If you’re a small business owner working on getting more visibility in the local market, you can’t afford to overlook Google Voice Search as part of your digital marketing strategy. Attracting leads is extremely competitive, and with only three results included in the “local snack pack”, your business needs to leverage every tactic that may help you rank higher on search engine results pages.
Understanding Google Voice Search
It’s becoming increasingly common for consumers searching for a local business to search by speaking into smart devices or voice assistants. People rely on technology such as Alexa, Siri, and Google Assistant when they want information quickly without dropping what they’re doing. Smartphones aren’t only used for calling and texting.
They’re also used to find the nearest local businesses along with their hours, location, and customer reviews and many people do voice searches daily.
Voice search isn’t new. It was first introduced in 2012, but it continues to grow in functionality and popularity. Using voice search, a user can tell Google what type of local business they’re searching for, and Google provides a list of responses.
When you access Google on any electronic device, you’ll see the image of a microphone on the right-hand side of the search bar. On an Android device or tablet, you can access this feature by saying “Ok Google” or “Hey Google.”
Getting More Leads By Leveraging Google Voice Search
Search engine optimization works by targeting keywords to help increase organic traffic. Optimizing for voice search is similar but needs to be based on the natural words and phrasing that people use in everyday conversation. Instead of saying “Chinese restaurant,” users may say “What’s the best Chinese restaurant near me?” Your SEO strategy should include optimizing long-tail keywords based on the way people speak. The key is to target natural conversational phrases that people might ask a voice assistant when looking for a business similar to yours.
Consider user intent. Besides adding new content that targets casual questions or phrases, rewrite some of your existing content to add information your prospects might be searching for through voice search. Adding structured data market for small businesses is a good way to improve the results you’re getting from Google Voice Search.
Steps to Take for Better Results
Make sure you claim or create your Google Business Profile and add keyword-rich content to your listing. This is essential for collecting Google reviews and driving traffic to your website. You also need a Google Business Profile to take advantage of Google Local Services so that Google can provide data such as the category of your business along with the location and hours. This information comes from your Google Business Profile. Positive customer reviews are a great way to attract new customers. High-quality customer reviews can help your business appear higher in the search engine results which can help your business get found online. The more reviews you have that vouch for your company, the more authority your business has in the eyes of search engines.
Commit to delivering top services to your customers and develop a strategy for asking for reviews.
Local directory listings are another way to help your company reach more customers. Smart devices pull information from local directories such as the Better Business Bureau and Yelp. Listings must be updated correctly and include customer reviews whenever possible.
For local service businesses, Google Voice Search is a key tool for lead generation. When you’re ready for expert help leveraging this powerful tool to increase leads to your business with Google Voice Search, contact Leadcrease.
