Voice search is one of the revolutionary forces of today in the world of digital marketing. Thanks to continually growing virtual assistants, Siri, Alexa, and Google Assistant to mention a few, more people are now interactively using the internet through voice search than keyboarding. Voice search transformed the way the user interfaces with their technology and therefore remains a connection opportunity with growing audiences.
But how can brands really optimize voice search and get the right message to that audience? The answer is in the really practical tips to the voice search optimization-to stay on the curve and bring a message to a wider audience.
1. Prioritize conversational keywords
Whereas the typed search is fairly very literal, the voice searches tend to be much more conversational. For example, whereas people using a voice search are speaking full sentences or questions, the keywords used in voice searches are not the same as the short, broken keywords typical of typed queries. For example, instead of typing “best pizza restaurant,” a user will say, “What’s the best pizza restaurant near me?”
Actually optimization for voice search is actually optimisation for long-tail words, which are the natural phrases or phrases people use while speaking. Often, these phrases contain words like “how,” “what,” “when,” “where,” and “why.” The more a website contains these conversational phrases, the more likely its chance of one of its pages being the very top choice that a voice search device makes.
2. Optimize for local SEO
Another trend is that more and more people are using voice for local queries because they ask their devices whether there is something nearby- most of all, services or goods. In fact, very often in voice searches, a user uses the phrase “near me,” which means an explicit intent to search for local results. Localisation should be secured together with site adaptation to reach the target audience.
Before you do anything else, ensure your Google Business Profile is fully up to date. That means business information should include your proper address, phone number, hours of operation, and services. Encourage happy customers to write you positive reviews- they will significantly increase your chances of appearing in local voice search results.
Also put location-based keywords on your website, in your descriptions, and in the headings of your website. For example, if you have a bakery business in Los Angeles, then your content should have phrases such as “best bakery in Los Angeles” or “where to find cupcakes near me.”
3. Answer Directly and Clearly
Their expectation is the immediate response to their voice search while providing direct answers. Virtual assistants regard the content as informative and easy to digest. To take advantage of this, you would position your website content around such immediate, direct answers to common questions about your industry or products.
A good way to do this is by including an FAQs section on your site. That alone will help organize the information, and you are going to be hitting on questions that voice search users are looking for. Further still, if your content is easy to read and skimmable, there is a greater chance virtual assistants are going to pull information from your site.
For example, for an automobile repair shop, for the kind of question that would be “How often should I have my car serviced?” or “What would be the indication that my car needs new brakes?”, your FAQ can directly answer those questions and will make your website position itself as a reliable voice search answer authority.
4. Page Speed Improvement
When it comes to search results, the speed at which your website loads has a massive impact. The way voice search works is not any different, and users expect fast results for voice search. Of course, search engines like Google would prefer the websites that load in the shortest time possible if it produces results from voice search.
To ensure that your web pages load as fast as possible, use any of the following page-loading optimisation techniques:
Compress images to reduce file size without losing quality.
Limit CSS and JavaScript files.
Allow the browser to cache so elements can be accessed directly.
Host on a safe, fast, and reliable web hosting site.
Test speed and performance regularly to identify areas for improvement. A faster website directly relates to voice search optimisation and every user’s experience.
5. Check Mobile Optimization
Most of the voice search queries come from a mobile device. Thus, it is important that you have your website fully optimised for the mobile field to maximise the potential of ranking on the voice search results.
Make sure your website is responsive, meaning it reduces its screen size appropriately but retains a good user experience for mobile phones the buttons are tap-friendly, the text is readable, and the navigation effortless. Because Google uses mobile-first indexing, mobile performance will affect how rankings are generated, so having a mobile-friendly website is important in optimising voice search.
6. Use Schema Markup
Schema markup, otherwise known as structured data, is a form of micro markup that helps search engines understand what is being presented on your website. This, therefore, increases the chances of it appearing in voice searches.
Code markup with schema provides search engines with context about what your content is – possibly business contact information, product details, or the dates for events. Schema markup may also help voice searches to return users more relevant information.
For example, if you own a restaurant, you can use schema markup so that search engines can show your menu, your reviews, and hours of operation. Therefore, depending on what the user is asking for, for a voice search query like “Where can I find a good Italian restaurant near me?” a search engine may provide an appropriate answer.
7. Provide Extremely Relevant Information to Content
Content is still king when it comes to voice search optimisation. Virtual assistants and search engines are likely to pick sites having great, relevant, informative content directly answering the question of the user.
That would mean that while developing voice search-optimized content, you must always keep your focus on questions your audience is likely to ask. Keyword research will focus on voice search queries most frequently used by people related to your business, and the content will, therefore, be developed according to those subjects.
For example, for a health and wellness blog, you might create content answering questions such as “What is the benefit of yoga?” or “How do I better my sleep quality?” The more detailed your response to these questions, the better your chances of being picked by the voice search device.
8. Optimize for Featured Snippets
Featured snippets are short bits of content positioned at the top of Google’s result pages, auto-answering an immediate response to a user’s query. Many of the most used answers virtual assistants speak out loud when searching with voice include featured snippets, and thus, optimizing your content for voice searches is an excellent location for you to do so.
Start optimizing for featured snippets by creating clear and concise content that answers your question. Bullet points or numbered lists may be helpful in structuring content so it flows well for the user, and so have further implications on its crawl efficiency for search engines as well.
For instance, your business may be something that’s easily categorized with travels. You could blog with a question such as, “What are the top tourist attractions in New York City?” that way, when people search by voice, search engines pull in that answer and display your blog post.
9. Build a Solid Online Reputation
In fact, most information for voice search is retrieved through online reviews and reputation scores. What businesses are reported as being excellent with good ratings will be favored in voice search, especially on local search.
To fulfil voice search presence, get happy customers posting positive reviews on Google, Yelp, and Facebook. Interaction of your review from both sides and response to the positive and negative reviews also gives a boost to your reputation and makes it evident that you are concerned with the feedback.
It is going to make a huge difference in just how well you rank concerning voice search and, at the same time, how people are going to trust you to be able to service their needs.
Conclusion
As voice search becomes ever more popular, if you don’t make your digital presence optimized for this technology, it is not a choice anymore but a compulsion. Start by working on conversational keywords. Help improve your local SEO practice. Focus on the speed and mobile performance of your website and make use of schema markup in order to get your brand in a good position for the world of voice search.
This opening to acquire a bigger audience and get immersed in the lives of your customers creates many more opportunities with voice search optimization, and demand increases day by day. Be ready to stay ahead of the game in this competitive landscape.
