This blog post discusses the rise of voice search and provides three essential tips you can use to capture this trend.
What is SEO?
Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) is the process of improving the visibility of a website in search engines via the ‘natural’ or ‘unpaid’ search result. SEO techniques attempt to better the ranking position of a search result when people submit a search query on search engines.
The Rise of Voice Search
The ways in which users are engaging with search engines are changing. The rise of voice search is one of the big current trends in digital marketing today. Google voice search allows users to search the web through spoken voice commands rather than typing. This can be done either via a handsfree voice command on certain mobile devices or by tapping/clicking the microphone icon to the right of the main Google search bar. Check out how it works here.
Why Do We Use Voice Search?
Voice search is obviously faster and easier than typing, but this is not its only benefit.
Additionally, through voice search Google is able to refer back to the subject of your original search for any subsequent searches. For example, if you ask Google – “Where is the Golden Gate Bridge?” and then follow up this query with “how long is it?” Google will be able to deduce that the “it” refers back Golden Gate Bridge. Furthermore, as more content is appearing in search results people are using voice search to be more specific and sift through the large volume of results. For these reasons voice searches are drastically increasing and today 20% of all mobile queries are now searched through voice.
How Do We Use Voice Search?
The way in which people conduct a search query greatly differs whether it be via voice command or typed. Voice searches are generally more conversational as we ask Google for information as we would a normal person.
The below example of searching for recipes serves as an effective means to show the differences between voice and typed search.
Typed: “pudding cake recipe” would be searched.
Voiced: “how do I make a pudding cake?” would be asked.
With different ways of interacting with search engines evident and with voice searches very much on the rise, there is an increasing need for businesses to adapt their SEO practices to take advantage of this trend. The following techniques should be employed to optimise a website specifically for voice searches.
Adapting SEO for Voice Searches
1. Location
58% of consumers use voice search to find local businesses. This comes as little surprise, since most people use voice search when they’re walking or driving . When searching through voice users frequently search for businesses “near me.” Google my Business is a free tool for businesses to input information such as their business address, opening hours and reviews. Doing so enables the business to appear on a map on the results page encouraging users to visit your location. Ensuring this tool is utilised and up to date has never been more important as consumers increasingly search in this way.
2. FAQ Section
We speak to search engines just as if they were a real person leading to increased search queries in the form of direct questions. In fact, nearly 10% of voice search queries begin with a question – Who, What, Where, When, How, Why? – as compared to only 3% of text based searches. While this may seem like a small amount, it is vast when one accounts for it being 10% of the 3.5 billion daily searches on Google. Marketers can rank higher by attempting to pre-empt the questions users will ask and provide the answers they are looking for. This can be achieved by integrating a comprehensive Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) section to a website.
3. Long Tail Keywords
As voice search is quicker than typing, there is an increase in the length of search queries. Search terms of 5+ words now make up 41.7% of overall keyword length distribution. Long-tail keywords are more specific and less common than other keywords. The longer (and more specific) the search terms are, the easier it is to rank for the term. As people’s searches are becoming more specific through voice it is best to try to target longer search queries and make yourself easier to find.
References
https://www.searchenginewatch.com/2019/01/11/voice-search-optimization-guide-2019/
https://backlinko.com/voice-search-stats
Harry Agnew
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