The usage of voice search is increasing rapidly and it’s the perfect time for brands to optimize their voice search strategy and to keep up. According to some experts, voice search is going to disrupt SEO and change digital marketing for the better. Voice search is a lot different than text search in terms of how the language used is more conversational and question-based. And consumers use a broader range of conversational keywords to conduct their searches via voice assistants.

Source: Search Engine Watch, 2014

So by answering those questions accurately and promptly with informative and authoritative content, businesses are able to rank higher in search results. Businesses should find out what their target audience is looking for and create content that provides answers to those queries.

Tips to Create a Voice Search Optimization Strategy

Here are the 5 voice search tips to help you get started with your strategy:

1. Optimize for Local SEO

It’s crucial to get your business listed in directories to prevent losing because of missing or inaccurate information. Also, voice searches often happen for instant local answers so your business can be found when someone is looking for the best coffee nearby. Make sure to include opening hours, contact information and all accurate information of your business to make users buying from you easier.

2. Speed Up Your Website

Voice search users are looking for instant answers on-the-go so make sure your website’s mobile speed is fast. And also Google has recently published an update on the mobile speed that has been rolling out worldwide which means mobile speed is more important than ever for Google’s ranking. If your mobile website isn’t up to speed you might be losing out to your competitors.

3. Long-Tail Keywords

Due to the nature of how voice searches are formed, using long-tail keywords is one of the best ways to voice search optimization. Usually, there is less competition for long-tail question-like phrases such as “where is the nearest movie theatre near me?” And they often lead to higher conversion rates. So businesses can focus on implementing natural language phrases that have conversational elements to provide better answers.

4. Featured Snippets

Another important thing is here the featured snippets which are the boxes that appear above search results. Voice assistants often read out the answer that is included in the featured snippet. So to be featured in this box, businesses should create informative content towards their target customer and their potential queries. specific query. Looking at “people also ask” option in the search results gives great insight into what people are searching for.

5. Test Your Website

Voice Search is a newly developed user behaviour so it’s important to test your efforts to see if they function properly. You can do these tests by:

• Using different devices such as Google Assistant or Alexa.
• Matching the answers to questions and see their relevancies.
• Monitoring your rankings and competitors’ for most common questions.

Is Your Website Content Ready for Voice Search?

There’s a lot to consider when it comes to optimizing your website for voice search and if you haven’t invested in your strategy yet it’s a great time to start. With all the constant technological changes and developments it might be difficult to keep up with evolving digital marketing landscape. If you’re looking for ways to optimize your content and your website, we’re here to help.

Contact us to schedule a free strategy call with us today and learn more about voice search from digital experts here at WSI.

About the Author

Hande is a multi-award-winning entrepreneur, Principal of WSI London, founder of Quattro Business Consulting, co-founder of Think Neuro and Buddy Performance. She is independent Board Member in verous companies and institutions. She has studied Industrial Engineering, has worked with 200 clients from different parts of the world and she has 20 years of consulting experience.