voice search in your ppc campaign

The ad world is always changing and ever-evolving, and it will continue to do so. Even just a few decades ago, desktop computers were the way to go, thanks to the explosion of the internet. But now, smartphones and mobile searches have leapt into the forefront – and they’re here to stay.

The numbers don’t lie. Smartphones – and voice search in particular – are becoming more and more prevalent, and there aren’t any signs that those trends are going away any time soon.

  • In 2017, according to a report by Kleiner Perkins, 1 in every 5 searches were conducted through voice-search methods like Intelligent Personal Assistants (IPAs). Amazon’s Alexa, Apple’s Siri and Microsoft’s Cortana all make it extremely easy to search for something by removing a step that until recently wasn’t possible.
  • Of those in the report who said they used voice search, 70% said they did so using conversational language.
  • Another report by Kleiner Perkins indicates that the number of smartphone owners who utilize IPAs on their phones was at 65 percent in 2015, more than double the 30 percent who said they did so in 2013. It’s growing, and growing fast.

One of the smartest moves you can make in the paid search arena is to begin to implement voice search into your PPC campaign, and we’ll walk you through how to do just that, step by step..

Step 1. Get the Data and Take Inventory

The first step is to take stock of some recent searches. Pull a search query report (SQR) – one that reaches back to the last 30 or 60 days should be just fine – and import the data into Excel. What we’re going to do is look at how many of your searches are being performed using voice search already and evaluate where you’re at.

Step 2. Isolate Voice Search Queries

Next, we’re going to sort the queries and isolate the ones that would be identifiable as coming from voice search. The key difference between voice searches and text-based searches is simple, but it makes a big difference. While text searches are looking for a broader range of results, voice searches are usually more pointed and direct.

  • When people conduct a voice search, they use longer, more conversational language. Text searches are shorter and less precise. To distill the results you need, look for searches that contain 5 or more words.
  • Sort by impressions, and look at what conversational keywords are being used more than others. The different words used in queries vary in their degree of immediate intensity – meaning that someone who searches “who” or “what” is more generally interested in a topic, while someone that searches “where” or “when” is more concerned with something they are directly prepared to act on.

Step 3. Utilize Results in Your Campaign

Finally, use the results you’ve discovered and optimize your campaign accordingly. Finding which campaigns could benefit from adding more of these conversational keywords can unlock a whole new area of untapped potential you weren’t previously hitting, and this will pay dividends down the road.

Voice search is already exploding onto the scene, and it doesn’t show any signs of slowing down – quite the opposite. Take your paid search strategy to the next level by focusing on how to reach the large portion of people utilizing voice search, and watch your opportunities grow!

Looking for a way to help your business reach even more potential customers? VitalStorm has the answers, and we’re always looking for ways to help out even more businesses.

From PPC campaigns to Social Local strategies that stand out above the rest, our expertise will help you reach the next level. Give us a call at 1-877-311-5695 to learn more!