The digital space is transforming very quickly, and in recent years, we have seen the rise of voice search as a primary tool. With the wide-scale adoption of smart speakers and mobile voice assistants, which include Siri, Google Assistant, and Alexa, users are now tending to speak out their questions instead of typing them in.
This shift in user behavior is causing a great change in the world of Search Engine Optimization, which in turn is forcing businesses and marketers to adapt to a new set of rules of voice search optimization.
The Rise of Voice Search
In reports from late studies, we see that over 50% of consumers are now using voice search for local business info, directions, and purchase decisions. We’re seeing this trend grow as people prefer to ask questions out loud instead of typing them in. As more homes and users of smartphones are getting voice-enabled tech, it is very clear that voice search is not a trend that is going away it is the future.
Voice and Text Search Differences.
Voice search transforms how people ask their questions. Text searches are usually short and to the point (eg, “best pizza in NYC”, while voice queries are more conversational and question-based (eg. “What is the best pizza place in New York City? . This change affects not only keyword use but also content structure and total SEO strategies.
Here is what we are seeing in terms of search engine optimization at present, as it changes with the introduction of voice:.
- Focus on which words are used in conversation.
Traditional SEO has been on the short-tail keyword strategy, but with voice search, we are seeing a shift towards long-tail, natural-sounding phrases. These are the types of which people use in everyday conversation. Optimize for questions like “How do I bake a chocolate cake? instead of just “chocolate cake recipe”. Also very important is that you address the what, how, and why behind the queries.
- Focus on Featured Snippets and Position Zero.
Voice assistants tend to present what is known as the featured snippet or “position zero” result from Google. To get into this prime spot, sites should present info in a clean and to-the-point format, which also includes bulleted lists and direct answers to common questions.
- Importance of Local Search Optimization.
Voice search is a very location-based action. We see terms like “near me” and “closest to me” a great deal in this space, which is very much the case for restaurants, services, or retail stores. What businesses should do is to optimize their Google My Business profiles, use local keywords, and also make sure that their info is the same across all directories.
- Demand for speed in mobile sites.
Most of what is searched via voice is done on mobile devices. Slow loading sites, which also include those not optimized for mobile, will see their rank and voice search performance suffer. Also, Google takes into account the page speed and mobile friendliness of a site when it determines which results to put forward in voice search.
- Content that is structured for clarity.
To do well in voice search, your content should be very easy to understand. Also, use headings, answer common questions, and put in schema markup, which will help search engines to identify and present relevant info quickly.
