Voice-powered technology might have once sounded far-fetched. But in 2021, it’s become a popular and accepted way to learn and communicate.
This could mean big things for your business – if you play your cards right.
When you optimize your website for voice search SEO, you’ll make it easier for mobile users and local customers to find your brand online.
Most SEO experts are recommending that business owners add voice search optimizations to their marketing strategies. But why? And how can you get started? We’ll answer both of those questions below.
Why Does Voice Search Matter?
The way we search for information online has evolved. We once used only our personal computers to type in queries. But now, the vast majority of us use our smartphones and other mobile devices to find the information we need.
Since the screens on our iPhones are relatively small, it’s not always preferable to tap and type. When we’re on-the-go, it’s much more convenient to speak and search.
Enter: voice search technology.
While voice-powered tech has been around for years, it wasn’t until recently that it became accessible to the masses. We can now do more than just dictate text messages; we can also speak a command into our phones or even ask a digital assistant to help us locate the information we seek.
Some business owners may dismiss this technology as something only a small portion of customers might use. But studies have revealed that substantial portions of mobile users are utilizing voice search technology on a monthly or even weekly basis. Almost half of the respondents in a Social Media Today survey said they used this technology to research products.
How Can I Optimize My Site For Voice Search?
As any SEO agency will tell you, it’s smart to optimize your site for search engines. In fact, it’s an essential part of any marketing strategy in the digital age.
But it’s not enough to limit your SEO efforts to desktop users. Mobile traffic now represents more than half of all web traffic, which means you can’t afford to discount smartphone users.
You also need to remember that smartphone users are more likely to be – as the device name suggests – mobile. When they’re on the move, they may not have the capability to look at the screen and type something out in a search bar.
As such, these users are more likely to rely on voice search technology. According to Think With Google, approximately 27% of the global online population uses voice-powered search on their mobile devices. And when customers are looking for nearby options, it makes sense that they’d ask Siri to locate simple solutions within their neighborhood.
With that in mind, you’ll want to learn how to optimize your site for voice search users. This can allow your site to appear more readily in search results powered by voice, which will increase your brand visibility, conversion rates, and overall sales.
Here are just a few voice search SEO tips to get you started.
- Improve Site Speed: User experience is more important than ever, both to Google and to your customers. Site speed is just one of the aspects of user experience you’ll want to focus on, especially if you want to appeal to mobile users (who are more likely to perform searches via voice). Start by performing a site speed test and figure out what might be causing delays. Compress large images, upgrade your web hosting package, or consider browser caching to speed up your website experience. Google will be more likely to recommend speedy sites to mobile users, as they minimize the risk of frustration and provide answers quickly.
- Create FAQ Pages: Because voice searches often take the form of a question, it makes sense to add an FAQ page to your website. Find out the kinds of questions that voice searchers are most likely to ask that are relevant to your business. Then, add a page that asks and answers these questions. If you do it right, your site might appear in a featured snippet answer box.
- Use Location-Specific Keywords: Voice search users are more likely to be on mobile, which also means they’re more likely to be close to your actual location. As such, you should leverage local SEO principles and utilize keywords that are specific to your area. These long-tail keywords should have decent search volume without being overly competitive. They’ll also be better aligned with customer intent.
- Add Schema Markup: Schema is a type of code that helps Google bots understand the context of a site. While it’s invisible to users, it provides meaning and helps search engines provide more relevant results in SERPs. Schema markup can also help Google understand natural language, which is essential for voice search SEO.
- Publish Conversational Content: In general, voice searches are a lot more conversational than traditional web searches. In a conventional web search, you might enter only a few keywords into a search bar. But when performing a voice search, you’ll probably speak in complete sentences. That means you’ll want to optimize for complete sentences and in a way that reflects how we actually talk. Keep this in mind when creating blog post content and copy for your product or service pages.
In the eyes of many experts, voice search is the new frontier. This technology represents a lot of potential – and if you optimize your site properly, you could reach your customers more effectively than ever before. With these tips in mind, you’ll set your business up for success and won’t risk falling behind the times.
