You might remember there was a time when our parents or grandparents would say, “I wish there were a device that heard us. If we say, “switch off the fan or on the light, it will do that for us.” Well, their words have come true. Finally, we have devices that obey our commands and do what is necessary.
Hey Siri, Alexa, Hello Google, and more have become household names. In fact, with the personalization they provide, it is not wrong to say that they have become family members.
From setting the alarms to operating functions in the car, these voice search technologies have made everyones’ life smoother.
But what is more astonishing is that trends for voice search have paved their way conveniently into the B2B industry. At the beginning of 2019, voice trends became necessary for the B2B industry.
Thus, if you have not incorporated voice search trends by 2022, you are actually harming your brand.
But don’t worry, in this article, we will tell you how to incorporate voice search technology for B2B. But before that, let us discuss the impact of voice search in B2B marketing.
Impact of Voice Search Trends in 2022
First, let us have a glimpse of what voice search technology is.
The voice search trend involves asking a question to a particular device using its “signature name.” They are Alexa or Google for home devices, and for mobile phones, they are Hey Siri and Cortana. These are a few examples of some famous devices, and technology will surely add more unique names to the list.
So this device then searches for the query on the internet and returns the most relevant information. So we can say that the way searches are done has changed and will keep changing as time evolves!
So let us see how trends in voice search have impacted B2B marketing and what the future holds.
Voice Search Optimization Strategy and SEO
SearchEngineLand claims that questionable phrases like where, why, who, when, and more have increased by 60% from year to year.
Thus, this states that people have searched for local businesses through these voice searches. So it is no longer just a B2C approach like, “Where can I get the best pizza in town?” But it has extended to B2B like, “Hey Siri, tell me the best HRIS system.”
Thus, SEO words have changed for voice search optimization strategy and will keep changing as AI and ML determine the common words used by customers.
And with the explosion of the use of mobile devices, the B2B industry should focus on its voice search optimization strategy as one of the critical trends for voice search.
The Millennial Generation Are Decision Makers
The millennial generation is impeccably and incredibly smart. This generation has shaped the future of businesses through their start-up ideas. And this generation relies on voice search trends & statistics for their professional and personal tasks.
In short, this generation is the Iron Man fan, wherein they love to talk to machines and get the work done.
So, when the decision-makers are younger, we need to understand their working styles and voice search usage and implement their ways.
High Usage of Mobile Devices
People are hooked to their mobile phones for every little need, no matter what time it is. Thus, the high use of mobile phones has led to hands-free technology and voice search usage.
People speak to their phones to get things done or search for anything.
Optimizing voice search trends in 2022 for B2B is essential as customers have reached the point wherein they ask voice assistants for the best company to hire for digital marketing.
You can ask your voice assistant, “Why should I optimize voice search for B2B?” And they will tell you how important it is!
So, the above points have impacted the voice search trends & statistics in B2B marketing trends. Of course, there are still companies out there who are reluctant with the voice search usage in B2B, but stats say that it will be a trending strategy. And voice search gives a competitor’s edge to the B2B industries that have incorporated it.
Let us look at how we can incorporate voice search trends in 2022 for our search marketing strategy.
Ways To Strategize B2B Marketing for Voice Search
The incorporation of voice search means that customers will easily find you when they ask the relevant questions to their voice assistant. Hence, to appear in voice search queries, here are some strategies to incorporate into your search marketing techniques.
Use Very Specific Content
Voice search queries are those wherein a customer uses a specific set of words for their search query. So you have to be very, very specific about the content that you frame for voice search.
For example, your keyword research does not stop with the products or services that you sell. But, keyword research is in-depth research of voice search SEO on what people will ask to find about your brand, product, or services.
For voice search queries, you should focus on long-tail keywords. For example, a customer asks, "Which is the best advertising agency in my area?"
So the pattern is a question, a complete sentence, and conversational. Thus, this is how you should frame your keywords for voice search SEO. They should be in the natural language flow.
You should avoid complex words, jargon, or sentences. Try to keep the search terms as simple as possible. Notice how your routine customers have a conversation with you and how do they inquire? That will give you a precise idea of what customers ask when they search for your brand, service, or product.
Structured Data
Voice commands are very action-oriented and action-driven. Thus, you have to utilize structured data to present your information.
Structured data is nothing but the way you represent your information. It should:
- Meet all the search engine’s requirements
- The alt tags should be in place.
- The content should be relevant and SEO-oriented.
- The videos or any other formats used should be in sync with the content.
- Use compressed images.
- And most importantly, the website should not take too much time to load.
Now, what do all of the above play in voice search?
Well, the mode of marketing is vocal, but the search engines are the same. Thus, in voice search also, the search engine crawlers look for the voice search SEO and the same SEO audit features. Therefore, the most credible site with structured data will be on top of the voice search results.
Think About Mobile, Local and Vocal
Research claims that 50% of B2B voice searches come from mobiles. And apart from voice search, it is mandatory to have a mobile-friendly website to get noticed by search engines. Thus, if you are incorporating voice search, ensure a mobile-friendly website, landing page, and everything else.
Start with the local search if you think of incorporating voice search, as they work primarily on location-based intent. Thus, prioritize local search and invest in local content before expanding voice search in marketing.
And ‘think vocal’ implies that you need to create content incorporating the question-answer strategy. Notice how the current customers ask about your services. This helps in framing the long-tail keywords.
Thus, frame questions with the most relevant terms and summarize the content to appear in the snippet sections.
Now that you know the impact and ‘how-to-strategy’ of voice search trends & statistics. Let us tell you about the benefits of incorporating voice search trends in your marketing strategy.
Benefits of Voice Trends
Decision Makers Find You Easily
If a CEO is busy replying to emails and doing their day-to-day work, their voice assistant speaks up, “This is a reminder to order laptops for the new joiners.”
Now the CEO, in return, turns off the reminder and, instead of typing a search query on the device, asks their voice assistant, “Connect me to the nearest laptop dealer.”
And Bam! Your number and website appear at the top of the list, and the voice assistant calls you immediately.
This is how easy it will be to convert customers if you incorporate voice search trends in 2022 for your marketing strategy.
Boost Brand Recognition
If your brand appears at the top of the voice search list, imagine the brand value that it creates. Customers will be attracted to you to incorporate voice search technology and make their work easier. This enhanced customer experience will boost brand values, increase customer retention and soar the sales graph.
Get Ahead of the Game
Frankly speaking, B2B voice search is still in its growing phase. Therefore, it will take time for B2B to adopt it as a crucial search marketing strategy.
But if you incorporate it now, it will give you an edge over your competitors. They will fall back in the race if they are still thinking of strategizing it or waiting for the trend to grow.
So be the first to implement voice search marketing and stay ahead in the race for a long time.
Thus, Say Hi to Alexa!
No matter what the predictions say, it is safe to assume that voice search is a new trend in marketing and is here to stay. It will evolve with time, giving the B2B industry ample time to grow.
Thus, B2B industries should adopt the voice search trend in its infant phase. It will ensure that they are future-ready for the revolution in search marketing!
Frequently Asked Questions
Will voice search impact the B2B market?
If this question was asked before 2019, the answer would be that voice search is a faraway thing for B2B. But post-2019, the dynamics have changed, and voice search is creating a tremendous impact on the B2B market.
The decision-makers in B2B have started relying on voice search for their business searches. So yes, it is the next big thing in search marketing.
What is the future of voice search in B2B?
In 2020, 50% of B2B searches were conducted through voice assistants. Thus, you can understand that it is the future of search marketing in B2B. This ability to converse with a device and ask it to search the relevant services has seen a surge in B2C and is set to make a mark in the B2B industry.
What are the best ways to incorporate voice search marketing?
The best ways to incorporate voice search marketing are:
- Use conversational long-tail keywords.
- Focus on a mobile-first strategy
- Trend in local voice search
- Target featured snippets