Voice search may have started as a small concept, but it has become HUGE now. People love the technology of effortlessly searching on their mobile devices. The idea of voice search started with smartphones and then eventually progressed to smart speakers and voice assistants worldwide.
No. of Digital Voice Assistants in Use Worldwide – 2019 and 2023 (in billions)
As we can see, there is a tremendous increase in voice search, and it is forecasted to increase till 2023.
In this blog, you will learn about the strategies that can help you in optimizing voice search for your website. Optimizing for voice search is similar to SEO of yesteryear, but with more refined focus.
What is Voice Search?
Let’s keep it simple; voice search is voice recognition technology that allows users to perform searches by speaking into a device. These devices can be smartphones, laptops and home assistant devices. Over the years, the Google voice search queries have increased, so it’s vital to incorporate them into your digital marketing strategy.
Voice Search Quick Facts:
2 out of 5 people say activated devices are essential for their lives.
19% of people use Siri at least once a day.
55% of teens and 44% of adults use voice search daily.
By 2021, more than 50% of searches will be voice search.
Read on to know some of the helpful tips to optimize for voice search on your website.
- Optimize for page speed
Google is more inclined towards websites that load quickly. If there are two similar websites, then the one which loads faster gets to be first on the search results page. Speed is essential for all types of searches, text-based or voice-based.
- Create an FAQ page for your website
If you want your website to be optimized for voice search, then you should be able to provide answers to your readers. Questions that users can ask verbally related to your industry. When voice searchers ask questions, they typically begin with “Who”, “Where”, “What”, “When”, “How” and “Why.” So, make a FAQ page and begin each question with these adverbs.
- Secure your website with SSL
Google favours websites that are secured and certified. The HTTPS protocol ensures the visitor and Google’s bot that your website can be trusted and as a consequence that it complies with all the rules of the right online practices.
- Create long and short-form content
SEO depends not only on the technical part of the website, but it also depends on the quality of content. You need content that answers the questions of the readers and draws them to you. According to studies, the top 5 results in a search page are on average and long articles around 2000 words.
Long-form content is essential, but if you want to gain influence and grow your pool of readers, the short-form content may also help if you’re going to attract people who are searching for quick and short answers to some of their questions.
- Use Simple Words and Short Sentences
In the voice search, people ask short and straightforward questions which AI may understand and translate into search results quickly. The shortest the sentence with the answer, the more likely it is that people who asked the question will read it first. If it’s a valid answer, then users may also click on the link and visit the website. If you are precise and able to provide valuable information in simple and understandable words, then you are increasing your website chances to grow organically.
- Be active on social media
In today’s online context, social media is one of the essential marketing tools. People post pictures, updates, build connections, etc. on Facebook and Instagram. Also, they are engaging with brands and companies on social media. They write reviews, ask questions, buy products, share links, read the updates and news and prospect the market on social platforms.
Viral content from social media platforms is a valuable asset in SEO since it generates a pool of backlinks to your page of origin.
- Focus on Conversational Keywords
In the voice search, conversational keywords like ‘how to’ work well. Natural phrases have a higher impact on SEO than short-tail keywords.
- Provide context with Schema Markup
Using schema to markup your content and let the search engines know about what your site is about, proves to be very beneficial. The HTML add-on guides search engines understand the context of your writing, which means you rank better in typical searches and more relevant in specific queries made through voice search.
Conclusion!
Marketers need to adapt the new changes in the external environment, meeting the evolving demand. Voice search is trending nowadays, and to adapt and thrive in this online context, you have to ensure that your website is optimized for voice search.
Many tech giants like Google, Microsoft and Amazon are on the move and have already optimized voice search. The above-listed strategies will help you in ranking better for voice search and design a useful voice search optimization strategy.
