It will not be long before we see this statue in a museum: a person holding a mobile phone, speaking into it, snapping a picture, swiping left.
You’ve probably seen homeowners doing all the above. What you may not know is that they could be searching Google.
Instead of “typing out” their search letter-by-letter, homeowners will speak – or upload an image – into the search bar. It’s fast, easy and accurate. And with 63% of Google searches happening on mobile, it’s the next frontier of paid search.
Keep reading to learn how your home improvement company can stand out to the rising number of homeowners using image and voice search.
Who is Searching by Voice?
Voice search has been available on Google’s mobile app since 2008. All you do is tap the microphone on the search bar, speak your question and boom. Search results.
More than a decade later, smart speakers and digital assistants are slowly moving the voice search needle. But, early adopters of this technology aren’t who you would expect.
They’re baby boomers. One of the largest sources of revenue for most home improvement companies.
Nearly half of smart speaker users are ages 50+, and the use of smart speakers has more than doubled in the past two years. Add to that the 67% of Baby Boomers who use their smartphones daily and you’ve got yourself a marketing channel that needs attention. Pronto.
How Can I Optimize for Voice Search?
Boomers are more likely to be homeowners than any other generation, they may even be your ideal customer. If you’re wanting to reach Boomers online, you must consider voice search.
For paid search marketing, that means using long-tail keywords. Think of the way people talk – what phrases would a homeowner say out loud to find your services? Incorporate those phrases into your content and you are more likely to appear when a homeowner is searching by voice.
Who is Searching Google by Image?
The short answer? Everyone. Ever since Google Lens launched in 2017, other search engines have followed suit. Even home improvement retailers offer ways to search their website by image.
Here’s how it usually happens: a homeowner is visiting a friend and they mention they just re-did their bathroom. The homeowner takes a look, loves the tile and takes a picture. Then, they upload that picture to Google image search. They immediately see the tile brand, color options and even the cost.
A few other scenarios to consider:
- A homeowner loves the color of a house in their neighborhood and wants something similar.
- A homeowner finds a picture of their dream kitchen and is looking for similar products.
- A homeowner notices a distinctive window and wants to know what it’s called.
The early adopters of this search method are millennials, who are spending time on social websites like Pinterest and Houzz. If you want their business, you’re going to have to get their attention visually.
How Can I Appear in Google Image Searches?
You likely feature amazing high-resolution photos of your projects on your website, which is important. What you may not know is that adding high-resolution images of your products will generate more interest from millennials.
If you do add product pictures to your website, just make sure they are clearly titled, include a meta tag and a meta description. That will help Google guide the homeowner to your website. The more often you refresh your images, the better!
When Will Keyboards Get the Boot?
Typed searches will not disappear entirely, but image and voice searches are happening more every day. Especially among the country’s vast majority of homeowners – boomers and millennials. Now is the time to strategize.
Google is not going to stop pushing us forward. The longer you delay, the further you’re going to fall within your search rankings. Build your “Google cred” now with image and voice search to stay competitive.
