Voice search growth: implications for the future of the retail

According to comScore 50% of all searches will be voice searches by 2020.

 

The evolution of voice technology has scaled quickly, and today the voice-enabled home assistant is becoming ubiquitous in the American household, with Google, Amazon, and Apple, all offering products designed to answer questions, play music, and help you shop. Social Media Today reports that “nearly 50 percent of people are now using voice search when researching products.”

 

In an ever-changing retail landscape, businesses should continue to innovate and drive customer interest to their store, and voice search has an increasing role to play in consumer purchasing decisions. Taking a strategic approach to voice search marketing is a way to build brand awareness and loyalty.

 

So what will it take to optimize for voice search?

 

Every type of search needs its own optimization tricks.

Traditionally, typed searches involved short keywords and simple phrases with many text results listed. In contrast, voice search is generally made up of longer action-oriented phrases in form of a question, generally producing a single answer. Search engine optimization was built for traditional searches, voice search has led to a new “answer engine optimization” that should consider semantic nuances and the more conversational tone voice search yields.

 

Two tactics to consider:
1. Since many consumers don’t articulate in the same way when they use voice search as they do when they physically type a query into a search box, it’s important to focus on natural phrases. By making these long tail keywords more conversational, they’ll be found easier when a consumer’s using voice search to find a particular service, product, or location.
2. schema markup, a popular HTML-add on for boosting SEO results, helps return the most useful results to consumers by making a website’s content more easily interpreted.

 

Local SEO is also a key component.

More than half of U.S. teenagers and 41 percent of adults use voice services through their smartphone. That means they are looking for local retail recommendations on the go. Since consumers using voice search typically begin their questions with “who,” “what,” “where,” “when,” and “how,” it’s important to enhance your website with these phrases in mind, for example adjusting FAQ pages to be more conversational.

 

Moreover, consumers on the go are typically looking for a quick answer, such as proximity to a particular product or service, so it’s vital to ensure that key information about the business, such as address or directions, are accurate.

 

Retailers partnering directly with Google and Amazon

A recent study from Capgemini has found that 51 percent of consumers already use some form of voice assistant, and 35 percent regularly use them to purchase goods such as groceries and clothing. To capitalize on this opportunity, many retailers have partnered directly with the manufacturers to build customer awareness. Starbucks, Best Buy and Walmart are just a few of the retailers that have enabled their apps to speak directly with Google or Amazon‘s products.
As Google, Amazon and Apple continue to fine tune their technology, the impact of voice-enabled assistants will continue to grow and shape our searches. Retailers need to stay ready to embrace voice search so that their brand rises to the top.

 

Are you looking for more detailed suggestion to be stay relevant in an ever-changing landscape? Get in contact with our Team.

 

 

Extract from https://www.retailcustomerexperience.com/blogs/voice-search-and-the-future-of-retail-advertising/?utm_source=RCE