Voice search might seem like a new fad, but large companies realise how important it is becoming. The era of devices such as the Amazon Echo means that more people are performing vocal searches and businesses need to update their SEO strategy to incorporate it.
In this post, we’ll discuss voice search in more detail and reveal some ways you can increase your ranking on voice search engine results.
How Does Voice Search Work?
Voice search is a way in which people can enter queries into search engines with their voice. It’s beneficial because you don’t need to get up to use your phone, and it offers more convenience.
Imagine you’re doing some crafts with your kids and you need to find some information. Using your phone means you’ll have to make sure your hands are clean, but voice search enables people to ask questions from across the room.
The main issue with voice search is we often speak differently to how we type, so companies must optimise their content for vocal queries.
How to Optimise For Voice Search
If you’re wondering how to optimise for voice SEO, we have three techniques to get you started.
Use Google My Business
Voice search is popular for local queries. For example, if you’re driving in a new area and want to stop for food, you can use the voice search feature on your phone to find a restaurant. If you display the right information, Google will automatically display your restaurant, which can lead to more customers.
If you’ve never used Google My Business, follow these tips to increase your visibility:
- Display your business name, address and content information on both your website and Google My Business.
- Make sure you describe your business accurately and include all of your services in the description.
- Use relevant categories to increase your chances of ranking, For example, if you own a sandwich shop, instead of choosing ‘sandwiches’ opt for ‘deli’ or ‘local sandwich shop’.
Improve Your Sites Mobile Responsiveness
Your website’s design is crucial, but you also need to make sure it works well on mobiles. The majority of voice searches take place through a mobile device, and if your website isn’t responsive, Google won’t rank it highly.
If you’re not sure how responsive your website is, use this free tool to analyse how to make improvements to your mobile site.
Answer Questions
One of the best ways to improve your search visibility is by answering questions in your blog posts. A lot of companies write for search engines, but you should create content for your audience.
Don’t stuff it with keywords, because Google will penalise you. Instead, perform research into the questions people ask and use it for your SEO. Most keyword research tools have a questions feature, which shows you your likelihood of ranking through voice searches.
The Bottom Line
Hopefully, you’ve learned a bit more about voice search by reading our short guide and have more insights into how to improve your search visibility. Another excellent tool for enhancing your website’s SEO is through internal linking. You can read the guide here.
