The Internet helps us find answers to questions, locate businesses, purchase products, connect with friends, and so much more. The search engines provide search results based on what we type from our computer or phone.
Thanks to voice assistants like Alexa, Siri, and Google, we can quickly get the information we need through audio content, or voice search. By saying voice commands into a device instead of typing, we are searching the web faster, and in a much different way.
SEO for Voice Search
OK, Google. Hello, Alexa.
According to Google, 20% of searches are now done by voice. People speak into their phones, smartwatches, and home assistant devices.
People search differently when typing on Google and when using a voice search.
For example, if someone is looking for the best craft beer in Petoskey, they might type “craft beer petoskey” and will sort through a list of results.
With a voice search, they would be more likely to pose an actual question like, “Who has the best craft beer in Petoskey?”
See the difference?
When we’re traveling, we can ask these voice assistants to help us find stores, restaurants, specific products, gas, and lodging based on our mobile location. Including “near me” in a search from mobile devices has more than doubled.
Since voice search is changing the way Google handles search queries, what does this mean for your business? Optimizing for voice search needs to be a big part of your digital marketing strategy today.
Include website content for the following:
- More natural sounding language, just like we speak.
- Include longer keyword phrases that are in the form of a question.
- Provide concise answers to the questions you are including.
- Target long-tail keywords in a way that is more conversational.
- Ensure your website is fast, mobile friendly, and secure.
Google My Business Listing
Google will pull information from your Google My Business profile so make sure your listing is completely filled out.
- Good Bio – Write a great description that uses all 750 characters and include really good keywords.
- NAP – Add your business name, address, and phone number. Make sure it’s the same as what shows on your website.
- Address – This is crucial for being placed on Google Maps and being found in “near me” search results.
- Hours – Add your hours for each day of the week and update them if your hours change seasonally.
By focusing on voice search in your digital marketing, you can now deliver content effectively for today’s voice search trends.
If your website content is optimized effectively for voice search – especially for mobile use – your business could be the first one Alexa, Siri, or Google suggests.
[sc_fs_multi_faq headline-0=”h3″ question-0=”What do you mean when you say especially for mobile use?” answer-0=”Most voice searches happen on a mobile device. That means your site has to be mobile friendly. To make sure your website displays properly on all devices, Google recommends that you use a responsive design for your website. ” image-0=”” headline-1=”h3″ question-1=”Should I create some content that has a local focus?” answer-1=”Yes! Lots of voices searches are for quick answers to local content – where to eat, places to shop, how late is a favorite burger joint open. Take the time to write content that is relevant to your business and industry. It will go a long way when it comes to improving your SEO for voice search. ” image-1=”” count=”2″ html=”true” css_class=””]
