Voice search is growing in popularity. It is changing pay-per-click (PPC) advertising. Recent studies predict that, by 2024, over 50% of online searches will be via voice-enabled devices. These include smartphones, smart speakers like Alexa and Google Home, and wearables. Voice search offers a chance for businesses. They can optimize their PPC ads for better visibility, conversions, and engagement.
This blog post will cover the top strategies you can use to optimize your PPC campaigns for voice search in 2024. Adapting your campaigns to users’ voice search habits can give you an edge. It can help you capture new traffic streams.
Understanding the Shift to Voice Search
Before diving into the strategies, we must understand this: voice search is becoming very popular.
Convenience and Speed: Voice search is faster and more convenient than typing. Users can ask questions and get answers while driving, cooking, or multitasking.
Mobile Use: With mobile phones being the primary device for most internet users, voice search offers a hands-free option to perform searches.
Natural Language Processing: Voice search queries tend to be longer and more conversational than traditional text searches, requiring a more human-like approach to how search engines interpret queries.
Key Differences Between Text and Voice Search
Longer Queries: Voice search queries are typically longer and more specific than text-based queries. For example, a voice search might ask, “Where can I find the best pizza in New York City?” instead of typing “best pizza NYC.””
Question-Based Searches: Voice searches often include questions like “how,” “what,” “when,” “where,” and “why.”
Local Intent: A significant portion of voice searches has local intent, with users asking for nearby services or products. Queries like “restaurants near me” or “find a plumber in my area” are common in voice search.
With these differences in mind, here are the top strategies for optimizing your PPC ads for voice search in 2024.
1. Target Conversational Keywords
A key difference between text and voice searches is how people phrase their queries. People tend to speak in a more natural, conversational tone when using voice search. As a result, targeting conversational keywords is essential for optimizing PPC ads.
How to Find Conversational Keywords:
Long-Tail Keywords: Voice searches are longer than typed searches, so you should focus on long-tail keywords that closely mimic how users speak.
Question-Based Phrases: Include keywords that answer common questions, such as “how to,” “what is,” or “where can I find.”
Use Google’s ‘People Also Ask’ Feature: This section can give you insight into how people naturally phrase their questions and the language they use.
For example, instead of “best running shoes,” use a longer query like, “what are the best running shoes for marathons?””
2. Leverage Local SEO for Voice Search Optimization
Many voice searches are local. Users seek nearby products or services. This trend is even more pronounced for mobile and smart speaker users. To capture these searchers, you must optimize your PPC ads with local SEO strategies.
Steps to Optimize for Local Voice Search:
Location-Based Keywords: Include local terms in your PPC campaigns, such as “near me,” specific cities, neighborhoods, or even landmarks. For example, “best coffee shops near Times Square.”
Google My Business Listing: Make sure your business is accurately listed on Google My Business, as this data is often used in voice search results.
Geotargeting: Use geotargeting in your PPC campaigns to show ads to users searching from a specific area. You can set your ads to show only within certain zip codes, cities, or a radius around your business location.
3. Optimize for Mobile-First Experiences
Since most voice searches happen on mobile devices, optimizing your PPC ads for mobile is crucial. Google prioritizes mobile-friendly content. So, design your ads and landing pages for mobile users. It can greatly improve your performance in voice search.
Mobile Optimization Tips:
Responsive Design: Ensure your landing pages are mobile-friendly, meaning they load quickly, are easy to navigate, and provide a seamless user experience.
Fast Loading Speed: Pages that load slowly on mobile devices can result in a poor user experience and a lower Quality Score for your ads. Aim for a page load time of less than 3 seconds.
Call Extensions: Since mobile users are often looking to take immediate action, including call extensions in your ads can increase the chances of conversions. This allows users to call your business directly from the search results page.
4. Use Voice-Friendly Ad Copy
Voice search queries are longer and more specific. So, your ad copy should match the user’s natural language. Write ads that are conversational. They should match the voice search queries people are using. They should not be keyword-stuffed.
How to Create Voice-Friendly Ad Copy:
Write in a Conversational Tone: Your ad copy should sound natural, like a conversation, instead of overly formal or technical language.
Answer Questions: Craft your ad copy to provide direct answers to user queries. For example, if someone asks, “Where can I find affordable furniture in Los Angeles?” Your ad copy should respond directly, “Affordable furniture in Los Angeles, just around the corner!”
Use Structured Snippets and Extensions: Include structured snippets or ad extensions to provide additional information that could answer a query more fully.
5. Focus on Featured Snippets and Position Zero
When a user does a voice search, Google often uses featured snippets or position zero (the top of the search results page) to find the answer. Optimizing your content and ads for featured snippets can boost your PPC ads. They will be more visible in voice search results.
How to Optimize for Featured Snippets:
Answer Questions in Your Ad Copy: Voice search typically pulls from content that provides clear answers to questions. Make sure your ad text and landing pages address common queries directly.
Use Schema Markup: Adding structured data or schema markup to your landing pages can help search engines better understand your content, increasing the chances of your ads being pulled into a featured snippet.
Optimize Your FAQs: Having a dedicated FAQ section on your landing pages can help target voice searches. Each question should have a clear and concise answer that addresses the user’s needs.
6. Implement Ad Extensions to Enhance Visibility
Ad extensions add info about your business. They make your ads more compelling in both traditional and voice search results. Ad extensions can boost CTR and user engagement. They are especially useful for voice search, where users want quick, actionable info.
Effective Ad Extensions for Voice Search:
Call Extensions: As mentioned earlier, allow users to call your business directly from the ad.
Location Extensions: Show your business address and directions to users searching for local services.
Site Link Extensions: Provide additional links to specific pages of your website, allowing users to navigate quickly.
Review Extensions: Highlight positive reviews and testimonials, which can build trust and encourage action from voice search users.
7. Track Voice Search Performance Separately
A key part of optimizing your PPC ads for voice search is tracking and analyzing the performance of voice-based searches. Google Ads does not let you segment voice search data. You can infer performance from metrics on mobile searches, long-tail keywords, and question queries.
How to Track Voice Search Performance:
Segment Mobile vs. Desktop Traffic: Since a large portion of voice searches happens on mobile devices, analyze your mobile performance separately from desktop.
Monitor Long-Tail Keywords: Track the performance of longer, more conversational keywords to gauge how voice search impacts your campaigns.
Use Google Analytics: Analyze the behavior of mobile users through Google Analytics, paying close attention to time on page, bounce rates, and conversions from voice search-driven traffic.
Conclusion
With the rise of voice search, optimizing your PPC ads is vital. You must align them with how people use this technology to stay competitive in digital marketing. Target conversational keywords. Prioritize local SEO. Optimize for mobile. Focus on voice-friendly ad copy. This will boost your visibility in voice search results and drive more conversions.
In 2024 and beyond, businesses must adapt to voice search trends. This will help them reach engaged, voice-enabled customers who are ready to act.
