Marketers not addressing the impact of voice search

Many marketers are aware how voice search is making up an increasing percentage of how consumers are finding information online, but almost a third have failed to do anything to address the changing landscape, according to new research from Greenlight Digital.

In a survey of over 200 digital marketers from across the UK, the study found that 29 per cent were not actively doing anything to change their practice to embrace voice search.

Widespread adoption of voice search shows no signs of slowing, with Canalys forcecasting 70 per cent year-on-year growth of smart speaker sales, with shipments reaching over 56m units this year. Over a third of marketers (36 per cent) acknowledge that this growth will have a fundamental impact on the way customers search for items.

However, that awareness is not translating into action, with only a quarter (25 per cent) feeling that they can incorporate voice search into their current marketing strategy. 43 per cent admitted that they will be investing marketing budget with Amazon, a leader in the area, in order to reach customers through voice search.

“Voice assistants arent a gimmick,” said Andreas Pouros, CEO of Greenlight Digital. “It is here to stay, and is going to change the way brands reach consumers. Marketers must put their money where their mouth is when it comes to addressing these changes.”

Among the tactics marketers can use to embrace voice is reassessing product names to reflect how users speak, something that 32 per cent of marketers surveyed had considered. This enables voice search users to find a brands products more easily, and makes those brands more readily visible.

“Assessing keywords and product names, and optimising websites for voice search is action that needs to be invest in, both in terms of time and money,” said Pouros. “The brands who see the value of investing now will be the ones who reap the benefits of this increasingly popular technology.”