What is Voice Search and How to optimize my site for it?

Executing web searches with a virtual assistant is increasingly prevalent on everything from smartphones to smart speakers to smart TVs. It’s often faster, more comfortable, and easier than putting in a query. A standard voice search differs from a written search. When we communicate with our gadgets, we word our questions differently, similar to how we communicate in person. Because of this, SEO specialists and marketers have had to adjust to catch this rising set of searchers.

Devices that support voice search often display only the topmost one to three results for a specific query. If you’re a marketer, business owner, or SEO specialist, you’re certainly aware of standard SEO tactics for performing higher in search engine results, and you might be wondering why voice search has its own genre of optimization. To acquire voice search traffic, you don’t need to change your current SEO approach. Search engines enjoy it when websites adapt for voice searches since it gives your site more credibility and consequently higher positions on results pages, possibly even high enough to appear in a voice search result.

What is Voice Search Optimization? 

Voice search optimization is a collection of SEO tactics that boost the chances of your content appearing in voice search results. The purpose of voice search optimization is to answer typical verbal questions in your article so that voice search engines and virtual assistants display your website in voice search results to users.

A typical voice search begins with a word (e.g., “Hello” or “Hey Siri”), followed by a query or statement (e.g., “What are a few decent resorts around me?” or “When is the street food carnival?”).

The gadget then answers with a verbal response or, if it has a screen, the top findings from a search engine result page. The goal of voice search optimization is to gain a position in this type of search. While there is some overlap between on-page and voice search optimization, there are several essential characteristics of voice search that distinguish it from a search query on a website like Yahoo.com. Voice search inquiries, in particular, are more engaging than text searches.

What optimizes Voice Search Optimization? 

Approximately 40% of internet users in the United States use voice recognition at least once a month, largely through smartphones and smart speakers. By 2023, the number of smart speakers in the United States alone is predicted to exceed 200 million. No matter what business you’re in, voice search gives you another significant chance to gain organic search traffic. 

   By utilizing voice search, you will gain access to a new group of people who depend on smart speakers and smartphones to discover companies and make purchases. Voice search optimization can also enhance your site’s overall SEO and rating. Search engines enjoy it when websites boost for voice searches since it gives your site more reputation and consequently higher positions on search results, maybe even strong enough to appear in a voice search result.

As voice search got more popular, search engines became better at deciphering the meanings of lengthier, more conversational questions and returning appropriate results. The Hummingbird and BERT algorithm upgrades by Google changed the focus to searcher intent, detecting the actual meaning of searches, rather than just specific terms in a query and offering more effective findings to more colloquial voice queries.

How to optimize your site with Voice Search Optimization? 

It is now your responsibility to provide information that is pertinent to voice search clients. Voice search optimization can also enhance your site’s overall SEO and rating. To get there, you’ll need great content and a great voice SEO. Here are some key steps on how to optimize your site precisely with Voice Search- 

1. Leverage query phrases and other long-tail keywords to your advantage

One of the greatest techniques to enhance voice search is to target long-tail keywords, particularly question keywords, in your content. This will allow you to catch traffic from people who submit longer, more precise inquiries. Long-tail keywords have three or even more words and constitute an important part of overall keyword optimization. Because they are more tailored to the user’s aim, they attract high-intent visitors. You may also tailor them to your company’s needs, resulting in less rivalry on the search result.

You don’t have to rely just on intuition while looking for long-tail keywords. To locate the most relevant terms for your target consumer, you can use one or more keyword research tools. Enter a search term related to your organization and check out what Google suggests. An FAQ section allows you to list every frequently asked search query about your website and offer a response that can compete for a position in voice search results.

2. Strive to garner highlighted snippets from Search engines

Google highlighted snippets are small bits of material that appear above organic search outcomes on the Google results page. They are extracted from a website that ranks pretty high for the inquiry and, if caught, may provide a significant traffic boost. They might be presented in the form of a paragraph, a numbering or bulleted list, or some other style. This is important for voice search because if a featured snippet exists for a question, a virtual assistant will most likely interpret it as its answer. You must strive to capture the highlighted snippet to win the query.

3. Make Use of Schema Markup

Schema markup is a sort of structured data that you can add to your website’s HTML to assist Google and other search engines give more thorough results. Schema markup often includes important information about your company such as hours, address, contact information, price information, reviews, and more. It aids indexing bots in better understanding your material, increasing exposure in search results and increasing clicks. Because search results will regard your site as being more relevant, it will have a greater chance of appearing in voice search results.

4. Optimization of Mobile Network

Google believes mobile user experience to be essential to a reliable website and incorporates it into its results. To appear in both text and voice search results, use responsive design and look for additional methods to make your online presence mobile-friendly. It’s another move towards staying competitive in voice search.

5. Maintaining the speed of your website

It’s widely accepted that a website must load in less than two seconds before the customer experience suffers. Page load speed, like mobile optimization, is a Google ranking element that influences how well your site appears in voice search results and well beyond. It’s all about the experience once again, Google wants to offer you results that will make people happy, and no one wants a sluggish website. There are several ways to boost the speed of your website. To begin, we recommend using a speed-testing tool such as Website Grader to see where your site presently ranks. 

Conclusion

Voice search has matured into a big player in the SEO industry over the last decade, and it is not going to disappear anytime soon. Not only must you be conscious of voice search inquiries, but you should also actively attempt to grab this vital area, particularly if you’re a local business looking to increase website and foot traffic. By following the above guidelines, you can improve your site’s status with search engines, allowing you to collect more voice search visitors. Even if you don’t notice instant benefits, these methods will improve your site’s overall SEO.