SEO is the critical component of the digital marketing strategy. In 2019, when Google decided to prioritize websites based on their mobile versions, the digital marketing industry adopted a mobile-first approach. The new trend emerging in the Google algorithm is the Voice search. Believe it or not, voice search is becoming the number one choice for users. This shows the impact of voice search in today’s world. Many people search via Amazon’s Alexa, Apple’s Siri, and Google assistance. The SEO agency in Los Angeles also targets the voice search trend to improve the website’s ranking. In this article, we will guide you on how you can utilize voice search to increase the visibility of your website in the search engine results pages.
What is Voice Search?
Voice Search refers to running commands in the device via speaking to the device. It is faster than the typed search. All you have to do is click on the microphone button on the search bar and say what you are looking for. You just have to speak clearly, so the search engine provides accurate results. When it comes to inquiries, voice search is more effective than text search. Voice search works best when you ask a question. For example, “show me the best restaurants near me,” queries like this will give you great results through voice search. Some examples of voice assistants are:
- Amazon Alexa: A voice search assistant is available on many Amazon products such as Fire TV, Echo, etc.
- Google Assistant: It is a voice assistant on Google products like Google Home, Google Mini, and Google Home Hub.
- Apple Siri: It is the most popular voice assistant. The SIRI works on Apple products such as iPhones, I-pads, and Apple watch.
You will be surprised to know that the voice search counts for 20% of the total queries. Voice assistants are used for even the basic of tasks such as “Play Music,” “Play games,” or setting daily reminders. Their speed and efficiency make them a comfortable alternative to text searches.
Who Uses Voice Search?
According to an article by All Business, people from all age groups search through voice. Here are the findings of the report:
- 76% of consumers aged 18 to 34 used voice search to find out about the local businesses in the last year.
- 64% of consumers between the age of 35 and 54 used voice search for a query related to local business.
- 37% of consumers aged above 55 used voice search to find the services of the local businesses.
The report highlights the growing importance of voice search. It is high time to tap into the ever-increasing technology and generate sales. Here are some tips you should keep in mind while optimizing your website for voice search:
- Understand the intention of the search: Ask yourself why people are using voice search? We recommend you to look through facts and statistics. Customer feedback, sales, queries, customer behavior are some metrics to analyze the search intention. For example, your first step should be a Google My Business listing if you own a business website. Remember, voice searches are generally based on local searches, as they are based on location. Another example is that suppose someone wants to order food from a particular restaurant, so when he searches about the best restaurants at his place, your website should appear in the search results. By doing so, your website’s visibility will increase, and more customers will inquire about your services.
- Use Question phrases: You should create search queries by using question phrases. Keeping the queries short and straightforward is a great way to improve the SEO of your website. And the question phrases do that perfectly. Use words such as who, what, when, where, how, and who in your voice search strategy. In addition, focusing on the question and answer format will bring you great results. By addressing the solution to a problem, you increase the chance of appearing at the top of the ranking. It is a well-known fact that Google prioritizes problem-solving content backed by the E.A.T. algorithm. Solving user problems will ultimately drive traffic to your website and bring customers to your business.
- Mobile-friendliness: As mentioned earlier, mobile optimization and content are the ultimate deciders of your fate in voice search. No matter what type of words and phrases you use, there is no chance of trending with a poorly optimized mobile version. Make sure that your website is functioning smoothly on the small screens. Users should be able to navigate your websites through their phones. Poorly optimized websites will increase the bounce rates, which will eventually give wrong signals to the algorithm. The majority of the voice search traffic comes from phones. The mobile versions will subsequently replace the desktop search queries. All smartphones provide voice technology to the users. Hence, Google has made mobile-friendliness a critical ranking factor for text search and voice search queries.
- Create exciting content: The days of keyword stuffing are over. Now search engine crawlers have become very smart. The algorithm has evolved a lot in recent years. Now it depends on the relevancy and quality of the content. Your content should be engaging and conversational. Creating conversational content will help it to catch voice queries. Remember that the voice search shows results based on semantics. Your content should match how people ask questions. User experience plays a pivotal role in the rankings.
Future of Voice Search and Its Impact on the Businesses
Voice search will continue to play a vital role in the future of internet searches. It will probably surpass the traditional search texts. The AI assistant will continue to evolve and simplify voice search even more. Along with that, semantic indexing will also get improved. Hence, businesses should optimize their website for voice search. Here are some statistics that shows the emergence of voice search in the future:
- Google reports that 27% of the population in the online world use voice search on their phones.
- According to Com Score, more than half of smartphone users are using voice searches, which will continue to grow.
- VoiceBot reported a 10% jump in the number of people using voice search in 2019 compared to the previous year.
- According to the NRP and Edison Research, one in six Americans owned a smart speaker in 2018.
- Google reports that 52% of the smart speaker owners keep them in the living room. 25% of them are in their bedroom and 22% in their kitchen. It is estimated that approx. 62% of the smart speaker owners will make a purchase using voice technology.
- Adobe reports that the most common command in voice searches on intelligent speakers are asking for music and the weather forecast. It is followed by fun questions, online search, latest news, and navigation.
All the stats highlight the emergence of voice search as an alternative to text-based searches. The business must attract its target audience by using voice searches. It will keep you ahead of the curve, and your business will stand out among its competitors. Just focus on understanding the searcher’s intent and optimizing your website accordingly. In the end, it’s all about understanding the customer’s mindset.
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