Voice search is only growing in popularity and doesn’t show any signs of slowing down. It’s easy to see why many of us prefer it to typing our queries – you can do it hands-free, it’s quicker, easier and more convenient in a range of situations. With the rise of this search method, we need to take a closer look at how it differs from traditional search and how to optimise your website for voice search, so you don’t miss out on any organic traffic and conversions.
How does voice search differ from traditional search?
If you want to find out how to optimise your website for voice search, you must first understand how it differs from traditional search. The most notable difference is that voice search is usually conversational. When we type into a search engine, we may use short keywords and phrases like ‘brownie recipe’ instead of ‘Hey Google, how do I make brownies?’. It’s much more of a dialogue, Q&A style interaction, so it’s imperative we keep that in mind as we optimise our content for voice search.
Common voice search terms
A huge proportion of voice search includes the words ‘near me’, which means people are looking for information on the go, in their local area and also need to know the opening times. They also include a lot of question words like ‘where, how, what, why’ as well as filler words like ‘I, the, of, for’ which may not always feature in traditional search. Voice search keywords and phrases are often longer than those used in traditional search.
How does voice search appear in search results?
Voice search results will usually appear in Google’s rich answer box at the top of the search results along with a featured snippet, knowledge panel and knowledge box. So, if you’re curious about how to optimise your website for voice search, analysing the rich results box and applying that to your own content is a good place to start.
Re-structuring your content
Keep in mind the Q&A structure of voice search and then apply it in your content to ensure you rank higher in search engines. Things like a FAQ page and using conversational language in your blogs and website copy with question keywords are a great place to start. Keep in mind that the reason voice search is so popular is because of its speed and ease of use, so try to break up longer paragraphs and ensure your website gives clear and concise answers to the questions people might be searching for.
Optimise your website
Using conversational language, long-tail keywords and Q&A format will not help if your website has a really long loading time and isn’t optimised for mobile. Most voice searches are done through mobile devices and, again, it’s all about speed and accessibility, so, if you have a slow website, that can really hinder your chances of organic reach. Don’t neglect the impact of mobile optimisation and improving your website speed as important factors in increasing your online presence.
Use Google My Business
This is an important part of how to optimise your website for voice search. As mentioned earlier, people often use voice search to find businesses nearby, as well as their opening hours, contact details and more. The more information you can provide on your business, the higher the chances of it being discovered from a voice search query. You can also post updates and special offers to make your company stand out.
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