Voice search optimization is a relatively untapped field in the realm of digital marketing. One study found that the majority of the top-50 eCommerce brands have not yet optimized their platforms for voice search assistants like Alexa or Google Home. In fact, only 8% of these companies have leveraged an Alexa skill, and only 14% have developed Google Home action as of this writing.
Nevertheless, many experts estimate that by 2020 voice search queries will reach a volume of 200 billion per month. This statistic indicates that right now is the perfect time for companies with an online presence to establish a firm foothold in the voice search market.
Still, one vital question remains: how can companies effectively measure success for voice search?
One Method of Measuring Voice Search Effectiveness
While there are a few different ways to measure the success of voice search optimization efforts with some degree of accuracy, perhaps the most straightforward and intuitive approach would be to “reverse-engineer” Google search queries and/or PPC queries. Within the dataset that encompasses your targeted topic, there is inevitably a subset of queries that are question-based. Logically, a large proportion of these question-based queries would be sourced from voice search technology.
For instance, shorter keyword phrases like “pizza restaurant,” “pizzeria,” or “pizza near me” are often indicators of a typed search query. In contrast, long-tail phrases in question form, such as “Where is pizza close to me?” or “What is the nearest pizza restaurant in my area?” typically indicate spoken search commands.
Extrapolating such probable voice-based search queries from the larger pool of information that Google provides can give your company some vital insights into the most effective phrases and terminology to use in the following areas:
- Content strategy. Content that is optimized to be voice search responsive can help you to establish a strong presence around a specific set of search terms. If these search terms are associated with a relatively small niche in the marketplace, then you may even win a coveted “featured snippet” from Google sooner rather than later.
- Title tags. Voice search optimized title tags will help Google crawlers to identify your pages as top results for specific queries.
- Google My Business content. A significant proportion of voice-based queries (approximately 22%, according to some research) involve geographic proximity. Incorporating location-specific terminology into your website’s Google My Business listing can help drive a higher percentage of local traffic to your company. Even a simple phrase like “marketing agency near me” can have a substantial effect on your site’s performance.
After optimizing these and other content pieces for voice search, detailed analytics tools can assist in tracking impact across several metrics, such as engagement, conversion rate, bounce rate, and so forth.
Of course, this is just a high-level view of one way to measure the success of voice search optimization. At Zero Gravity Marketing, we take a deep dive into the technical aspects of a winning SEO strategy for each and every one of our clients. We are an industry leader in all things digital marketing, including the creation, implementation, and analysis of voice search optimized content.
For other tips on how to do voice search optimization, please read our blogs on Siri SEO, Amazon SEO, Google Home SEO. And if you’d like to learn more about the services that we offer, reach out to us today.
