Back in the olden days (read: three years ago), Voice Search was primarily used for things like hands-free calling, getting directions, checking the weather, and playing music. Thanks to new and improved devices and significant advancements in Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning, Voice Search is now used for everything from ordering your coffee in the morning to telling your kids bedtime stories laced with just-say-yes-to-order paid product placements at night.
Why do most people use Voice Search? Mostly because it’s fast and it’s easy. However, as the technology continues to improve, new adopters are also using it for the hyperpersonalized journey/experience. Things like knowing your location, past orders, what you’ve previously browsed, and your ordering info (Bill To, Ship To, credit card details) can make the ordering/inquiring process virtually friction-free. Safety is improving too. (Voice verification combined with a thumbprint tap or a quick password can create a secure checkout experience.)
Accents, dialects, speech patterns, background noises, and a myriad of other things make Voice Search complex, but things are getting better every day. Technically, Siri is not even a teenager yet.* Plus, there’s no getting around the fact that the average person types 40 words per minute but speaks 150 words per minute. (Mobile users, where most Voice Traffic is now, type about 36 words a minute on their handhelds.)
So, how do you ready your site for Voice Search? Here are three sure-fire things you should do to optimize your site for Voice Search:
UPGRADE YOUR PERFORMANCE – FAST AND MOBILE-FRIENDLY
FAST: I know. I know. Even a mere mention of PageSpeed Insights or Lighthouse to a marketer sends them into anaphylactic shock these days but alas… Speed/performance is graded by search engines and users alike, and it has a significant influence on not only whether you can get traffic to your site but also if you can keep it. We can spend all day quibbling about which tools to use but, at this point, as long as you’re measuring and continuously upgrading your performance; it really doesn’t matter which one(s) you choose.
MOBILE-FRIENDLY: These days, it’s not enough to have an adequate mobile site; you need a best-of-class mobile experience without friction.
Figure out which pages your Voice Traffic is landing on and optimize those pages accordingly. Two of the most important things that will improve your Voice landing pages besides SPEED are (1) using a clear and concise headline that references/mentions what they were searching for and (2) including at least one Call to Action (CTA) on the first view of your landing page.
Voice Search users tend to have shortened experiences – shortened AAUS (Average Active User Session) and decreased page views. The faster you can tell the user that you have their answer, the better. If you want a commitment (an inquiry, an order, etc.) after their Voice Search, they need to see the CTA front and center. (And yes, I realize that not all Voice traffic “sees” something, but enough does that strong headlines and CTAs matter.)
Many companies are creating their landing page headlines dynamically and on-the-fly with Artificial Intelligence, but even if you aren’t, it’s ok. Just focus on the root of what the users are looking for and use that. You can improve them as you go, and it’s better to start with something than nothing. (Over half of companies don’t use headlines on “non-main” pages. It’s a problem.)
Incidentally, please ensure that your fonts are large enough on your mobile sites especially if you use banners/plugs. Be sure to run your pages through an accessibility checker as well. And if you’re using email capture modals, live chat pops, location identifiers, cookie pops, etc., come up with a better way YESTERDAY. That kind of friction is the kiss of death for Voice-Oriented folks.
WEAVE FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS THROUGHOUT
Figuring out what users are asking and then providing the question and the relevant answer works. It’s good for traffic and users, and it can be GREAT for Voice Searches. Plus, it will get you in the habit of providing conversational answers.
Be sure to look at opportunities THROUGHOUT your site. A lot of companies just put all their FAQs on their Product Detail Pages. In the big scheme of things, PDPs are where it’s at, and you should review other areas, too – especially your Category Pages. Category Pages are excellent for questions like: “what are the best {Product Category} {Product Name?} or “how do I choose a {Product Category}” and so on….
USE NATURAL LANGUAGE
When a user conducts a Voice Search, they speak as if they’re talking to another person. There are some exceptions, but the majority of searches are long (often much longer than text searches) and very conversational.
So, what does that mean for you? What do you need to do? Where do you start?
A good exercise is to review your Top 10 pages. Read each page out loud. What’s the page about? What’s the #1 thing you are trying to convey on the page? Are you addressing the most common questions/comments you get about the product/service that you are featuring? If you made a list of ALL the keywords – including the long-tail ones that often get pushed to the bottom of the pile – how many would be represented in a non-spammy way throughout the page? Are you doing all this in a way you’d sell the same product/service to a 10-year-old? (Clearly and concisely.) Are you speaking casually, or have you filled your pages with words like “revolutionary?” Are you saying everything that needs to be said about this product/service and then prioritizing the benefits? How does what you say compare to the reviews you have from buyers? (Reviews are a great place to pull copy from.) How does your voice/tone compare to your competition? Is there anything that they’re doing/saying that you’re missing?
Redline your copy and run it through a content checker. Content checkers are not perfect, but they often help identify things that you are missing.
Have questions about making your site friendlier for Voice searches? Have a tip you’d like to share? Tweet @amyafrica or write info@eightbyeight.com.
*Apple bought Siri in 2010. The initial release was on October 4, 2011. The technology was not widely used at the consumer level before that.
Catalogers and other offline marketers have many advantages when it comes to E-Commerce. 
