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Posted by Bakul Sengal
April 25, 2019
My niece took my smartphone and said, almost like an order, “ShinChan” to Google. I saw the age of voice. I saw how voice is overtaking the power of typing. I noticed the presence of Google Voice, Siri, and Alexa almost everywhere with everyone. After this, if you still won’t switch to voice search SEO, you know well what you gonna lose.
Voice Search is to search on Google or any other search engine using your voice instead of typing keywords. It uses audio technology to recognize what users’ are saying and give them answers based on their queries. Those with Google Voice and Siri in their pocket, know about it better.
Users use voice search to look for information online, to find the location of the product or services, to get answers to their questions, etc.
Voice Search SEO is optimizing your website and content for voice search. In other terms, set your online business up for voice search – more on that later.
Voice search saves time and offers easier search. Generally, when you search online, you have to stop your present work to type a search query. With voice search, one can search anything on the go without disturbing their present work. E.g. one can ask about directions from Google without disturbing its driving.
Long before voice search started overtaking typing, Google released Hummingbird Update. According to this update, Google’s first priority is users’ intent and interpreting the correct meaning of their search queries. That’s the key reason why businesses and marketers switched to focus on solving users’ queries instead of promoting their own business.
All of them turned to create content targeting the pain points of users. That was the evolution that changed the way businesses promote their products or services. Voice Search is another one.
As I said earlier, Google focuses on users’ intent and improving users’ experience. There is a vast difference between how users type queries and how they voice them. It’s obvious. Now Google focuses on how users’ say it. Websites focusing on users’ tone, and having content answering what users ask for, will rank first on Google
“According to a survey addressing SEO trends for 2018 and beyond, voice search took the 3rd place.”
Google ranks sites based on how quickly they respond, and to what extent they are relevant to users’ queries.
Looking at the increasing use of voice search and the comfort it offers, Google weighs voice search more than typing. Today, if you search something on Google using voice, you will find that Google answers quickly with short-term definitions having conversational tones. That particular answer will be of a company who understands users’ voice, have a conversational tone, and loads as quickly as possible.
The day is near when Google starts ranking sites that are optimized well for SEO voice search.
Voice Search SEO is no longer an option.
To optimize your website for Voice Search SEO, you have to understand how users talk to voice search and how voice search response is in return.
E.g. when you ask any question to Google, you receive an answer from the featured snippet. That’s one way how users interact with voice search.
Let’s discuss each interaction of users with voice search, and how you can optimize your website accordingly.
Users come first.
Before you put the effort into SEO, you have to understand users’ behavior and their expectations during voice search.
Users are lazy. They lack patience. They crave quick-fix solutions and immediate responses. In moments of emergency, they don’t intend to spend much time reading a whole article. That’s the reason why Google started focusing on snippets as they offer a quick solution to users.
I am not saying to stop writing articles. It’s still necessary. All I am saying is try to answer the question or solve the problem, in brief, simple and exact terms. So that Google can rank your business in Featured Snippets.
“Moz found that voice search picks featured snippets to respond users 87% of the time.”
To optimize your website for voice search, your first target is Featured Snippet. Let’s discuss 4 ways how you can aim for Featured Snippet.
Remember typing, “Best Chicago SEO Company”
“Reports of Internet Trends 2016. found that 22% of people look for local business information”
With Voice Search, there won’t be a difference in what users search for. It’s just the way they say it. They will always look for whatever is best available in their local area. It’s your responsibility to be there whenever users look for you.
Keep your business updated with the correct location, contact details, opening hours, and holidays. This gives users a perfect idea of when you are available for them.
Tip: Mention any famous landmark around your address for easy location recognition.
Quick. Quick. Quick…
A webpage taking 5 seconds to load has a 90% chance of bounce back than the page taking 1 second.
Mobile users relying on voice assistants don’t have the patience to hang around. All they want is a quick result on the go. Google also emphasizes minimal loading time to stop mobile users from bouncing back.
If your site takes more time to load, that affect negatively on your rankings. It will never rank high for quick mobile and voice searches.
Test your site for mobile search and refine it to load in one second.
The Voice search market is estimated to be $601 million worth by 2019. If you don’t step up now with voice search SEO, tomorrow you may not get a chance to rank higher. By that time, millions have entered the market leaving no room for your business to expand.
