Voice search has become a recent trend that businesses must consider to drive growth. According to Google, 27% of global smartphone users employ the voice searching feature for their online queries. Voice assistants like Alex, Google Assistant, and Siri have integrated this feature to understand user queries and deliver accurate results. Hence, it’s time that businesses understand the impact of voice search on SEO and use the right strategy to address user’s needs and stay relevant in the tech-evolving market.
What is Voice Search?
Voice search refers to the advanced technological feature that allows users to interact with devices using their voice instead of typing. Simply put, users ask questions to a device as if it is another person. The device, on the other hand, answers the questions or directs users to a website for further information.
This feature uses Natural Language Processing (NLP) and speech recognition to understand users’ inputs and process them. Next, it looks for results that match the users’ query. After finding suitable matches, it delivers the information to users.
Now let’s understand the impact of voice search on SEO.
The Impact of Voice Search on SEO
To understand the impact of voice search on SEO, let us go through the following points:
1. Surge in conversational and long-tailed keywords
When using voice search, users enquire in conversational phrases and tones. Simply put, they ask more conversational questions. For example, rather than asking “doctors near me” they tend to ask “Where can I find doctors near me?”.
This approach has increased the importance of long-tailed keywords in modern SEO techniques. Long-tailed keywords refer to descriptive queries that users implement while searching for something. Due to their descriptive nature, these keywords provide results that directly cater to users’ specific requirements.
2. More usage of local queries
Voice search offers users the convenience of conducting hands-free searches that deliver fast and immediate results. This convenience has increased the use of local queries. Users use “near me” and “nearby” keywords more while conducting voice searches.
3. Focus on user intent and preference
With the increased demand for long-tailed keywords, voice search captures not only the users’ queries but their intent and preferences as well. Hence, the demand for in-depth target audience research has increased.
4. Demand for mobile-friendly websites
Users mainly conduct voice searches on their smartphones. Hence, it has increased the demand for mobile-responsive websites.
5. Emphasis on visual content
Voice searches mainly deliver multimedia content in response to users’ queries. Therefore, the demand for rich visual content has also increased due to this modern feature.
6. Greater attention to structured data markup
Voice assistants mostly deliver the information as stated on a website’s featured snippet. Therefore, websites ranking for featured snippets would get the attention of voice search. Hence, businesses are focusing on structured data for delivering context to voice assistants.
10 Tips on Voice Search Optimization for SEO
Here are the ten tips to build a robust voice search SEO strategy for your business:
1. Targeting long-tailed and local query-based keywords
Find commonly asked questions, phrases, and words users speak out while making voice search queries. Try to implement these while developing content to witness a positive impact of voice search on SEO for your website.
2. Creating conversational content
You must create content that answers common questions related to a particular keyword in a conversational, friendly, and understandable manner.
3. Applying for Google Business Profile
An effective voice search SEO strategy must comprise getting highlighted on local SEO 3-pack, the top three nearby places as per voice assistants, to drive local traffic.An informative and organized Google Business Profile will help you get listed on the local SEO 3-pack. Therefore, fill out all the details that can help voice assistants get all the relevant information that a user might ask.
4. Conducting semantic searches on target audiences
Use semantic search to understand user intent and preferences in more detail. Furthermore, implement the findings to develop informative content. This semantic search-based content will surely create a positive impact of voice search on SEO for your website.
5. Improving mobile-friendliness:
Voice assistants recommend mobile-friendly websites for voice searches. Therefore, to ensure Voice Search Optimization for SEO, make sure your website provides optimal performance on mobile devices.
6. Creating multimedia content:
Upload more audio, graphics, and video content on your website to make it more voice search-friendly.
7. Making enhancements for featured snippets:
Use structured data markup to provide search engines with information about your webpage’s information and context. Implementing structured data markup displays your content on featured snippets and knowledge graph panels.
8. Adding an FAQs page
Since voice searches are mainly question-based, having a comprehensive FAQs page can drive voice search traffic to your website.
9. Ensuring a readable brand name
Keep a brand name for your website that Google can easily understand. Try keeping a simple name that Google can understand and pronounce for users.
10. Improving user experience
Voice assistants suggest websites for voice search with a good user experience. Therefore, you must ensure that your website loads quickly and provides optimized performance on different browsers to improve user experience.
We recommend getting in touch with a reputed SEO Company in Kolkata to develop and implement a voice search SEO strategy successfully.
Conclusion
To conclude, voice search revolutionizes SEO, emphasizing conversational keywords, local optimization, and user intent understanding. Adapting ensures relevance and growth in the evolving market landscape.