“I, chatbot.” — Voice Optimisation and Conversational Marketing in 2023
Tech behind chatbot technology has come on leaps and bounds in the last five years. Once a rigid set of copy-pasted commands, automation software is today enabling bots to take on ever more sophisticated tasks. Voice assistants have developed in unison to deliver incredibly human-like interaction, allowing businesses to build stronger relationships with their audience.
As the popularity of voice search continues to grow, it is becoming increasingly important for businesses to optimise their websites for voice search in order to improve their visibility and reach potential customers through these devices. The relationship between conversational marketing and voice optimization is closely tied, as both are focused on providing a more natural and human-like interaction with customers.
Simply stated, any exchange involving interaction between customers and the company (that is, the brand) is a sort of conversational marketing. Voice optimization is about optimising a website for voice search and voice-activated devices, such as Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant, so that it is easier for customers to find and interact with the business through these devices. Conversational marketing is about using chatbots and messaging apps to engage with customers in a more personal and interactive way, whether it is through a website, mobile app, or other platform.
* 20% of consumers have told friends or colleagues about a poor live chat experience.
According to kakayo
* 29% of consumers have told friends or colleagues about a positive live chat experience.
The use of voice-activated devices and voice search will only increase, and this will require businesses to optimise their websites for voice search and to provide clear and concise answers to common questions through their chatbots and other conversational interfaces. Here are just a few of the key aspects of voice optimization in SEO:
Keyword optimization:
Just like traditional text-based search, voice search relies on keywords. When optimising a website for voice search, it is important to identify the keywords and phrases that users are likely to use when conducting voice searches, and to include these keywords on the website in a natural and meaningful way.
Long-tail keywords: Voice search tends to use longer and more conversational keywords than traditional text-based search, so it is important to focus on long-tail keywords when optimising for voice search.
Natural language: When optimising for voice search, it is important to use natural language and phrasing that aligns with the way people speak. This will help improve the chances of the website appearing in voice search results.
Local optimisation: Voice search is often used to find local businesses and services, so it is important to ensure that the website is optimised for local search, including adding accurate location information and business hours.
Fast loading speeds: Voice-activated devices typically have slower internet connections than traditional computers and smartphones, so it is important to ensure that the website loads quickly on these devices in order to provide a good user experience.
Mobile optimization: Many voice-activated devices are used on mobile devices, so it is important to ensure that the website is optimised for mobile, including having a responsive design and fast loading speeds on mobile devices.
51% buy again from a company if they offer live chat support.
According to kakayo
63% of people who spend between $250-500 a month online are the most likely to both buy from, and be loyal to, companies who offer live chat.
Businesses can improve their visibility and reach through voice-activated devices and voice search, helping them connect with potential customers and drive traffic to their website. A recent report published by Drift showed that chatbots are the fastest-growing communication channel in business today. Customers can suss-out when a simple bot is delivering messages — regardless of artificial pauses, or glib friendly language. Nevertheless, one study showed that 9 out of 10 consumers would like the option to use messaging to contact a business (# 1), while 79% of companies say that a conversational marketing bot has had positive results for customer loyalty, sales, and revenue (# 2)
The advantages are clear to see. Conversational marketing is a powerful tool for businesses looking to build stronger relationships with their audience and increase conversions. By providing a more natural and human-like interaction, conversational marketing can help businesses improve the customer experience, increase efficiency, and gain valuable insights into customer behaviour.
Key benefits include:
Increased engagement: Conversational marketing allows businesses to engage with customers in a more personal and interactive way, which can help increase engagement and build stronger relationships with their audience.
Improved customer experience: By providing a more natural and human-like interaction, conversational marketing can improve the customer experience and help businesses stand out from the competition.
Increased efficiency: Chatbots and messaging apps can automate many routine customer interactions, freeing up time and resources for more complex and personalised interactions with customers.
Improved customer support: Conversational marketing can be used to provide 24/7 customer support, helping businesses to quickly and efficiently resolve customer issues and improve customer satisfaction.
Better data and insights: By tracking customer interactions and conversations, businesses can gain valuable data and insights into customer behaviour and preferences, which can be used to improve their marketing and sales strategies.
Increased dwell time. By implementing a chatbot, visitors spend more time actively engaged and less time making frustrated searches for information they need. Chatbots mimic personable interaction while at the same time offering accurate, concise responses.
70% — that’s the average top-line revenue increase among companies that invested in digital customer engagement over the past two years.
According to twilio
Staying ahead of the curve in 2023 and beyond will see brands incorporate AI and machine learning into their marketing and SEO strategies. Google has recently launched its own artificial intelligence chatbot, Bard, in answer to Open AI’s incredible (and sometimes frightening) ChatGPT bot. Google’s new tool will make use of a combination of advanced algorithms and artificial intelligence to understand the intent behind user queries.
To maximise the benefits of voice optimisation, businesses should carefully consider their goals and target audience, and choose the right platform and technology to power their chatbots. Additionally, chatbots can automate routine tasks, freeing up employees to focus on more complex and high-value activities. By taking the time to design and implement an effective chatbot strategy, businesses can unlock the full potential of this technology and reap the rewards in the form of improved customer satisfaction, increased efficiency, and higher sales.