In recent years, the popularity of voice-activated virtual assistants such as Siri, Alexa, and Google Home has skyrocketed. With the exponential increase in voice search, companies must adapt to this new search paradigm to remain relevant and visible to their respective consumers. This is where voice search optimization comes into play.
What is Voice Search Optimization?
Voice search optimization is the process of optimizing your website and content for voice search queries. This includes understanding the different types of voice search queries and using relevant keywords (SEO) and phrases in your content to improve your chances of appearing in voice search results.
Functioning of Voice Search
Usually, voice search is used through virtual assistants, which are software/applications that understand human natural language and use this competency to perform requests made by users. It should be noted that these assistants are in the cloud and require an internet-connected application to function properly on various devices such as smartphones, computers, tablets, etc.
It is important to note that to make this process work correctly, users need to ensure that their voice activation is turned on. Once it is on, users can simply speak what they want, and the software will carry out the respective request.
The main goal of virtual assistants, through voice search optimization, is to assist users in their daily tasks, based on voice commands.
Why is Voice Search Optimization important?
Voice search is rapidly becoming the preferred search method for many consumers. In fact, according to a recent study, 55% of teenagers and 41% of adults use voice search daily. This means that people are increasingly reliant on artificial intelligence, which could potentially harm businesses that are not focused on this specific area. Therefore, voice search optimization is becoming increasingly important for companies that want to remain relevant and competitive in today’s market.
Voice Search vs Traditional Search
Voice searches are different from traditional searches. When people write a search query, they tend to use short and concise phrases. However, when using voice search, they tend to use longer and more conversational queries. This means that companies need to optimize their content for both types of queries to maximize their visibility.
As mentioned earlier, the primary role of a voice assistant is to perform tasks, and the main activities performed by these interfaces are as follows:
- Phone calls;
- Text messages;
- Answering questions;
- Calendar management;
- Reminders;
- Quick questions;
- Weather forecasts;
- Questions;
5 tips to optimize voice search:
To truly optimize voice search, we recommend the following steps:
- Understand your audience and their search behavior: Knowing who your target audience is and how they use voice search can help you create content that meets their needs and expectations.
- Use conversational keywords: Voice searches tend to be more conversational in nature, so it’s important to use keywords that can really reflect that. For example, instead of using “best restaurant near me,” a voice search can be “where can I find the best restaurant near me.”
- Focus on local SEO: As previously mentioned, voice search is often used for local queries, so it’s important to optimize your website for local SEO by claiming your listing on Google My Business and adding relevant information such as your address and business hours.
- Ensure clear and concise answers: Voice search results often prioritize concise and easy-to-understand answers, so it’s important to provide clear and concise information.
- Optimize your website for mobile devices: Many voice searches are conducted on mobile devices, so it’s important to optimize your website for mobile devices to ensure that it’s fast, responsive, and easy to use on smaller screens, i.e., that your website design is responsive.
In summary, optimizing for voice search is a crucial aspect of modern search engine optimization. By understanding the unique needs and behavior of voice search users, companies can improve their visibility and rankings, and reach more customers. By embracing this new search paradigm, companies can stay ahead of the curve and remain competitive in the rapidly evolving search world.