How to optimize for voice search

Understanding voice search

Voice search is a technology that allows voice-enabled searches without a keyboard. The process is done by translating audio signals into words via machine learning and is used by many search engines like Google. Basically, it takes 4 steps:

• Distinguish voice commands from other voices;
• Digital data development from sound waves;
• Defining commands;
• Analyzing pattern data from database.

For example, Google speaking search compiles data and gets it from customers. Computers use speech recognition to understand the idea and display it as text. Today, Google can accurately distinguish between 70.18% and 76.57% of audio signals.

Why should you optimize content for voice search?

Voice search optimization for your web page is a must these days if you want to keep up with the trends. Here are some statistics:

• 52% of users trusted virtual assistants every day in 2020
• By 2022, 70% of users will make their purchases by voice
• Voice shopping estimated to reach $40 billion by 2022

How does this benefit you?

1. Rating improvements. More people will discover your blog as voice searches rank first on the SERP;
2. build reputation. If you build your voice search presence and do well in rankings, it will be easier to gain credibility;
3. Income increase. Increased traffic leads to greater conversions and earnings.

How to optimize content for voice search

Here are 14 tips on how to optimize your content for voice search and SEO.

1. Optimize for local search results

Local SEO for your content is essential if you want your business to appear in voice search results. For example, more than 50% of local search queries are made on mobile devices, so you need to make your site mobile-friendly. Also interesting, the top three factors that influence users’ decision to trust a local business are photos, Google reviews, and position in the SERP.

Renowned SEO expert and co-founder of NP Digital, Neil Patel shares the following tips for voice search optimization:

• Add phrases people will use to talk about your area;
• Your titles, metadata, page links, etc. put “near me”;
• Add local landmarks near your company;
• Identify notable local institutions.

2. Make your site mobile friendly

Providing a high-quality user experience for the mobile version of your site is essential, as mobile searches account for more than half of voice searches. Here’s what you can do:

• Invest in mobile-friendly design
• Test mobile compatibility to detect and fix issues
• Maximize page performance and speed
• Make sure your pages are crawlable

3. Use long-tail keywords

It is important to use keywords to optimize voice search. Long-tail keywords can be particularly beneficial as they often have strong conversion rates, face less competition, and are easier to rank for. Last but not least, they are usually applied for voice search.

How can you choose the best long-tail keywords for your content?

• Autocomplete searches. Type your keyword into Google search and see what the search engine recommends and what’s valid;

• “People are also asking” box. Here you can explore the various ways individuals search for services and add them to your blog;

• “Related searches” list. It is displayed below your query along with the relevant findings. You can also apply these suggestions to your website.

4. Use spoken language

While it’s important to keep your content looking professional, optimizing voice search may require adding a fair amount of spoken language to attract more customers. Review the search queries users have typed into Google and add them to your site when appropriate.

5. Create a good FAQ Page

More often than not, people create their search queries as questions, so your SEO for voice search should include them as well. You can create a separate web page or a set of pages for frequently asked questions and fill it with detailed instructions, information, numbers and other supporting material.

Be sure to check your page performance with Google Search Console or another analytics tool. You will see if the page is driving traffic and if so which queries are bringing visitors to you.

Use the following programs for better keyword research and performance analysis:

• Google Trends analyzes Google Search activity across regions and language groups and shows queries that are trending in your niche;
• Also, Asked.com is an invaluable resource for exploring a wide variety of topics;
• Keywordtool.io allows you to generate up to 750 long-tail keyword suggestions for each search query;
• Other great sources of phrases and topics are Reddit, Quora, and other communities with user-generated content.

There are also a few paid solutions that can come in handy.

• Stat lets you export comprehensive People Also Asks reports for each phrase or tag you track.
• Another sophisticated tool is Answer the Public, which analyzes autocomplete data from Google and other search engines and generates useful questions and queries about your keyword.
• With Searchmetrics Content Experience Suite you can effortlessly create and edit materials online with SEO recommendations;

6. Find important questions to answer on your Page

How to optimize for voice search? It is very important to focus each page around a specific question. Naturally, you can add relevant keywords to drive more traffic, but it’s better not to mix several topics on one page. If you have a lot of pages, consider creating a cluster page that will structure your content properly and help users navigate your content.

7. Add regional variations to spoken dialects

How voice search is changing SEO For example, more and more companies are optimizing their content for language variations in the region. So if your target audience uses different languages ​​or even dialects, be sure to define terminology for each country and region. Here are a few ideas:

• Terminology in supported dialects. Whether you’re translating content into a different language or hosting dialects in one language, it’s important to include keywords for each language variation.
• Hreflang annotations for language specific sites. With the hreflang feature, English speakers can view a website in English, while Japanese speakers can view it in Japanese;
• Check the URL. When language-based SEO is applied, multiple variations of the same web page are created under a single domain. Make sure each language has its own URL address.

8. Sign up for Google My Business

People often use voice search to learn more about brands, and Google My Business is one such platform to share details about your business. Register on the platform and specify your brand’s region, address, opening hours and other relevant information.

9. Make your content crawlable

Readability, crawlability, and the absence of annoying pop-ups also help you optimize your content for voice search. You can do:

• Create bulleted lists. They break up long texts and allow readers to quickly scan the information. Bulleted lists also increase the chances of your posts appearing in the SERP;
• Split text into small paragraphs. Develop an idea in a paragraph with 3-5 sentences each;
• Add graphics and photos. Show text with graphics. Pictures are helpful in conveying your message and separating long copies.

10. Follow Google guidelines

If you’re looking for Google voice search tricks, check out these comprehensive instructions for mobile web search. Google’s Voice Search Quality Guidelines can also be useful for bookmarking.

Be sure to consult the official voice command guides for Android, iPhone or Windows smartphones to ensure you follow the latest guidelines.

11. Optimize for ambiguous typing

If your brand name isn’t as simple as Ford or Apple, insure against unconventional spelling or ambiguity and optimize content accordingly.

To begin with, look for typos that can result from common mispronunciations of your brand. You can gather a group of participants with different accents and dialects to make a voice call. Also, try replacing your search phrases with common typos and mispronunciations.

12. Remember speech patterns

The language people speak varies a lot based on geography, occupation, cultural background, and other factors. Analyze your audience and try to figure out what speech patterns and idioms they might use for voice search. By the way, posting how and why questions on your blog can increase search traffic, so be sure to include them in your content.

13. Add structured data

Page rank depends on many factors, and structured data or schema markup is one of them. Schema markup allows your web page to be crawled by search engines. Follow Google’s guidance on structured data to create the appropriate markup. While it doesn’t directly affect organic visibility, it can help your content stand out from the competition.

14. Understand how people use voice search

You can gain valuable insights into voice search by understanding how individuals approach it. Start by using voice search yourself and learn what speech patterns you are using etc. try to notice. Then, review the statistics and do more research on it.

How to optimize content for voice search

Adoption of voice search is increasing every year, along with its impact on customer behavior. Optimizing your content for voice search and mobile responsiveness will get mobile users flowing to your website. It is possible to hire companies or experts that provide voice search optimization services, but with the right research, you can easily prepare the content yourself.