Voice Search
Voice search, the idea of talking to a bunch of robots, was right out of science fiction. Now, if we need help finding the nearest taco stand, dog park, or day spa, we ask Siri or Alexa for recommendations without thinking twice. From smartphones to smart speakers to smart T.V.s, asking a virtual assistant to search the web is commonplace now. In most of the manners, it’s quicker, easier, and more convenient than having to actually type out a query.
Here’s the catch, though: A typical search isn’t the same as a text search. When we address our devices, that is when we make our request, we phrase our queries differently, closer to how we speak in real life. This fact, by itself, has meant SEO experts and marketers have had to shift with that growing group of searchers search optimization, search google, search app, search setting.
voice search optimization
Voice search optimization is simply a collection of SEO techniques you can use to ensure your content is picked by results optimization aims to answer common verbal queries in your content such that technologies and virtual assistants pick your page for presentation in their search results.
An example of a typical based search would be an utterance from the user Alexa or Hey Siri is the trigger followed by a query or a sentence What are some good spas near me? or When is the food truck festival?.
The device then speaks back a response, or, voice search optimization, search google, voice search app, voice search setting, voice search for devices with a screen, it may display the top results from a search engine results page. The idea is to be in the top results for this form of search
Why do voice search optimization?
Voice search optimization isn’t some passing fad — it’s inching its way toward the mainstream. Nearly 40% of U.S. internet users use a assistant at least monthly, mostly from smartphones and smart speakers. The number of smart speakers in the U.S. alone is expected to go past 200 million by 2023.
Voice search is still another very significant way to obtain natural search traffic, irrespective of your industry. When using, you’ll tap into a new audience that relies heavily on smartphones and smart speakers to find businesses and shop for products.
This will also help in directing search in due course, which will affect the general performance of SEO and ranking. In fact, search engines themselves appreciate it when websites are optimized for voice searches, voice search optimization, search google, voice search app, voice search setting, meaning that such a change might bring your site more authority and thus higher up on results pages, maybe even high enough to land in a result.
How does voice search differ from text search?
If you’re any kind of web pro, from marketer to website owner or SEO expert, you likely understand general SEO techniques that help you rank a bit higher in the search results, and you may be wondering why having techniques for search is important.
Clearly, there is some overlap between on-page search optimization and voice optimization, but there are also some fundamental qualities of voice that make it quite different from a text search on a website such as Google.
That is to say, searches are much more conversational compared to text-based searches. They are closer to how we talk in real life. Therefore, in search, you would ask, What are some good spas near me? In a text search, queries are usually phrased like spa near me.
As voice search became more and more prominent, search engines got smarter at picking out the meanings behind longer, more conversational queries and producing relevant results for them. Google’s Hummingbird and BERT algorithm updates went further in turning attention toward searcher intent detecting not just individual keywords within a query but the underlying meaning of queries and providing more relevant results to more conversational voice queries.
Now, you need to start creating content that the algorithms will believe is relevant for voice users. The good news for you is, you won’t have to completely overhaul your current SEO strategy to reach voice traffic
Voice Search Optimization Techniques
Go after question keywords and other long-tail keywords.
Incorporate a more conversational tone.
Make local SEO shine.
Make a play for the Google featured snippets.
Make use of schema markup.
Maintain site speed.
Optimize for question keywords and other long-tail keywords.
The fact that voice searches are phrased differently compared to text searches should be duly noted. They are usually longer, more detailed, and are often complete questions. This is because when we speak, we are used to using full sentences with more details compared to typing.
Again, this makes sense if we think in terms of interaction costs. Saying something aloud takes less effort for most people and costs less time than it does to type. The search queries are longer because speaking is less physically and cognitively demanding than typing.
One of the best things you do to optimize for voice search optimization is to target long-tail keywords, more specifically question keywords in the content. In doing this, you will capture a lot more traffic that is submitted with lengthier queries that are more specific in nature from the user.
Conclusion
A long-tail keyword is one that uses three or more words and forms a big part of keyword optimization in general. They attract high-intent traffic because, by the amalgamation of three or more words, they are made much more specific voice to the user’s intent. You can also make them much more specific to your business for example, instead of just saying spas, you can say spas in the Denver area means less competition on the results page.
Think of the who, what, when, where, and how questions that most users are interested in and google keywords planner that reflect those questions. Write the question into the copy of your pages like in an H2, then give a concise, satisfying answer afterward. After that, you can dive deeper into the body of your content if needed.
You can use one or more of a wide variety of keyword research tools to help you find the most relevant search terms for your target customer. As well, you can take a hint from the “related searches” or the people also ask sections of the Google results page and go to the popularity of what questions your audience most asks. Do some searches related to your business, and watch the prompts from Google.