8 WAYS OPTIMIZE FOR VOICE SEARCH TO BOOST YOUR SEO
Statistics forecasted that by 2024, about 8.4 Billion digital voice assistants would be in use. This figure is significantly larger than the population of the world. This means that if your website content is not optimized for voice search, you will lose traction and may run out of business in the worst-case scenario.
So, how can you save your business by optimizing your web content for voice search?
Before we dive into the strategies, let’s first understand what voice search is.
What is voice search?
Voice search technology works on transforming voice signals through automatic speech recognition (ASR) systems available in any smart device into text.
Most millennials and some older people use this method to avoid the nuance of typing. Think of searching for a restaurant while driving on a highway. It would be easier if your navigation device could recognize your speech and offer nearby dining stops. Easy, right?
Most millennials and some older people use this method to avoid the nuance of typing. Think of searching for a restaurant while driving on a highway. It would be easier if your navigation device could recognize your speech and offer nearby dining stops. Easy, right?
How does voice search affect SEO?
The only issue with voice search is that it differs from when people write to look up something. When you use your device’s speaker to search for anything, you are likely to sound more casual and how you generally speak. Thus, the need to optimize your website to boost overall SEO.
Taking the above example, if you type in your query, it would be:
Taking the above example, if you type in your query, it would be:
Restaurants nearby or near me
But if you are to speak it to a device, you will say something along the lines of:
Find the best restaurant to have dinner at.
Notice how the speech is very generic. Now, the search engine would have to figure out the location of the restaurants on its own. It will have to deconstruct your speech to understand the core message. Something machines are not very good at doing. But Google updates like Hummingbird have paved the way for more user-friendly content than just stuffing the page with keywords.
8 Ways to optimize for voice search
As voice search is here to stay. You should learn the best practices we are sharing in this blog to optimize your site for search engine ranking.
1- Use question based & long tail keywords
As the above example demonstrates, using question-based or long-tailed keywords is the most effective way to optimize your site’s content. Since speaking is relatively less taxing cognitively than writing, speech-based searches are to have more words in a sentence.
Long tail keywords attract high-intent traffic as they are more specific to the user’s search intent. You can also add a local optimization factor to them by adding your business location. For example, Restaurants on highway.
To optimize your content for question-based keywords, you will have to think about the “where,” “what,” “who,” “when,” and “how” of the search intent. The most natural way to do it is by adding these into your content headings (H2 or H3) to direct the traffic.
Long tail keywords attract high-intent traffic as they are more specific to the user’s search intent. You can also add a local optimization factor to them by adding your business location. For example, Restaurants on highway.
To optimize your content for question-based keywords, you will have to think about the “where,” “what,” “who,” “when,” and “how” of the search intent. The most natural way to do it is by adding these into your content headings (H2 or H3) to direct the traffic.
2- Put out conversational yet concise content
Writing blog posts with less jargon and technical terminologies would significantly boost your search results, as speech is more casual. This in no way means you fill the page with fluff. The only way to build authority and likeability is through useful and helpful content.
A user looking for highway restaurants might want to know about the dishes they can choose from. So, your webpage can have a blog page where you explain the cuisines and menu in a conversational yet informative tone.
A user looking for highway restaurants might want to know about the dishes they can choose from. So, your webpage can have a blog page where you explain the cuisines and menu in a conversational yet informative tone.
3- Optimize for local search
The majority of the voice searches are for local information. As the user is in a rush to get the information quickly in case of a local search result, it is best to keep your web pages relevant with updated information on your address and contact details.
According to statistics, about 97% of the searches on all search engines are for local businesses. And since these are highly engaged customers, someone who will walk in and make a purchase, it is also essential to rank your site on local searches. To optimize your site for local searches through content, you need to discuss topics relevant to your area and integrate local keywords into it.
According to statistics, about 97% of the searches on all search engines are for local businesses. And since these are highly engaged customers, someone who will walk in and make a purchase, it is also essential to rank your site on local searches. To optimize your site for local searches through content, you need to discuss topics relevant to your area and integrate local keywords into it.
4- Utilize schema markup
When local buyers look up your business, they are interested in details like the working hours, pricing, reviews, and more. You must have noticed that many businesses give you this information when you google them. They are utilizing the structured data feature of tools like Schema to make search engines show more detailed information about your business.
Using schema markup also improves your website’s search result ranking and can assist in optimizing it for voice searches. The addition of schema markup to the website makes the content more visual and appealing to the reader. Before they can get to the value you have added through your content, schema markup ensures that you have successfully gained your user’s attention.
Using schema markup also improves your website’s search result ranking and can assist in optimizing it for voice searches. The addition of schema markup to the website makes the content more visual and appealing to the reader. Before they can get to the value you have added through your content, schema markup ensures that you have successfully gained your user’s attention.
5- Optimize for mobile searches
Most of us search for anything using our cell phones, and of the total global mobile searches, about 27% are voice searches. Since the use of voice speakers is expected to increase in the coming year, optimizing your webpage for voice searches is an opportunity to grab more organic traffic.
Considering the customer requirement for voice search-optimized content, the search engine ranks voice-optimized sites higher as it sees them as more reliable and user-friendly. Therefore, when your content is optimized for voice search, your chances of ranking high on a voice search result will increase.
6- Claim your Google My Business listing
Though you can provide accurate contact information and address details using structured data, maintaining your Google Business Profile is the most accurate way to keep the search engine updated on this information.
Your google business profile helps the search engine understand the nature of your business, who it is for, where it is located, what time your customers can visit, and so on. All this will give a boost to your local SEO ranking.
Your google business profile helps the search engine understand the nature of your business, who it is for, where it is located, what time your customers can visit, and so on. All this will give a boost to your local SEO ranking.
7- Create content for frequently asked questions
Google gives you insight into what questions your future buyers are asking. When you type in your business, google displays a box titled “People also ask.” Use the topic in this section to create your blog posts and answers on your many service pages so your organic traffic volume increases.
As discussed in the first point, these questions are the best tools to optimize your webpage ranking for voice searches. They have the customer intent in them and long tail keywords that are understood to be phrased in the voice search results.
As discussed in the first point, these questions are the best tools to optimize your webpage ranking for voice searches. They have the customer intent in them and long tail keywords that are understood to be phrased in the voice search results.
8- Make your content multilingual
People from all nationalities are likely looking up your content through voice search. And it is natural to speak in your mother language when searching online by speaking to a speaker. So, you need to ensure that your content’s translation is authentic.
You must ensure that when Siri reads your content, you sound like a trusted, authoritative source. The best way to do it is by making a native speaker translate your content.
You must ensure that when Siri reads your content, you sound like a trusted, authoritative source. The best way to do it is by making a native speaker translate your content.
Professional SEO Services
Optimizing your web content for voice search seems tricky if you don’t understand how voice search works. But once you understand the pattern, you can successfully use the voice search results to boost your overall SEO.
For any queries regarding On-Page or Off-Page SEO. Get in touch with our SEO specialists.
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