Voice search is rapidly changing the way people search for information online. This is rapidly changing the way that search engines interact with the content on our websites.
Search Engines operate through a complex algorithm, but ultimately like any business, they want to serve their customers with the most effective and relevant content they can. And when it’s so easy for users to say “Hey Siri, what is…” voice search is quickly becoming a dominant form of search.
Because of this, it is now more important than ever to think about how your content and website caters to this new form of search query, and the ways that you can optimise your content and website so that it’s the most appealing result for the search engine. Below are a few ways that you can do just that right now.
Voice search changes the way we need to do keyword research
Instead of typing in a few keywords, users are now asking questions out loud, and expecting immediate and accurate answers from their voice assistants. This means that businesses must adapt their Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) strategy to keep up with the evolving landscape of search.
With traditional keyword research, businesses typically focus on finding short, high-volume keywords that are relevant to their industry, usually 1-2 words. However, voice search is more conversational, and people tend to use natural language and long-tail keywords when they speak. This means that businesses must adapt their keyword research strategy to incorporate long-tail phrases that reflect the way people talk.
For example, if you own a restaurant, you might target a keyword like "best restaurants in [city name]" for traditional search. However, for voice search, you might optimise for more natural language queries like "Where can I find the best Italian food near me?" or "What's the best restaurant for a romantic dinner in [city name]?".
To optimise for voice search, it's important to focus on using conversational language in your content. This means using a more natural tone and incorporating long-tail phrases that reflect the way people talk. You can start by using tools like AnswerThePublic or Google's "People also ask" feature to identify the types of questions people ask related to your business or industry. Then, incorporate those questions and their natural phrasing into your content.
Focus on featured snippets with relevant information
One significant impact of voice search on SEO is the need for featured snippets. A featured snippet is a concise summary of the content that appears at the top of the search engine results page (SERP) and is designed to provide an immediate answer to a user's query. When a user asks a question via voice search, the voice assistant typically reads out the featured snippet answer, making it crucial for businesses to aim for this position.
To optimise for featured snippets, businesses must focus on creating content that provides direct and concise answers to commonly asked questions related to their industry or niche. This means anticipating the type of questions your target audience is likely to ask, and providing answers in a format that is easy for search engines to parse.
For example, if you're a travel agency, you might create content that answers questions like "What are the top tourist attractions in [destination]?" or "What's the best time of year to visit [destination]?" in a clear and concise manner. By doing so, you increase your chances of having your content appear as a featured snippet when a user asks these questions via voice search.
Optimising for featured snippets can also help improve your click-through rate (CTR) and drive more traffic to your website. When a user sees your content featured in a snippet, they are more likely to click through to your website to learn more. This means that businesses must focus on providing value and answering the user's query in a concise and helpful way.
Focusing on local SEO becomes much more important
Voice search is often used by people to find local businesses and services. For example, users might ask their voice assistant to find the nearest coffee shop, or the best pizza place in their area. This means that businesses must optimise their online presence to ensure that they show up in local search results when users make these types of queries.
To optimise for local search, businesses must focus on local SEO strategies. This includes ensuring that their website is optimised for local keywords, such as "best pizza place in [city name]," and that their business information is up-to-date and consistent across all online directories and listings.
One key aspect of local search optimisation is the use of Google My Business (GMB), a free tool that allows businesses to manage their online presence on Google, including their business information, reviews, and photos. By optimising their GMB profile, businesses can improve their visibility in local search results and provide users with valuable information about their business, such as their location, hours of operation, and customer reviews.
Another important aspect of local search optimisation is the use of schema markup. Schema markup is a code that businesses can add to their website to provide search engines with additional information about their business, such as their address, phone number, and business hours. This helps search engines understand the context of the content on a website and can improve the chances of showing up in local search results.
Site speed becomes critical
Site speed has always been a crucial factor in SEO, but its importance has only increased with the rise of voice search. When users perform voice searches, they expect quick and relevant answers, and a slow-loading website can lead to frustration and a negative user experience.
In fact, research has shown that users are more likely to abandon a website if it takes longer than three seconds to load, and this can have a negative impact on a website's search engine rankings. This is because search engines, like Google, use a variety of metrics to determine a website's quality and relevance, and site speed is one of those factors.
For example, Google's PageSpeed Insights tool analyses a website's loading speed and provides recommendations for improving performance. If a website has a slow loading speed, it's likely to receive a lower score from Google and may be penalised in search engine rankings.
To optimise for voice search and improve SEO, businesses must ensure that their website is optimised for speed. This includes optimising images, minifying CSS and JavaScript files, and leveraging browser caching, among other things.
One effective strategy for improving site speed is to use a content delivery network (CDN), which can help to distribute content to users more quickly by storing it on servers in multiple locations. This can reduce the distance that data needs to travel between the user and the server, resulting in faster loading times.
Another strategy for improving site speed is to use Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP), which is an open-source framework designed to improve mobile website performance. AMP pages are stripped down versions of regular HTML pages, which can help to reduce page load times and improve the user experience on mobile devices.
The way we write content needs to change
As voice search becomes increasingly popular, it's important for businesses to understand how it's impacting search behaviour and SEO. One significant impact of voice search on SEO is the need to optimise for conversational queries.
When users perform voice searches, they tend to use more conversational language than they would when typing a query into a search engine. For example, instead of typing "best mechanics," a user might say "what's the best mechanic near me?" This means that businesses must focus on optimising their content for long-tail, conversational keywords.
To optimise for conversational queries, businesses should focus on creating content that answers specific questions and provides valuable information to users. This means identifying the questions that your target audience is likely to ask and creating content that provides direct, concise answers.
For example, if you run a home cleaning service, you might create content that answers questions like "How often should I clean my carpets?" or "What's the best way to remove pet stains from my upholstery?" By creating content that answers these types of questions in a conversational tone, you increase your chances of showing up in search results when users perform voice searches.
Another important aspect of optimising for conversational queries is ensuring that your website is structured in a way that makes it easy for search engines to understand the context of your content. This includes using clear and descriptive headings, breaking up your content into easily digestible chunks, and using schema markup to provide search engines with additional information about your content.
You don’t have to do this alone
With the rise of voice search, businesses must focus on optimising their content for conversational queries to ensure that they provide valuable information to users and improve their visibility in search results.
But with new emerging trends and technologies, and can feel a bit like you’ve just finished optimising your site and now you need to start all over again. And when you’ve got a million other things to focus on in your business, the priority can seem low.
That’s where having an agency partner that you trust and understands your business and niche can be a godsend. They can optimise the site for you, stay ahead of trends and always ensure your website is optimised to appear in front of customers and leads looking for your service. If you need help with SEO, reach out and have a chat with us today.
