How Authors can Prepare for the Voice Search Revolution

Part 2: Two things authors can do to prepare

Did you know that voice search is no longer just a fad?

Best-selling authors and publishers stand to lose millions because they are not optimizing for voice search.

By 2022 it is estimated that 50% of all searches will be through Voice Search. Last week I covered Part 1 of Voice Search. This week I will be sharing two things you can do to be prepared for voice search.

What is Voice Search? 

Voice Search is based on Natural Language Processing (NLP). Voice search is a SPEECH RECOGNITION technology that allows users to search by SAYING the terms aloud rather than by typing them into a search engine. It’s more convenient to say what you’re searching for than to type out a search query.

There are a couple of things that authors can do right now to make sure that they are prepared for the Voice Search revolution.

1) Update your meta description: Having a meta description for your home page is especially important for voice search and voice assistants. The meta description is what voice assistants like Siri, Alexa, and Google use to describe your website. Go ahead! Do a test. If you have an iPhone ask Siri about your favorite author and favorite book and see what comes up.

If you have an iPhone, ask Siri about your favorite author.

“Siri, who is Joanna Penn?”

 If you have an Amazon Echo or Dot device, speak the following prompts.

“Alexa, who is Joanna Penn?”

If you notice, the search results that get returned read aloud or display the meta description set on your website.

2) Have an audiobook version available

If you have an Amazon Echo or Dot device say the following prompts to see what happens when you ask a smart speaker to read a book:

“Alexa, read Stone of Fire”

If you have a published book, you want to also make sure that an audiobook version is available. Smart speakers prioritize books that have audiobooks available. So make sure that your audiobook is available on Amazon and Google Play so the smart speakers (Amazon’s Echo, Google Home, Siri) can purchase, read and recommend the book to potential readers.

Voice Search is critical to book marketing because a smart speaker or a voice assistant like Siri are gateways to purchasing in the home. Pretty soon, people will be purchasing books and products from everywhere. While walking and talking on the phone, in the bathroom, from their Amazon Echo or Google Home devices, EVERYWHERE. 

A quick note from me:

Would you be interested in subscribing to a more detailed, in-depth substack which teaches you digital book marketing tactics for $5/month? Just hit reply and respond with, “I’m in!”

Do you find this newsletter helpful? Next week I’ll be launching a Black Friday special for my digital marketing training series for authors on learnselfpublishingfast.com. Stay tuned!

************************