It’s clear that voice search is here to stay. And in 2018, visual search has really taken off as a major trend.
While text search is far from dead, it’s clear that users are starting to interact with content in new ways. If your website is only optimized for text-based search, then you’re going to miss out on traffic and customers.
Let’s take a look at the latest search technology and go over some tips and tricks that can help your brand make the most of these emerging trends.
Voice Search
Voice search isn’t new, but its ubiquity is. Chances are you’ve used a voice search query today. Maybe you’ve asked for directions to a nearby coffee shop, checked up on the weather forecast, or tracked an Amazon package, all without typing a word.
Now that Apple HomePod, Siri, Bixby, Cortana, Google Assistant, and Amazon Alexa are all household names, more people are asking their devices questions than ever before. And it looks like voice search is more than a passing fad. The research firm Gartner predicts that voice search will make up 30% of all searches by 2020.
As people start interacting more with their phones and devices and less with their web browsers, the nature of search will continue to evolve. We’re still in the early stages of this transition, but now is the time to prepare for the future of search.
So, if a user asks Siri or Alexa a question, will your brand show up in the search results? Let’s take a look at what you can do to optimize for voice search.
Write How You Talk
This has been solid content marketing advice long before Siri stepped onto the scene. But now more than ever, it’s important to write content in a natural way.
Now that users are speaking their search queries instead of typing them, we’re encountering a different breed of keyword terms. No one’s going to pick up their phone and say, “doctor Baltimore.” They’re far more likely to ask, “Where’s the best pediatrician near me?”
Your SEO strategy will need to reflect this change in search habits. Content that is well suited for voice search would include:
– Content that answers questions (and adds value)
– Content that is optimized for long-tail keywords
– Content that is conversational with a natural flow
Find Your Voice
Your brand voice just got a lot more literal.
Is your brand authoritative or relatable? Snarky or compassionate? Inspiring or educational?
It’s essential to know the answers to these questions before putting out a piece of content. And now, it’s important to know how your brand will sound as a person.
How does your website content sound when it’s read aloud? Does that match the brand voice you want to put out into the world? You’d better find out before voice searchers hear a stiff, clunky version of the content on your site.
Or maybe you have the type of content that waxes on eloquently sentence after sentence, enthralling and seducing your reader before you stop to answer her original question. Do you think she’s really going to stick around to wait for the answer? Tighten up any ornate prose lurking in your copy.
Whatever your style, consistency is key. Be sure to revisit your brand voice and consider how it translates to written and voice-optimized content.
Visual Search
While your favorite search assistants might already feel like part of the family, visual search is a little less common. But we’ve noticed that 2018 has been a year of growth in both the development and use of visual search technology.
If voice search is defined by asking questions, visual search is defined by observing the world around you. By combining technological tools like AI, AR, computer vision, and search, devices can now scan objects and return results with relevant information. Visual search is often referred to as “reverse image search.”
Visual search has great potential for local businesses, retail, and ecommerce. With visual search apps already available in the form of Google Lens and Pinterest Lens, this type of search technology could be the next big thing. And as the technology improves, visual search will continue to become more powerful (and more popular).
Visual Search & Local Business
With visual search, users no longer need to type a search string into their search engine. Instead, they can simply take a picture to get the same results.
Imagine a local customer is walking by your dental clinic. He uses visual search (like the Google Lens app) to snap a photo of your building. Then he’s automatically shown your hours, rating, and phone number.
Visual search could soon be an attractive way to turn local foot traffic into customers.
Visual Search, Ecommerce, and Retail
If early usage is any indicator, the real visual search winner will be ecommerce. Pinterest Lens, in particular, is successfully driving traffic to product pages and turning browsers into buyers.
Say that an office worker spots a cool ceramic mug on a coworker’s desk. She snaps a picture of it with Pinterest Lens and is directed to Pins featuring the same mug. One of these Pins belongs to your brand and you’ve smartly directed traffic right to the product page on your site.
The appeal to users is obvious. So how can brands optimize their content for better visual search traffic?
– Start optimizing your images to capture organic traffic
– Run ads on Pinterest
– Add multiple images to product pages
– Make sure your images load quickly!
– Maintain a consistent brand aesthetic across all your images
Less Typing, More Discovery
Voice and visual search have opened up a new world of search possibilities for users and brands alike. Although it’s unlikely that either one will truly replace text anytime soon, it’s clear that users will be interacting with search engines in more diverse ways than just keyword phrases.
For content-heavy brands, you might want to start optimizing your content for voice discovery. If you’re running a retail brand, now’s the time to have the kinds of product and lifestyle images that let users “Buy Now.”
Does your SEO strategy include the latest search technology? If not, National Positions can help your brand discover the perfect set of digital marketing strategies.
