Story Based Question
You’re the digital marketing manager for a health and wellness brand. Recently, you’ve been optimizing your website for voice search. But you’re starting to wonder, how do voice search queries vary based on the industry? Specifically, when it comes to wellness, do people ask different questions via voice compared to, say, e-commerce or real estate? You ask yourself, “How does user intent differ for voice queries in industries like health, retail, and real estate?”
Exact Answer
User intent for voice queries differs across industries based on the type of information users are seeking, whether it’s for purchasing, problem-solving, or finding location-based services. In health, users often seek quick, informational answers, while in retail, they may look for product details or purchasing options. In real estate, users typically ask about location, availability, and price.
Explanation
User intent refers to the goal behind a user’s search query. When people use voice search, the intent can vary greatly depending on the industry. Let’s break it down by some key sectors:
- Health and Wellness
- Intent Type: Informational and problem-solving
- Voice Search Queries: People use voice search to get quick answers about health symptoms, remedies, or general wellness tips. Voice searches are often phrased in a question format, such as “What can I do for a headache?” or “How can I improve my sleep quality?”
- Why It’s Different: Health queries tend to focus on immediate needs, often related to personal well-being. Users want answers they can trust, and they tend to use conversational language, like asking a friend or a doctor.
- Example: A user might ask, “What foods help lower blood pressure?” A health-related website can optimize for this by offering clear, concise, and trustworthy answers to such common questions.
- Retail and E-Commerce
- Intent Type: Transactional and navigational
- Voice Search Queries: Retail queries often focus on product details, pricing, and location. Users may ask, “Where can I buy running shoes near me?” or “What is the best laptop for gaming?”
- Why It’s Different: Retail voice queries are more purchase-driven. Users are actively looking for products, and they tend to use voice search to find the nearest store, check availability, or compare features.
- Example: A user could say, “Order a pair of black sneakers from Nike.” A well-optimized e-commerce site can focus on providing direct answers, making it easy for customers to find products, view reviews, and make a purchase.
- Real Estate
- Intent Type: Locational and informational
- Voice Search Queries: Real estate searches are often location-based and specific. Queries like “Apartments for rent in Brooklyn” or “How much is a house in Los Angeles?” are common. Users may also ask for details about a property like square footage or amenities.
- Why It’s Different: In real estate, users often have a very focused intent. They want to gather key facts about properties, such as price, availability, and location. The goal is often to find actionable information quickly or book a viewing.
- Example: Someone might ask, “What is the average price of a house in San Francisco?” A real estate website can optimize by providing localized, up-to-date information, along with tools for scheduling viewings or contacting agents.
- Restaurants and Local Services
- Intent Type: Transactional, informational, and locational
- Voice Search Queries: People often use voice search to find nearby services or places to eat. A typical query could be, “Where is the closest Italian restaurant?” or “Is there a dentist open today near me?”
- Why It’s Different: For local services and restaurants, the primary goal is finding nearby locations quickly and efficiently. Users also ask about hours, menus, and reviews.
- Example: A person may ask, “What time does Taco Bell close?” A restaurant’s website can ensure it’s easy to find such details through voice-optimized local listings and structured data.
Example
Let’s consider a health and wellness brand that wants to track how user intent differs for voice search queries. A user might ask, “How can I reduce stress naturally?” This is informational intent; they’re looking for wellness tips or remedies. Here’s how the brand could optimize:
- Content Strategy: They could create detailed blog posts or guides answering common questions related to stress reduction, like “Top 5 natural ways to reduce stress.”
- FAQ Section: They could add a question-and-answer format with easy-to-read bullet points or short paragraphs that provide clear, actionable advice.
In e-commerce (like a clothing store), a user might say, “Where can I buy red sneakers near me?” This is transactional intent with a strong focus on location. The store’s website should focus on local SEO, providing store locations and real-time stock availability.
For real estate, if someone asks, “How much is a two-bedroom apartment in Miami?” the intent is more transactional, as the user wants specific pricing information. The website could feature a live search option or an interactive map with updated property listings, optimized for voice queries.
User intent varies greatly between industries. In health and wellness, users are often looking for information and advice. In retail and real estate, users are more likely to have transactional or locational intent. By understanding these differences, you can optimize your content to match the intent of voice search queries in your specific industry, improving your chances of visibility and engagement.