More than 1billion voice searches take place each month, and over 50% of adults report that they use it daily. With so much potential for traffic, optimising for voice search can be a great option for many businesses. But what exactly is voice search and how can content be optimised for it?
What is Voice Search?
Voice search enables someone to request information via speech rather than inputting text into a search bar. It uses automatic speech recognition (ASR) technology to transform voice into text, then the search engine works the same way – providing results based on the query.
Why Voice Search is Becoming Increasingly Popular
In 2022, around 100 million people owned a smart speaker – a significant increase from the 82 million in 2021. Nowadays, home smart speakers aren’t uncommon and with their growing popularity, the use of voice search has increased alongside it.
The hands free ability to ask a question aloud and have it answered in seconds is undeniably appealing and whilst this technology has been a bit of a slow burner compared to other trends, there’s no denying its convenience.
It’s not just convenient, but accessible too. For those with certain limitations, voice search can be a great tool for aiding with everyday tasks.
Voice Search Optimisation: Top Tips
Now you know what it is, here’s a few ways you can optimise your site for it.
1. Target Featured Snippets
Featured snippets account for 40% of voice search results. Since voice searches typically only provide one result, that result needs to be simple, concise, and informative – which is the nature of most featured snippets and why they are commonly used for voice search results.
One easy way to target featured snippets is including FAQs. Having a FAQ section on your page is a great way to directly target a question with a simple and concise yet descriptive and helpful answer.
2. Take Advantage of Schema Markup
Schema markup helps search engines better understand your content, improving your visibility in the search results. The additional context will strengthen your chances of appearing in a featured snippet and increase your voice search visibility.
3. Alter Your Language Style
The biggest difference between traditional search and voice search is the style of language. When a user searches via speech, the language they use is much more conversational.
For example, if a user was seeking information regarding making paella, the user is more likely to ask ‘how do I make paella?’, whereas with traditional type searches, they’re more likely to type ‘paella recipe’.
You need to alter your content to match the language used in voice searches. The best way to do this is by aiming for long tail keywords – specific keywords with a lower search volume.
4. Optimise for Mobile
Voice search is particularly popular on mobile devices so it’s no wonder that having a mobile friendly site is an essential part of voice search optimisation.
Ensure you are using simple navigation, a responsive design, large buttons, high quality images, and keep your content short and easy to read.
5. Focus on Local SEO
Over 55% of consumers use voice search to find local businesses. Focusing on optimising your content for local searches by setting up or updating your Google Business Profile, managing reviews, building local links, and targeting local keywords, will enhance your visibility in the search results for searches with local intent.
Start Optimising!
Optimising for voice search is a no brainer from some brands and by targeting featured snippets, using the right language, adding schema markup, ensuring your site is mobile friendly, and focusing on local searches, you can increase your chances of appearing in a voice search.
