How to Optimize Your Website for Voice Search

The way people are searching for information online is changing. There has been a rise in voice assistants in homes and mobile devices. Even smart televisions and many laptops have voice assistants built in.

More and more people are using the voice features of their smart devices, and it’s estimated that 50% of all searches will be done via voice by 2020. To keep up with this new search trend, you’ll have to optimize your website so that it can be found when users are searching for the types of products and services you provide.

Below are seven tips on optimizing your website content for voice search. These tips will help increase the likelihood that your content will appear in voice searchers across platforms like iPhones, Alexa, Google Home, Siri, and similar devices.

Use Conversational Keywords

Keywords are the words and phrases that people type into the search bar. Typically, they rank quickly to find what they’re looking for. These words are still crucial for voice searches, but you’ll need to tailor them differently. Keywords in voice searches are referred to as long-tail keywords or long-tail+. When people use voice search, their queries tend to be longer.

You’ll need to be more conversational when using keywords and mimic how real people ask questions. Consider the questions you receive from customers in person or over the phone. Use these questions to create content that focuses on these longer search terms.

Robert Katai explains on his blog, “People who use voice search are asking simple questions, questions the AI may understand and translate into search results quickly.

Create an FAQ Page

Another great way to use the questions you receive from current clients is to create an FAQ page that focuses on the long-tail keywords. Aim for more natural-sounding questions than the keyword phrases you’re probably more accustomed to using. Expect more direct, focused questions that are looking for more specific answers. Group common questions on the same page and create multiple pages if necessary. Provide quick solutions that are right to the point to give customers what they’re looking for.

Link Building

You have the right content that answers the question being asked critically. But if you want to appear in the top result, build links based on the questions. An excellent example would be using the question as the anchor text.

Example: What is the best link-building company?

This query will then help you rank better in the search engines for this question.

Long-Form and Short-Form Content

SEO depends on the quality of your content. You’ll need high-quality content that provides value to your target audience. You need to draw them to you and provide answers to the questions they have. The better your content, the more likely you will rank near the top of the search results page. These types of articles are typically longer or long-form content.

Short-form content is also essential. Long-form content will help you to gain influence and grow your audience. Short range, on the other hand, can be beneficial if you’re looking to attract customers who are looking for quick answers to their questions.

Use Simple Language and Short Sentences

People using voice search usually ask simple questions. These questions are those that the AI in the device can understand and quickly turn into results. Be clear and concise, and provide valuable information in simple language that’s easy to understand. This will help to increase your chances that you’ll rank higher in the search results for a voice search.

Structured Data

Structured data, or schema markup, may not significantly impact your rankings, but it can help give you an edge. Schema markup, a form of metadata, is information unavailable to those who visit your website. Instead, it’s in the information about your site that goes into its source code.

This data type helps search engines, including voice search devices, organize and classify your content. As search engines try and figure out what content is appropriate for voice search, schema helps connect the two.

Claim Your Google My Business Listing

Now’s the time if you haven’t yet claimed your Google My Business (GMB) listing. If you have, have you updated it recently? GMB provides Google with more information about your business, such as your name, address, phone number, and your hours of operation. Your name, address, and phone number (NAP) must be consistent everywhere it’s listed, including on your site and other online directories.

Many voice searches are local, so up-to-date information is essential. You can include an introduction that describes your business and what you offer. Categorizing can help you to let further people know what your business is. Choosing the correct categories is essential and can be the difference between being displayed at the top of the results and not appearing.

No matter what type of business you have, creating and maintaining a Google My Business Listing is essential. Google uses information from these listings for its search engine algorithms.

Make Your Website Mobile-Friendly

Finally, most voice searches occur on a mobile device. You must optimize your website to be mobile-friendly. The content will also need to load quickly. If your webpage doesn’t display correctly on a mobile device or doesn’t load fast enough, potential customers will give up and move on to the next page. Google recommends a responsive web design. You can also use their mobile-friendly test tool to find out if you’re mobile-friendly. If not, it will let you know the specific steps you need to take to fix it.

Voice searches are rising and are not expected to stop anytime soon. To stay relevant in today’s market, it’s essential to adapt to this new trend and optimize your website for these types of searches. Optimizing for voice seawhat’swill help you to reach the consumers looking for your products and services, which can then help to increase your success. The great thing is that what’s good for audio SEO is generally also suitable for text SEO.