It is true that smart voice assistants such as Amazon Echo are not only providing us with the current news and updates, but also bringing about a sea of change in the SEO arena. Voice search optimization is the latest in the continuously evolving technology landscape.
If the data provided by Comscore on United States search traffic is anything to go by, about 55% of young adults and 41% of older individuals regularly use voice searches all throughout the day. Comscore estimates that 2020 will depict half of all searches executed via voice. This will entail locating the nearest grocery store or getting any other information by using useful voice assistants like Alexa, Cortana, Ok Google, Siri and others.
What is voice search optimization?
Voice search optimization is nothing but using voice SEOs to optimize articles and other media. This enables your smart voice assistants to provide information whenever you ask them a pertinent inquiry. Unlike a Google search that presents detailed results on the screen, voice-enable search, conducted by smart voice assistants, already decides the best answer and provides it to you, thereby saving time. This means only the top-ranking sites will get accessed in voice search optimization and nothing beyond.
Optimizing content for voice search optimization
Voice search optimization has made optimizing content even more challenging, since only the top-ranked ones get picked up. Here are some tips for optimizing content gathered by widely used search engines such as Google and Bing.
#1 Take on voice SEO with zeal
Though voice SEO is a new innovation, it is the right time to act to optimize audio media for smart assistants. Think about a new strategy that these technological phenomenons are bringing about. A prime example of recent technological advancement is Apple Homepod that was launched in early 2018. Just as basic SEO regularly evolves, voice SEO should follow suit.
#2 Jump on the voice SEO bandwagon
It is the right time for you to capitalize on the popularity by creating a new voice app. You can provide third-party services with your voice app for devices like Amazon Echo. Such third-party voice apps currently in use include Spotify and TuneIn Radio.
#3 Provide local content and information
Internet Trends Report 2016 asserts that 22% of local content was accessed through voice searches. Starting local makes sense, since people will certainly end up turning to Siri to find a nearby shopping mall. If you have a physical address for your business or office, get listed in Google My Business to optimize for voice search. Provide microdata for search queries.
#4 Write in a conversational style
Your write-up, to be easily accessed on Google, requires SEO that includes certain relevant keywords and terminology. The better the quality of your keywords and word usage, the more your website will get searched on Google. However, writing content for the internet is completely different from angling toward voice-enabled search. For voice-enabled search, it is important to adopt a conversational style, as if you are speaking to someone. The key is to have your content optimized in each category.
#5 Be short and crisp
The main characteristic of voice-enabled search is that it resolves questions and the biggest advantage of smart voice assistants is their time-saving nature. It pays to be short and crisp, even if the question asked is a long one. Consumers need a quick answer to their queries.
#6 Make voice searches mobile-friendly
At present, 20% of mobile searches are voice-enabled, as reported by Google. This makes it essential to make your website mobile optimized or AMP-enabled. If you don’t, your site will go unseen, since 47% of consumers expect it to load within two seconds.
Optimizing for mobile will make your site fast, user-friendly and easy to read. To assess mobile-friendliness, use Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test Tool. Also check out Google AMP requirements for boosting speed.
Conclusion
Efficient web content optimization for voice search is an inescapable requirement in today’s technological environment. The sooner you do it, the more long-run benefits will come your way.
