In recent years, voice search has become a popular alternative to typing, mostly because it’s so convenient. But what does the rise of voice search mean for SEO?
In this post, we’ll look at how voice technology is changing SEO and how you can adapt.
What is voice search?
Voice search turns spoken words into text, so people using smart devices can search just by talking. The text is then processed as a standard query and the search engine returns relevant results.
Its growing popularity has changed how people search. The biggest shift is conversational search, where users ask full questions in complete sentences, much like talking to another person.
Natural language processing lets people search as if they were speaking to a friend. These searches often show stronger intent, because users want a direct, convenient answer.
How is voice search changing SEO?
Voice search isn’t a passing trend. It’s here to stay. According to Google, 20% of searches on its app are now done by voice. Convenience is a big reason, with 90% of people saying they use it because it’s easy.
How can I adapt my SEO strategy for voice search?
Organise your content
People using voice search want short, quick answers. If your content is meant to answer a question, make sure it does so clearly and concisely.
FAQ pages are a good way to do this. They answer the common questions people ask about your industry or products, and they can improve your chances of winning featured snippets, which voice search often pulls its answers from.
Utilise schema markup and structured data
Schema markup and structured data can boost your visibility in voice search results. Schema helps search engines understand your website’s content, which can improve your rankings and your chances of landing featured snippets.
We recommend adding schema to all your important pages, including FAQ, contact and product pages.
Write to be heard
Most of us write in a different ‘voice’ than we speak with. Writing tends to be more formal, and speech more casual. For voice search, though, you want a clear, conversational tone that sounds natural when read out loud.
Try thinking of it as a conversation with your audience, rather than talking ‘at’ them.
Utilise long-tail keywords
Long-tail keywords mirror the way people phrase questions to voice assistants, and they usually have less competition and higher conversion rates. AI-powered tools can analyse voice search data and pick out commonly used long-tail keywords.
Once you’ve found them, you can work them into your content in plenty of ways, from FAQs to stories and examples. Don’t squeeze them in just for the sake of it. Use them where they make sense and add value for your audience.
Don’t forget technical considerations
Voice search users expect instant answers, so site speed is critical. Slow load times lead to higher bounce rates and lost customers.
Optimising your images is one way to speed things up. It cuts file sizes without hurting image quality, which improves site speed and overall performance.
Mobile optimisation matters too. People often use voice search on their phones, so a mobile-friendly site is a must.
Responsive design is the best way to get there. It automatically adjusts your content to different screen sizes and orientations for a smooth experience.
The future of voice search
Chatbots and virtual technologies are expected to play a big role in the future of voice search. As they evolve, so will user expectations. Chatbots will be expected to give instant answers and also hold natural conversations.
Voice search will also lean more heavily on personalisation, with virtual assistants recognising an individual’s tone, words and phrases to deliver tailored results.
Whatever these technologies bring, what customers want won’t change: clarity, convenience and trust. Keep those three in mind when building your SEO and content strategy and you’ll be on the right path, no matter how AI develops.
Need a hand building an SEO strategy that gets real results? Get in contact with us at hello@omdigigroup.com to find out how our team of digital marketing experts can help.
