Why Voice Search SEO Should Be Part of Your Digital Marketing Strategy

One challenge that businesses face is that digital marketing trends are ever-evolving, especially now that over 64% of the world’s population uses the internet and over 100,000 searches are done per SECOND on Google. But in many ways, those changes can provide your organization with more opportunities to compete in a crowded marketplace. That’s especially true if you’re among the first to embrace the user behaviors that Google identifies as being revolutionary.

Voice-powered search may not be a brand new feature, but it’s now being utilized by countless web users across the country and around the world. If you want to outrank your competition, optimizing for voice search is well worth considering. Let’s discuss what voice search SEO is, why it matters, and how you can increase your site’s chances of appearing in a voice-powered web search.

What is Voice Search SEO?

Voice search technology allows users to find out information on the internet without physically tapping or typing letters or numbers. Instead, you use what’s known as a dialogue system — which allows computers and humans to interact — to communicate using your voice. The technology uses voice recognition capabilities to then search the internet for the answers you seek. Whether you use Alexa, Siri, or another digital assistant, a computer will analyze the words you speak and conduct a search on your behalf.

But what is voice search SEO? Conventional search engine optimization involves making improvements or additions to a website that will allow it to more easily appear in typed searches. But because there are differences between how we interact with a regular search field and how we search for information using voice-powered technologies, the way in which we optimize sites for those searches will also differ. When we refer to voice search SEO, we mean the best optimization practices to appeal to web users who utilize voice search functionality.

Why Does Voice Search Matter?

You might think that only a small number of people utilize voice search technology. But actually, at least 55% of smartphone users perform voice searches on their mobile devices. Because voice search provides a convenient, hands-free way to find information, it’s becoming steadily more popular among mobile users. And since mobile traffic now accounts for half of all web traffic, ignoring the power of voice search could do a huge disservice to your business.

How Can I Optimize My Site For Voice Search?

With 20% of the global online population using voice-powered search to find the results they need online, it makes sense to optimize your site with these searches in mind. And because the format of these searches differs from traditional web search queries, you may need to amend your optimization strategy to factor in the features of voice search.

With a conventional web search, a user might type in three to five words. They probably won’t bother typing in full sentences or use punctuation marks. But with a voice search, a user will probably ask a question and use more natural language. Rather than fragmented phrases, full sentences are used. Instead of hitting the most important words and leaving out others, someone using voice search will typically take a more conversational approach.

One way to optimize for voice search, therefore, involves including FAQs with full, natural-sounding sentences. When you know what people are searching for via voice, you can include these kinds of questions on a given page. This can increase the likelihood that your site will show up when those questions are asked in a voice-powered search.

You might also consider optimizing with local SEO in mind (such as if you are a restaurant and need restaurant SEO). Since most people who use voice searches are mobile users, they’re also more likely to want results that are nearby. If you optimize for those locations, you may increase your chances of showing up in voice search results that contain phrases like “near me.” Of course, you’ll also want to ensure your website is mobile-friendly, as voice searches won’t prioritize websites that provide a poor experience on mobile.

Staying adaptable can be difficult, but that’s the name of the game with SEO (and digital marketing, as a whole). The more you understand about trends like voice search, the better position you’ll be in when it comes to Google SERPs.