Hey Alexa, How Does My Business Get Found with Voice Search?

“Alexa, how do I get you to find me?”  

“Hey Siri, what do I do to get your attention?”

“Google, tell me how to make my content recognizable for your voice searches!”

You’re probably getting a pretty clear idea of the subject of this blog!  Yes, Apple HomePod, Amazon Echo and Google Home have been around for awhile now, and while marketers have been aware that these devices were starting to impact marketing strategies, it is now clear that they aren’t going away. We, as small business owners, need to take the “digital assistant” users very seriously to help our businesses thrive. According to Forbes, over 1 billion voice searches are done daily.  Over 70% of owners of voice activated speakers, use their speakers to access information and conduct searches. Not only that, but various sources proclaim that almost $2 billion dollars in sales were attributed to commerce created by voice activated searches and sales. *voice activated speakers, voice activated devices, digital assistants, and Amazon Echo, Google Home, and Apple HomePod are used synonymously.

In 2020, making your content searchable for voice activated artificial intelligence (a.k.a. digital assistants) should be part of your future 2020 marketing strategy. Here are a few tips for “getting in good” with Amazon Echo, Google Home, and Apple HomePod:

Write like you talk – Because humans speak to their voice activated devices differently than they type when doing a search, the content that you put on your website has to be written in a style that is similar to the conversations that you have with your friends. Search engine optimization for these digital tools means that the content that you produce is going to have to take on more of an informal and conversational style. The keyword and long-tail phrases you are using to optimize your content should sound more like human speech rather than what you have been doing for online, finger activated searches. 

When you are describing your services and your products on your site, make sure that your descriptions are in short one word descriptors but more long tail phrases to help make them sound like natural speech. Also, try to imagine what all your buyers would want to know about the services and/or products you offer and make sure you provide that information for a voice search.

Get into your customer’s head - Think about how you would ask someone a question versus what you would type if you were doing a search.  For example, I might ask my sister which nail salon gives the best manicure by saying, “Hey sis, where should I go to get a good manicure in the city?” Whereas if I was doing a web search on my laptop, I would type in good manicures + Detroit.  This is important because if I were to search using my digital assistant, the nail salons that would come up would be ones with content that includes “best manicure in Detroit,” and “if you want the best manicure in Detroit come to…”  

K.I.S.S. – The simple content on your website has to be accurate and have local search engine optimization (SEO) in order for the digital assistants to pull up your business during a localized voice search. When your customers ask, “where can I get Indian spices on the southside of Cleveland;” you want your business to come up in the search. To do that, make sure that your location is as detailed and accurate as possible.  Add in any descriptors that would help your business get noticed by search engines. For example, 1111 S Kalamazoo Ave., southside of Cleveland, best selection of authentic Indian spices in the city. Also ensure that all the days and hours you are open are up to date. There is nothing worse for your customer than to drive to your location and find that you are closed on Monday’s! If you do most of your sales and services locally, find ways to make sure your location is mentioned a lot in your long tail phrases, for example, “get your favorite heal fixed on your Manolo Blahniks at North Denver’s best shoe repair, Elf’s Shoe Repair.”

Now, that you have this voice search optimization figured out, get ready for voice payment (if you haven’t already). Providing your customers the ability to shop and pay for items with their digital assistant will soon be all the rage (and already is for many). More change?!  Piece of cake! You don’t have to run your business and market it all on your own. Let the people at Anneomaly Digital help you out.