Take the Test
To start, you are going to want to take the test from Google. They have a “mobile-friendliness” test that you can take. It will let you know with a simple yes or no whether or not your page is optimized for voice search. If you are looking for ways to update your website to be compatible, simply navigate to their website, and they will give you the list of ways you can accomplish this.
Ask Questions
When we are constructing our blogs, we give paragraphs titles. If you look at this blog, you will see just that. However, there was a one-off in the first paragraph. Did you notice it? We asked a question. This is what you will want to do moving forward to make your website more compliant. Since the smart speakers listen to questions and then search the web for similar questions, it would behoove you to have these titles on your page.
By speaking the language that the smart speakers understand, you will have the ability to grab more than your share of the search market. Much like companies that were first to the internet, you will be considered a pioneer in this new technology. The point is to stay ahead of the mainstream marketers and adopt new technology as early as possible.
Make It Fast
If there is one thing that users hate more than anything, it is having to wait for the information they requested. You are going to have to come to terms with that. We live in a world of instant gratification. If you can’t keep up, your customers will go somewhere they can get the information they need faster. It has been studied, and reports show that as many as 40% of customers will not wait more than 3 seconds on a search. If your website does not return their information in that amount of time, they will go elsewhere. Do what you can to make searches as fast as possible. We suggest talking to your IT department and having them compress images on your page in order to allow it to load faster.
Use Local Listings
The majority of searches people look for are in their area. Make sure that you have claimed your business on Google Listings so that your customers can find you. Ensure that all of your information is correct and up to date. Any time you have changes, you need to make these changes on your Google listing. You do not want to upset your customer base by having incorrect information.
Ask for Local Reviews
Depending on your business, you will want to have locals reviewing your service. They are the ones that will be utilizing your services more than someone from out of town. That is not to say that any review is less valuable than any other review. It is merely that people look for reviews from their area. It would make no sense to have your store in California having reviews of your store in Oregon. They are entirely different stores.
In order to get reviews from your community, offer giveaways and discounts for reviews. Do not only supply these to positive reviews as people will feel you are trying to buy good reviews. Besides, if you do happen to get a few negative reviews, it will be a chance for you to make changes in order to make the customer experience better.
Conclusion
In the ever-changing world of online reputation, it is essential to make sure you are at the forefront of technology. These new smart speakers and voice searches are not going anywhere. In fact, they will be doing nothing but grow over the years. It would be in your best interest to make the changes now so that you are benefiting from all the things it has to offer.