SEO is constantly changing and presents new challenges to search marketers every day. Voice search is the fastest form of search at the moment. Voice search has become a popular topic in digital. But did you know that voice searches started 15 years ago?
Voice search has had a lot of problems, mainly because the algorithm is unable to understand exactly what a user says. It also does not produce results in a way that users can easily comprehend.
What is Voice Search?
What is voice search exactly? Voice search is a technology that uses voice recognition to let users make voice commands for searching. Search engines will respond to your query by using voice search. Apple’s Siri and Amazon’s Alexa can be used to conduct a voice search. Google’s voice command app and Home product are also available. With a conversational voice, it is easier to interact with the device. You can use your voice to find a restaurant in the area, play music, check the weather, and more.
Voice search has been on an upward trend. Voice search was used for 20% of mobile queries in March 2016. This shows the direction it’s heading. An article in Forbes revealed that Amazon Alexa and Google Home both sold record numbers of products in the United States last Christmas. As of January 2017, the estimated number of voice-powered households was 8.2 million. Studies have also found that if voice searches continue to grow so rapidly, fifty percent of searches will come from voice by 2020.
What does this mean for SEO professionals? SEO professionals need to start thinking differently about their content. Also, it is important to remember that the people who use voice search are usually looking for two different things. Someone who types in their question might be fine with doing some research, but someone who speaks wants an immediate answer. We need to appeal both to these types of people.
Tips For Optimizing Your Website For Voice Search
Imagine how you would conduct a voice search.
Imagine yourself as a consumer and how you might use voice search to locate your product or service. Optimize your website to match these queries. We no longer optimize our sites for single keywords or machines. We use long-tail phrases to optimize our website’s metadata and on-page content.
If your website has the phrase “pizza in downtown San Diego,” you might want to consider adding the following text, which will make it sound more natural. For example: “Where can I find a good place to eat a pizza downtown San Diego?”
Use question Phrases
We are more likely to ask questions when we search online these days. When I do online searches, I prefer to start my search with query words rather than short phrases that contain two or three words. For example, query words include who, what, and when. You might ask, “where can I purchase soccer cleats?” instead of “buy soccer shoes.”
Optimize your website for long-tail conversational keywords
Short-tail keywords are not going to disappear. They will, however, be less relevant to voice searches as people tend to use natural phrases. The focus should be on creating excellent conversational content using long-tail keywords. For finding long-tail keywords, I recommend using keywordtool.io.
Meta Data
Metadata, such as title tags or meta descriptions, are important for voice searches. Users want to converse with their devices, so they speak to them. The title tags should include phrases you expect users to use. Meta descriptions should begin by answering the question of the user’s search or showing that the information they are looking for is on your site. Include a call-to-action to let them know that they can get the information by clicking on your page.
Structured data
Structured data or Schema.org generates rich snippets. This allows search engines such as Google to crawl your website and understand its content. Rich snippets will appear on the SERPs. Structured data markup helps mobile devices by giving them information about your site.
Focus on Mobile
Voice search is typically done on mobile devices. If the mobile device has a bad user experience (UX), users will abandon your site and go back to SERPs.
Your bounce rate will rise, and you’ll lose rankings. The mobile user experience must be given high priority. It would be best if you acted now, as the mobile-first ranking is already in place.
Mobile- Other Important Factors
Improve site speed: People who use voice search typically want a quick response, and the faster your site is, the better.
Ensure Your Content Is Well Structured And Clear: Those using mobile devices are less likely than those on desktops to read long pieces of content. Use header tags for a more readable text. Images can help you illustrate your message. Google Analytics can help you determine if your bounce rate on mobile is higher than on desktop. If your bounce rate is higher on mobile, there may be a problem with the user experience.
Search Intent
Understanding search intent is crucial. What is the intent behind the search phrase? It is important to know this. Always put the user’s needs or questions first. Artificial intelligence (AI), which is used to interpret user intent, is improving as voice search becomes more conversational.
When we use voice searches, our behavior tends to change. A text query will usually have between one and three words, whereas a voiced query can be three or more. Voice search queries are longer and more detailed because they ask questions. They ask questions using phrases such as who, what, when, where, and why.
If I were to use voice search, I’d say, “Where can I find a new pair of soccer cleats?” My tone is transactional, and I want to locate shopping areas if it has access to my location. Voice search users are usually at the top end of the funnel.
