As technology continues to mould around our busy lives, the functionality and user experience of AI is designed to make it quicker and easier to scour the internet for information.
The next biggest stepping stone in AI marketing? Voice-activated search: using our voices to command an outcome, rather than using physical touch. It's easier, quicker and eradicates the need to pick up a physical object.
After a long day, why on earth would you want to get up from your comfy sofa to flick the light switch, when Alexa can do it for you?
When you're on the move, why use your thumbs to type a search when you can just...say it?
Alexa, tell me how voice-activated search is different.
We already rely on a variety of virtual assistants. Global favourites like Siri, Alexa, Google Assistant and Cortana already assist us with basic necessities.
We've developed a different relationship with virtual assistants than we have with the text-typed search box. Having a tone of voice in writing is one thing, but the way we search using our voices is a totally different ball game.
Many of us type differently to how we speak. So naturally, marketers are going to use different language when optimising marketing for voice-activated searches.
How does voice-activated search differ from typed searches?
We need to bear in mind...
- Regional accents
- Languages, dialects and local colloquialisms
- Which keywords your buyer persona would say, rather than type
- Voice-activated search is more conversational
Hey Siri, how can I optimise for voice-activated search?
The best way to optimise marketing for voice-activated keywords is to match content which suits voice-activated searches.
So to optimise for voice-activated marketing, businesses should:
- Create conversational content
- Optimise for longer keywords
- Use local SEO
- Optimise for mobile
- Integrate marketing into different platforms and channels
- Keep track of voice search data to continue developing
Creating conversational content
So if voice-activated search is more conversational than text-based search, you'll want to match the style accordingly. In your content, create conversational answers to conversational questions.
Spoken words are more fluid than text-based searches. We don't want to type unnecessary words like 'in' or 'and', but we might naturally say them. That means adding in longer tail keywords.
Use local SEO
Instead of typing 'burger restaurants' and expecting the AI to calculate the location for us, developers expect users to say something like 'What's the best burger restaurant near me?' This integrates a review system, a product, and a location command in one search.
Get your business in all of the online directories, with your business details easily discoverable. Claim and optimise your Google My Business listing to improve your chances of appearing in local voice search results.
Optimise for mobile
Voice-activated search is mainly done on mobile devices. That means optimising your site for mobiles, and ensuring your page load is speedy.
Integrating different marketing mediums
It's expected that voice-activated search will cover all bases of our online lives, including our social media. We're expecting AI to cross-embed into all of our devices, with an awareness of our online lives.
For example, let's say we ask our virtual assistant 'What's the best dog rescue centre near me?' We expect to hear an answer, followed by 'Are you interested in adopting a rescue beagle? On TikTok and Instagram, you watched 30 videos about rescue beagles last week, and you currently have the budget and time to care for a new dog.'
This AI actively combines data from every aspect of not only our online lives, but also where we drive to, how long we spent watching TV last week, what we bought from the supermarket, and our disposable income.
Terrifying or helpful? Intrusive to some, life saver for others.
Is this the new age of marketing?
But of course, we're not quite there yet. Voice-activated search is still evolving and it's not anywhere near as developed as text-based search.
With text, it's black and white. Letters and symbols are a code which has direct meaning. Our voices are so incredibly unique and subjective, that we'd need a very clever voice recognition AI to not only understand what we said, but understand what we might not have said.
However, with Amazon hiring over 10,000 employees working on their voice-activated search, it will no doubt become a hundred times smarter than it is now. We might not be in full swing of voice-activated search just yet, but it's certainly a good idea to stay updated with the latest trends and adapt your marketing strategies accordingly.
Because there's really no telling what the possibilities of voice-activated search will allow, and where the boundaries settle. Who knows - it could revolutionise the way we market our businesses forever.
