Voice recognition is not new, but with the latest improvements to this voice-activated technology and the advent of digital personal assistants like Siri and Cortana, its use is on the rise, especially when it comes to search. According to a report by Thrive Analytics in late 2014, use of voice recognition for search is prevalent across most age groups, with 71% of people ages 18–29 using voice search, 59% of ages 30–43, 39% of ages 44–53, and 38% of ages 54+. Plus, as of May 2016, a third of all Cortana queries come from voice.
What does this mean for content marketing? Content marketers need to change the way they think about content and SEO, ensuring that the purpose and value of that content is understood by search engines and customers alike with the changing nature of search technologies.
1. Optimize for conversational language.
Since Google’s speech recognition error rate dropped to 8% in 2015 (from 25% in 2013), people are using natural, whole sentences instead of query language, such as “How do you make lasagna?” vs. “lasagna recipe.” As a result, instead of structuring content around keywords, content marketers must optimize content by building content around the conversational language used in voice searches. Test voice-friendly keywords and longer keyword phrases based on the way people talk to their phones. A positive side effect of this change is that your content will automatically be more personalized to your target audience since you’re using the language they use to search for your products and services.
2. Optimize for question keyword phrases.
As follows from our point above, marketers need to test and optimize for the highest-value question keyword phrases, particularly questions that begin with where, when, why, how, who, and what. Brainstorm the open-ended questions that will drive your customers to the content they want. Remember that the type of question asked signals the degree of your customer’s intent, and this intent can be mapped to the buyer journey. For example, the person who asks, “Where’s the nearest bookstore?” has a stronger intention to buy than the person asking “What’s on the New York Times bestseller list right now?
3. Optimize your local SEO strategy.
Since common Google voice searches begin with “where” or end with “near me,” it’s key for businesses with local clientele to refine their SEO strategy by identifying keyword phrases relevant to their neighborhood. A large portion of these searches are conducted by mobile users who need quick answers because they’re on the go. If your business is in this category, be sure to keep your local listing, business listing and crowd-sources sites up to date and active so that your customers don’t even have to leave SERPs to take action.
Technologies inevitably change the way we create, consume and promote content. Our job as content marketers is to continually adapt in order to keep connecting customers with what they want via relevant, useful, and findable content. With voice recognition, that means situating content in the context of natural speech, intent and location.
Connect with Filament for help creating relevant, useful, and findable content for your business today.
