Typing, while still very much in use, can be considered somewhat archaic these days. Voice search functions are becoming more and more popular as technology becomes better at listening to us, and makes fewer mistakes. Now, for some it seems very creepy having a whole slew of devices listening to our every word and utterance, but others subdue this fear for the convenience of being able to talk to their devices.
Here we explore why voice search optimisation is important for your business. Not only are more people using voice search, but people tend to speak differently to how they write, which means you must optimise for speaking as well as writing if you want to rank across different search functions. Find out more below.
How Does Voice Search Work?
Voice search is a technology that allows users to speak their search queries instead of typing them, and it’s present in a range of different hardware and software. The process involves the following steps:
- Voice input: The voice search is activated (such as Siri, Alexa, or Google Assistant) and the user asks a question or gives a command (“Siri: search for x”, or “Alexa: play y”).
- Speech recognition: The words are then converted into text using advanced speech recognition algorithms. Interestingly, these do not need to be calibrated to the voice of the people who use them; they are universal.
- Natural language processing (NLP): The system then processes the converted text in order to understand the user’s intent and context, translating conversational language into actionable queries.
- Search query or command execution: The query is run through a search engine or the command is processed, and relevant results are generated or performed.
- Response delivery: The system delivers the response, either audibly or on the screen, depending on the device.
Voice search apps and devices are designed to handle more conversational and natural language than traditional typed searches, which makes them more comfortable for some users. However, it also changes how businesses must approach SEO.
As an example, when speaking, users are more likely to ask full questions, such as, “What are the best restaurants nearby?”, instead of typing “best restaurants near me”. So, when you’re creating content for voice searches, you’ll need to bear this in mind and think in a more conversational way than you might be used to.
The Difference Between Voice Search and Google Search
While voice search is a type of search query, it’s distinct from traditional Google searches (or other typed searches). As mentioned, voice search queries tend to be longer, more conversational, and often more specific—and as such, less concise. As an example:
Voice search query: “What’s the weather going to be like tomorrow in New York?”
Typed search query: “New York weather tomorrow”, or even just, “New York weather”
This difference means that businesses need to optimise for long-tail keywords that reflect how people speak, not just how they type. So instead of focusing on the keyword that most reflects the information you offer, you should consider how someone might mention it in a conversation, and what the information around it might be.
Voice search works by converting spoken language into text and processing it with NLP to deliver relevant search results. It differs from traditional search in that voice queries tend to be longer and more conversational.
Why Is Voice Search Important for My Brand?
It’s estimated that around 50% of users employ voice search these days, so it’s certainly worth optimising. Of course, of these 50%, most are still using typed searches the majority of the time, so it’s not as though 50% of all searches are voice searches.
Nevertheless, the trend is increasing, and it always pays to stay ahead of the curve. Of course, the main reason that voice search is important for your brand is that it increases visibility—but if you’re here, you probably already know that. With that said, here are some other reasons that you should consider optimising for voice search.
- Growing usage: With the rise of smart home technologies like Google Home and Amazon Echo, the use of these technologies is increasing. Combined with integration with most search engines, voice search is becoming ubiquitous. Therefore, whether you have a website, a product, or a service, optimising for voice search is probably a good idea.
- Changing search behaviour: Users increasingly expect fast, accurate, and conversational answers. This makes voice search marketing an essential part of your SEO strategy. If you have written content, you need to make it fit!
- Local searches dominate: Many voice searches are local, such as, “Where’s the nearest coffee shop?”. This creates an opportunity for brands with physical locations to capture more customers through voice search optimisation. Indeed, this raises a bigger point that you need to figure out: how relevant is voice search to your particular business?
- Hands-free convenience: Voice search technology, by its very nature, enables hands-free browsing, making it popular among users who are multitasking or otherwise unable to type. This latter point is particularly prescient. If you have a product or service that might be of help to disabled people, then optimising for voice search will help both them and you.
Voice search is becoming increasingly common for a range of reasons, so it is also increasingly important for certain businesses to optimise for it.
How Do I Optimise My Business for Voice Search?
Optimising for voice search is different from standard SEO. While classic SEO is a relatively well-understood field, voice search is still nascent, and so tried and tested optimisation techniques can be harder to come by. Fortunately, we’re here to help you out! The key is to focus on creating content that answers users’ questions naturally and directly.
Below, we look at ways to rank better for voice search queries.
Compete for Featured Snippets
Featured snippets are short, concise answers that appear at the top of Google search results, also known as “Position Zero”. This makes them well worth competing for, with both voice search and typed search. To compete for this spot, you should:
- Write clear and concise answers to common questions
- Structure your content in a way that’s easy for search engines to pull as a snippet
- Include relevant long-tail keywords (e.g. “voice search is used for”)
- Target PAA (“People Also Ask”) boxes
Google’s PAA boxes feature questions closely related to voice search queries, and offer a drop-down answer that some people will refer to instead of clicking through to an actual article. Therefore, optimising your content so it appears in these boxes can increase your chances of being featured in voice search results. Here’s what you need to consider to do so successfully:
- Research common questions related to your business or industry
- Create content that provides thorough answers to these questions
- Use tools like AnswerThePublic to find popular voice search queries
- Study existing PAA boxes and consider what you can add or improve upon
Create FAQ Pages
Creating FAQ pages is a really powerful way to end up in voice searches. This is because people will often ask specific questions, and if this question is answered in your FAQ, you’re more likely to be pulled as an answer.
These pages should:
- Include natural, conversational language that reflects how people speak rather than how they type
- Cover a broad range of common questions related to your industry or services (the more relevant the questions they answer, the more likely they are to be used)
- Use headings and bullet points to organise information clearly
- Use the right keywords
The keyword is not dead—especially not for voice searches! Voice search queries are typically longer than typed ones due to the manner of speech, so focusing on long-tail keywords is crucial. Single words aren’t going to cut it, so do your research. Long-tail keywords reflect more specific, conversational phrases, such as:
Voice search query: “What’s the best pizza place in London that’s open late?”
Typed search query: “Best pizza London”
Make sure your content feels natural and addresses these kinds of queries without appearing forced or overly optimised.
Implement Structured Data
Structured data helps search engines understand your content better. This increases the likelihood of your website being used in voice search results, and is especially important for local SEO and featured snippets.
Ensure that you clearly define elements like your business name, address, phone number, and other key details on your site.
Optimise for Mobile Use
On the whole, voice searches happen on mobile devices. There are few people who speak to their laptops or desktop computers, so you should aim to optimise along the same lines that you would for mobile SEO. Focus on:
- Fast loading times
- Easy navigation
- Mobile-responsive design
- Local SEO
Optimise Local SEO
As mentioned, a very common use for voice search is to ask queries about local places, events, and so on. As such, if it’s relevant to your business, you should absolutely focus on local SEO.
To do so:
- Ensure your Google My Business listing is up to date
- Include local keywords in your content
- Make sure your address, phone number, and business hours are easy to find
- Monitor and update
The internet loves change. So you’ll need to regularly update your content in order to be regarded as relevant. What’s more, as with SEO, voice search requirements often change, and sometimes these changes are significant. So if you choose to go down the voice search route, stay abreast of changes and updates to ensure that your efforts remain viable.
To optimise for voice search, focus on featured snippets, PAA boxes, long-tail keywords, structured data, and local SEO. Regular updates and monitoring are essential for maintaining success in voice search optimisation.
Improve Your Search Engine Strategy for Voice Search Today
Voice search hasn’t taken over yet, and who knows if it ever will. However, more people are using it, especially with mobile devices and for specific, local queries. While you’ll need to assess how pertinent it is to your business, if you think it’s something you could benefit from, then you can use the above information as a starting point from which to optimise your content. And remember, these developments are always evolving and shifting, so update and reconfigure your site and content so it stays relevant.
