More and more internet users are using voice search as a way to find what they’re looking for. Devices such as smartphones, smart TVs and smart speakers are everywhere, and many people find it faster and more convenient to search using a voice assistant such as Siri, Alexa or Cortana than to type words into a search box. This trend is likely to keep growing.
When talking to devices, people phrase things differently than when they type keywords. Questions are asked that sound much more like ordinary conversation, not just a group of keywords. You need to include top quality voice SEO to improve your site’s overall ranking and to end up at the top of voice search results in 2024.
Why Voice Search Must Be Part of Any Digital Marketing Strategy
Searching by talking to devices isn’t a passing fad. Optimizing your site for voice search gives you more opportunities to reach your target audience than you’ll have if you only optimize for text-based queries. Using this approach, you may reach some users that do all their searching on their smartphones or using a smart speaker.
Voice search queries are conversational. Instead of “restaurants near me”, users may say, “Hey, Siri, where can I find a good family restaurant near me?” Search engines are getting better at recognizing searcher intent and identifying the most relevant results for conversational questions that come through voice search.
How to Optimize for Voice Search
Optimizing for voice search isn’t a lot different than optimizing for text searches. Focus on targeting long-tail keywords and keywords in the form of a question. Long-tail keywords are three words or more in length and they help to match searcher intent more closely.
Find long tail keywords by using keyword research tools or by reviewing the “people also ask” section of a search engine results page. One way to be sure your site includes plenty of question keywords is by having a Frequently Asked Questions page that lists common questions followed by informative answers.
Use a conversational tone when writing content. This is more likely to match the tone people use in their voice searches. This doesn’t mean you should publish lower quality content. It just means that it’s a good idea to try to avoid highly technical jargon and to write content worded just like you might talk to your readers.
Keep User Experience in Mind at All Times
Search engines avoid sending people to sites that cause a frustrating experience for users, so always think about the experience users are having on your site. It’s important for your site to load quickly and to be mobile-friendly. If your web pages don’t load in two seconds or less, at least some of your visitors will click away. Make sure your content performs as well on mobile devices as it does on laptops or desktops.
Voice search isn’t likely to go away, and optimizing for voice searches is an important part of providing a great user experience. Reach out to Softline Solutions for expert help growing your online presence.
