Voice search enables us to use verbal commands to initiate a search over the internet. This advanced technology leverages the dialog system, incorporating speech-to-text (STT) for the voice-enabled input and text-to-speech (TTS) for the output.
Two reasons for voice search’s rise in popularity are that it’s quicker than a traditional desktop search and enable users to multitask. Studies project that the sales of digital voice assistants will surge to over 8 billion units by 2024.
Unfortunately, many bloggers and site owners still struggle to optimize their content for voice search. This may result in a lower ranking and less traffic, as 75% of voice search results are often in the top 3 positions on desktop search engine results pages (SERPs).
Throughout this article, we’ll share six tips for voice search optimization to help your website thrive. If you are just starting your online journey and want to learn more about how to start a blog with a strong foundation for voice search, follow this tutorial.
What Is Voice Search SEO?
Voice search optimization includes any effort website owners implement to get their web pages to appear on voice search results.
Let’s take a quick look at how voice search works:
- Users perform a voice search using a voice assistant.
- The tool will then separate the search query from other sounds or phrases.
- Next, it will transform the sound waves into digital data and process them.
- In the pattern recognition stage, the voice assistant will look for the best answer in the database.
- Lastly, the device will read the selected information out loud to the user.
From this, we can see that voice search optimization is about improving a blog’s chance of getting read by voice search devices.
6 Tips to Optimize Content with Voice Search SEO
From improving brand visibility to generating qualified leads and increasing sales, voice search optimization is a great marketing tool for business owners. This section discusses six tips on how you can do this for your own website.
1. Determine the Target Audience
A blog’s target audience represents a specific group of people who are most likely to engage with its content. Besides helping bloggers develop online marketing strategies, establishing a clear target audience also enables them to set the tone for their content.
Here are three key factors to consider when determining your target audience:
- Studies show that 25% of 65+ year-olds are the most prominent voice search users, followed by those between 13 and 18 years old.
- When it comes to voice assistants, such as Apple’s Siri, Google Assistant, and Amazon’s Alexa, each has its own demographic. For example, Alexa is popular among 57% of 65+ year-old users.
- Tech-savviness. Users with more technological knowledge may utilize various higher-tech solutions, including voice-enabled searches.
Furthermore, you can gather users’ feedback to find information about their thoughts on your content and their preferred methods of online search. Besides providing insights into areas for improvement, this helps you create relevant content that is best optimized for voice search.
2. Strategize Content to Capture Google’s Featured Snippets
A featured snippet, also referred to as position zero, is a highlighted search result displayed above the organic search results. It contains an excerpt of the web page that immediately answers the search intent.
Search engines rely on rich answers, including featured snippets, to respond to users’ voice queries. To capture a snippet, blog owners should improve their content strategy and create high-quality blog pieces to boost their ranking on SERPs.
Here are some tips for getting featured in Google’s position zero:
- Aim for a high ranking.
- Embed keywords or phrases in H2 tags.
- Summarize the search query in one optimized paragraph.
- Evaluate and improve the page structure.
- Use keywords in your image’s alt tags, if possible.
3. Improve Local SEO
While search engine optimization is an integral part of content optimization, building a local SEO strategy is one of the best ways to enhance voice search.
Among the most common uses of voice search is to help people find shops nearby. Studies show that 76% of voice assistant users perform local voice searches weekly, and 28% of them proceed to call the business that appears on the search results.
Having a Google Business Profile listing can improve a store’s visibility on SERPs. It helps small, local businesses rank on the search results whenever someone is looking for nearby shops or services.
Here are some important factors to note when registering your online store for a Google Business Profile:
- Include the business’s name, address, and phone number in your listing.
- Select the correct business category.
- Pinpoint your brick-and-mortar store so potential customers can find the location.
- Add your business’ service area, such as the city or postal code.
- Complete your profile with product listings, photos, videos, customer reviews, and business hours.
4. Use Long-Tail Keywords
When performing desktop searches, users typically type short-tail keywords, such as website SEO, blog optimization tips, and SEO services. However, such keywords aren’t as effective for voice search optimization.
Voice searches are usually longer than desktop searches due to their conversational tone. A study found that only 1.71% of voice search results contain the exact keywords used in the title tag. Therefore, be sure to integrate long-tail keywords to optimize your voice search efforts.
Aside from that, bloggers can leverage conversational keywords like questions and filler phrases in their content and titles. For example:
- How to develop an SEO strategy?
- What are the most effective blog optimization tips?
- Are there any top-tier SEO services near me?
That said, you still need to conduct keyword research to find the right long-tail and conversational keywords for a query. Aside from keyword research tools like Ahrefs and Semrush, bloggers can utilize Answer the Public. It’s a social listening tool to discover users’ most common search questions.
Image source5. Set Up an Optimized Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) Page
An FAQ page helps visitors get straightforward answers to specific questions. It’s also a great place to embed long-tail keywords and write in a more casual tone – perfect for voice search.
On your FAQ page, be sure to incorporate your blog’s what, where, who, when, why, and how. By providing answers to 5W1H questions, you’ll be more likely to address most of your visitors’ voice search queries, improving your site’s chance of appearing high on search results.
You can also identify your visitors’ most common questions based on previous interactions to help boost your FAQ page’s effectiveness.
In post-publication, tracking and monitoring the FAQ page’s performance should be a priority. This process helps determine if the page effectively solves visitors’ problems. Blog owners may also need to update their FAQ page periodically to ensure the information’s relevance.
6. Optimize Your Website for Mobile Devices
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Mobile-first websites rank higher on SERPs, and statistics show that approximately 27% of internet users worldwide conduct voice searches from their mobile phones. For those reasons, prioritize site responsiveness to prepare your blog for mobile searches, specifically voice searches.
One of the easiest ways for this is to use a responsive web design, as it enables web pages to adjust layouts to different screen sizes and resolutions. If you run your blog on WordPress, explore its theme directory and find one that’s mobile-friendly.
Additionally, make sure your site loads quickly on mobile devices. The average voice search result takes 4.6 seconds to load, 56% faster than desktop searches. So, it’s crucial to aim for excellent page load time to boost your content’s chances of appearing at the top of search results.
Conclusion
The rise of voice search brings changes to how businesses conduct content marketing. Marketers are now finding new ways to optimize their content not only for SEO but also for voice search.
Thanks to voice search optimization techniques, blog and site owners are one step closer to getting their content chosen by voice search devices. Here is a short recap of how to optimize your website for voice search:
- Determine your target audience by researching their technological knowledge, age group, and preferred voice assistant.
- Strategize content for featured snippets, as Google relies on rich answers for voice search queries.
- Create a local SEO game plan and a Google Business Profile listing.
- Use voice search keywords, including long-tail keywords, questions, and conversational phrases.
- Build an optimized FAQ page to answer users’ common questions and appear on voice search results.
- Ensure your blog’s mobile responsiveness to help it stay competitive in the voice search landscape.
We hope this article helps you create the perfect voice search optimization strategy for your project. Good luck!
