As voice assistant technology becomes more intelligent and powerful, there are a lot of advertisements built around the voice search function. According to Statista, around 3.25 billion people around the world currently use voice search. Some reports predict the number will reach 8 billion by 2023. Voice search refers to using speech to give commands or ask questions on compatible devices such as smart speakers or smartphones. Voice-enabled devices allow users to give voice commands to search the Internet, a website, or an application without manually typing into the search engine.
Voice recognition technology has skyrocketed in popularity over the past decade with the introduction of Siri, Cortana, Google Assistant, Alexa, and others. This technology helps with many tasks, such as making calls, sending text messages, opening programs, making appointments, making lists, and receiving directions.
Voice search also plays a vital role in digital marketing. Up to 43% of audio device owners use their devices to make purchases, according to Narwar. Given the versatility and popularity of voice search, it makes sense for businesses to adopt this technology in 2021. Companies looking to improve their Search Engine Optimization (SEO) strategy and rank higher on search engines should start by optimizing their voice search brand.
There are several reasons why voice search is rapidly growing in popularity.
First, voice search is much faster than typing with the average person writing only 38 to 40 words per minute (wpm) while 110 to 150 words per minute can be spoken. Faster searches result in quicker answers. Customers want to find the information they need quickly and efficiently.
Voice search is also great for searching on mobile devices for similar reasons. Many users enjoy the convenience and speed of voice search, while others report running out of time to type. Voice search was also recognized for its accuracy and the ability to access and review information.
Impact Of Voice Search on SEO & Ranking
Voice searches are often much longer than text searches. Google claims that 70% of Google Assistant searches use “natural language,” meaning words are more likely to be chatty. For example, the user might enter “recipe cookie sugar” during a text search. However, the user can use a more natural language when using the voice assistant, e.g., B. “Hello, Google, how do I make sugar cookies at home.”
Voice search has also changed when searching for people. Google reports that “nearby” searches have increased 150% over the past two years. People on the go use voice search to find the nearest supermarket, coffee shop, bank, or other local business. It makes sense. However, that voice search has changed the way companies use SEO. Automated keywords are often replaced with natural language, taking on a more slang tone. Due to the increased use of voice search, keywords that appear naturally increase the search volume considerably. Question-based keywords are increasingly used in marketing.
Importance of Voice Search Optimization
Developing a solid strategy to optimize voice search is critical in today’s business world. According to Forbes, about 58% of customers use voice search to find local online businesses, and 28% of users do this type of search at least once a week.
Voice search has been shown to drive sales as people use voice-activated devices to find local and online businesses. Businesses not optimized for voice search can lose revenue as investing in improved voice search can lead to more leads and more brand awareness. More than 1 billion voice searches are performed every month, according to SEMRush. Voice search is used to quickly and easily find information, buy products, search for services, and perform various other tasks. With more people using voice search instead of traditional text search, the need for a great voice search optimization strategy is critical to long-term growth and success.
Strategies to improve voice search
Technology can process human speech and learn to recognize commands and questions. Voice search engines can also connect to external sources, such as search engines, to find relevant information that matches a search term. The voice search technology then provides an answer or answers to questions, or carries out commands, for example, “Hey Alexa, set an alarm for 4:20pm.”
Most smart speakers and voice assistants get their information from multiple sources such as websites and major search engines. Different voice search assistants rely on specific resources to extract information. For example, Amazon’s Alexa uses various third-party sources such as AccuWeather, Wikipedia, and Yelp for information. Google gets the knowledge of its indexed pages from Google search. Organizations today use several strategies that have been shown to help improve voice search. Here are some effective strategies to improve your voice search.
Gain Customer Insight
To improve voice search, businesses need to understand their customer base and behavior. Customer insight can give companies the information needed to determine consumer preferences and consumer buying patterns.
Ask Research Questions
When doing voice searches, most users formulate their sentences in a question. Voice search optimization solely focuses on creating content that answers questions people ask.
Companies can begin this process by looking at questions search engines have already arranged. Higher ranking pages will be put as top results of a search. Do a simple organic search for keywords and filter the results on words like “what,” “who,” “when,” “why,” and “how.”
Target Long-tail Keywords
Long-tail keywords are keywords that are put together to form a phrase. These keywords add a purpose that is difficult to achieve with shorter keywords. Optimizing business content with long-tail keywords can help search engines deliver more accurate and relevant results. This strategy can be beneficial for local businesses and help them outperform their competitors.
Use Colloquial Language
One of the biggest mistakes a company can make when optimizing voice search is misinterpreting the target. With the growth of voice search technology, conversational search has increased significantly. Being able to use natural language to search is one of the most significant advantages of voice search. When most users search using a voice device, they use conversational language. This means that the researcher speaks to the search engine as if he asked someone else. A very different method from the way most people use text search.
Create a “Google My Business” profile
Google My Business (GMB) is an easy-to-use tool that enables businesses to manage their online presence on Google, including maps and searches. This free tool makes it easier for consumers to find a company online, including contact information, business hours, addresses, products and services offered, website addresses, and similar information. Creating a GMB profile can be very useful for voice searches. When a customer uses voice search to find information about a company, Google removes that information from the company’s GMB page. In addition to providing information for business-related searches, GMB offers other advantages.
Another vital part of the GMB is the review area. Customers can post their reviews of the company for others to see.
Create Compelling Content
When users ask a question, they expect an accurate, complete, and compelling answer. Rich and engaging content is critical in ensuring that users are happy with the response and the information provided answers or solves the problem. Businesses need to produce concise content and answer questions straightforwardly, leaving no room for confusion or misunderstanding. Organizations use a variety of strategies to deliver relevant content to web searchers.
Focus on Mobile Users
Cell phones do better than any other device when it comes to voice search. People often use voice search on the go. Voice search makes it easy to get information without stopping to type a search term. Businesses can make it easier for consumers to get the information they want by focusing on mobile searches. The first step is to create a mobile-compatible website. Responsive web design uses adaptive templates that appear almost identically on desktops, tablets, and mobile devices. The website’s design and content are automatically adapted to the user’s device for a smooth and consistent user experience.
How to Improve Voice Search Today
When building a website, many companies think a lot about improving voice search. However, numerous reports and studies have shown that voice search is the technology of the future. More people are familiarizing themselves with audio tools such as Amazon Alexa, Google Home, and Siri. If businesses don’t keep up with the steady growth of voice search, they may be missing out on lucrative opportunities.
Improving voice search can be a daunting task, but businesses don’t have to do it alone. By working with an experienced online marketing agency specializing in local SEO, web design, and internal marketing campaigns, companies can reach online consumers faster and more efficiently.