Voice Optimisation: How Do I Use It For My Business?

Voice optimisation. Speech. Language.

It can shape countries, foreign policy, human rights, and above all, can be used to optimise your website. 

But how can this be, a website is accessed digitally, what role does voice play?

Little did we all know, your voice is becoming more and more included in technological innovation.

According to PGI, 38% of information conveyed by speech is via a tone of voice.

So what does it mean?

It means that alongside other features of humanity like your face and fingerprint, your voice is being included to access information also. 

Shape the Market offers services to optimise your website through social media marketing and social media management services. 

If you are interested, do not hesitate to contact us.

But first, let’s address the historical backdrop of how we got to this point. 

A world of Alexa, Sonos, and Google Home has not always dominated the market.

2010 is the year. And a phone call was the initiative; the world of voice was taking baby steps.

The phrase was soon coined ‘say your keywords’ for access to information through voice.

Though the information was limited and accessing it was long-winded, a technological revolution soon followed.

The invention of the Google Voice Search manifested itself, digitally and technologically.

From Google Maps to Google Now, the scope of the Google Voice Search is inescapable.

Revolution triggered the evolution of the Google Voice Search, and evolve it did.

Products specific to voice began appearing.

With the release of the Alexa in 2014, the Google Home in 2016, the Sonos One in 2017, and updated models being released in 2020, it’s clear voice optimisation will soon dominate life.

The world is technologically changing and is taking your voice with it.

According to QuoraCreative, 40% of adults now use mobile voice search at least once daily.

Voice optimisation is on the rise!

What can we do about it?

In the words of Stephen Hawking “Intelligence is the ability to adapt to change”.

Let’s ride the technology train and theorise a solution to this opportunity!

Absolutely nothing. 

So why go to war with potential clients and make information inaccessible?

When we ask a specific question, we all look for a very specific answer.

According to Google Search By Voice: A Case Study, Voice searches are more likely to be about an “on-the-go” topic.

Whether this is a time in which a shop opens, to the location of a bus stop or train station, we are all looking for very selective pieces of information.

However, a website can be a double-edged sword when responding to this.

It can hide information or be explicit – so make it easy and make commonly asked questions easily accessible.

This can be done by pre-empting what would be asked from potential consumers.

Take in mind the product you are selling, what do they need to know and what’s the USP?

Display this information clearly in text format.

The scorching deserts of the Sahara may appear a challenge and so too might the damp tropics.

However, the challenge for your website is adapting to the people who search for it.

According to Google, teens use the voice search much more socially for calling someone or playing a song.

Adults use the voice search much more informatively, for directions and dictating texts.

This means certain groups of people search for different things.

If your product is marketed towards an older or younger audience, take note of their search habits to optimize your service.

There must be a world outside of Google.

We’ve all thought about it.

For a service to exist like Bing, people surely must use it?

According to Statista, Google dominates the market share with 92.26% percent among the leading U.S. search engine providers.

However, most search engines are structured similarly with regards to Search Engine Optimisation.

This means new search engines will have very little impact on how you technologically organise yourself.

Who knew the world of gaming could give inspiration?

The term meta means ‘most effective tactics available’ so why not use this for your website?

In this case, it’s Schema, a microdata that allows search engines to deliver relevant results.

According to SearchEngineWatch, 10 million users already use Schema.

Greater insight into the content on your website will be more easily accessible for both Google and potential consumers.

This will enhance the stream of consumers to come to your website.

By using such a method, due to it being used by a limited few, it will maximise exposure against your competitors.

In the auction house lies numerous objects.

To your left, short-words, watched with bated breath and ruthlessly bid on.

To your right, long-words shoved to the back and the last item on the list.

Which do you put your money on? Short-words, right?

Wrong.

Longtail words actually drive traffic a lot more than typically thought.

According to Google, 50% of advertising revenue is made up of long-tail words. And in aggregate, searchers are using more long-tail words.

So why bid on these longer words for voice optimisation usability?

Simple, when we talk, how often are they short-winded conversations.

By focusing on long-tail words and phrases, you will rank more highly against competitors by being optimised for queries.

We’ve all been there.

A job interview, an appointment, meeting a friend, then to find out where to go is unclear.

A lack of clarity creates confusion and turns off future clients.

So how can we fix this?

Simple, just visit Google My Business, click “Start Now” and start filling in your basic business information.

Ensure to be as informative as possible and use first-rate photographs.

According to BrightLocal, website clicks from GMB grew by 28% between 2017 and 2018.

Following the set-up stage, the service can be used to give yourself an advantage over other businesses. Insights display customer habits like how you are found and what they do on your listing. Accessed on the left-hand side, it displays graphs and other comparative metrics, allowing you to analyse whether more action is needed.

The description does what the tin says, giving you 750 characters to outline “what you offer, what set’s you apart, or anything else helpful for customers to know”.

Written by the business owner, the Services ability adds products and services to your listing.

A post is something we are all used to and it’s no different on GMB: spotlighting special events or offers.

Something we all do before doing anything is look at reviews. This is why on GMB you must galvanise reviews and actively respond to them.

Creating a video series is impactful, and that is why the ability to add a 30-second video about your listing is crucial to personalize your business experience.

Real estate teaches us the gravitas of location.

It can shape value and perception.

However, the principles associated with location can equally be applied to optimising Ad Campaigns for the ‘near me’ search.

AdWords Location is a key way of doing this.

According to PowerTraffick, 90% of internet users see Google display ads worldwide.

This allows you to maximise appeal by having your business’ address, phone number, and directions to your business displayed alongside your ads. From the on-the-go shopper to a businessperson going about their day, exposure will be widened.

Yet, whilst AdWords is effective, Google Maps Local Search Ads is equally as useful.

Again, according to PowerTraffick, Google Ads Convert 50 Percent Better than Organic Traffic.

This tool will enable information to be accessed at the appropriate time and place for potential customers.

Ultimately, there is an inclination in the 21st century to bring all features of humanity to access information.

From your face replacing the fingerprint on mobile technology, it would not surprise me if your face slowly gets purged from technological existence.

This puts inevitable pressure on your voice, and how voice optimisation will be used in the future.

This means as Charles Darwin said, you either “adapt” or “die”.

I doubt this situation is as cynical as Darwin would suggest. Yet, through this article, a wide range of strategies have been suggested to create opportunities for the challenge of innovation.

From utilising new algorithms like Schema to using Google my Business Listing, there are a variety of methods to capitalise on innovation.

So don’t let your voice be an obstacle, transform it into a way to maximise appeal and exposure through optimisation.

Here at Shape the Market, we offer services that can both maximise exposure and increase your consumer base. Through social media marketing and social media management services provided, we can give you access to an optimised business.