A few years back, voice search was seen as a minor feature, which had no practical use. However, over the years, it increased its significance, and today it is one of the most important topics in SEO strategies. If predictions are to be believed, it will strengthen its influence massively in the coming years. The ease of searching with voice is a reason good enough to make it a must-have feature in almost all smart devices.
It started with smartphones then jumped to smart speakers and voice assistants worldwide. There was a time when a conversation with computers seemed like far-flung science fiction. But today, people speaking into their watches, communicating, and receiving voice responses on their wireless phones have become a reality. The Voice search revolution is undeniable, and it is getting more innovative than ever before.
The number of Digital Voice Assistants in Use Worldwide was 3.25 billion in 2019 and is expected to be 8 billion by 2023.
Now, when the competition is getting tougher almost every day, marketers experts, and SEO companies should focus more on optimising their content for voice search and bringing it into their regular practice. Include some of the industry best practices that will improve your rankings for voice searches and increase your organic reach.
Below we have listed some established voice search optimisation strategies that you can use:
1. Create Conversational Queries
Voice search queries are different from standard queries we use to search for information on search engines. For example, the way we speak is different from the way we type. Therefore, when you make a voice search optimisation strategy, you will need to consider this difference.
For example, you would type “how to make pasta” for a standard search, but on voice search, you would say, “how do I make pasta?”
The queries differ because a voice search is a conversation and verbal questions are more guided than written queries. Users talk to their devices while searching for information. The queries are conducted as if they are talking to family to friends. They are more in the form of a command, asking their devices what to do.
To optimise your content for voice search, you must create conversational queries. Try exploring different questions your target audience would ask to search for topics on your pages.
For example, if your users want to search for how to make pasta, they might ask:
- How do I make pasta?
- What is the best way to make pasta?
- What ingredients do I need to make pasta?
These are all related queries you will need to optimise for in your search strategy.
2. Focus on your Local Presence
According to several studies, over 55% of people use voice search to find local businesses worldwide. However, to optimise voice search in the local market, you will first require to create a local presence. Google My Business listing is one of the most vital steps in building local visibility, as it appears when users run local searches.
Using Google My Business listing, you can enter your all company information completely. Verifications are done to confirm that your name, address, and phone number shared is correct.
Moreover, you will also have to add:
- A short blurb about your business
- Update your working hours
- Add photos
The above information will help your users know about you when they find your business through voice search. In addition, Google My Business listing increases your chances of appearing in more local voice search queries and drive traffic to your location.
3. Answer Queries Directly
Start answering queries directly if you want to benefit maximum from our voice search optimisation strategy. Surveys say, 50% of searches depend on featured snippets. Featured snippets answers query directly, and they appear at the top of the search results in a box. The main purpose of these snippets is to provide users with an answer. So, to benefit from the snippet’s position, you should start giving direct answers to questions. Therefore, when a user verbally searches, ‘how to make pasta?’ Try to provide a quick answer instead of writing long stories and unnecessary tips and reasons in between. If your answer is not direct and if you are into too much detailing, your chances of showing on top results will reduce. Giving precise answers will increase your chances of appearing at the top of search results, and Google can read your answers to your searchers.
4. Follow SEO Best Practices
People are still not very aware of the voice search technique, and they think, since users cannot see their website, it does not matter how it performs and delivers user experience. Fact is, to provide answers, voice search devices use top search results. Therefore, you must optimise your answers to appear at the top. If you fail to optimise your content with SEO, most likely, you will not appear in voice searches. SEO strategies & practices that you must follow to rank better in search results:
- Integrate keywords on your pages to optimise your content and make it easily searchable.
- Ensure your website has a responsive design so that it can adapt to every device type, including mobiles.
- Make sure your website loads quickly and does not make your audience wait.
