Voice Search Optimization (VSO) is a speech recognition method that drives traffic to websites. In recent years, voice search has become more common and is often used to search for nearby businesses like coffee shops, pet shops, and hospitals making it essential to local SEO. This type of search utilizes services like Alexa, Google Assistant, and Siri.
The voice search feature is also helpful for visually impaired persons and senior
citizens making information accessible to all.
As a result of this shift in technology, voice search optimization has started to play a crucial role in SEO. This is a set of Search Engine Optimization methods that makes your content appear in search results.
Driving traffic in voice search is not easy and you must use high-quality content. In this guide, we
provide 7 essential strategies to optimize this voice search optimization.
Table of Contents
Why Is Voice Search Optimization Important?
Voice search optimization gives more organic search traffic. In the US, 40% of internet users
use voice search assistance to search their queries. In 2023, smartphone and smart speaker
sales surpassed 200 million in the US.
Voice Search Optimization (VSO) contributes to a site’s overall search engine rank. Through VSO, you will get more authority over your website and a higher chance of indexing on the first page of search results while improving user experience.
What Are the Benefits of Voice Search Optimization?
Voice search is easier and more convenient than traditional text-based search.
There are more fundamental qualities of voice search optimization that make voice search unique from text search on websites. Voice search queries are more user-friendly than text search. For instance, you can ask smart devices to “show me the nearby coffee shop” in a voice search and you’ll get all of the local options almost instantly.
Google’s Hummingbird and Bert algorithm updates focus on more conversational results for voice search queries. As a result, you must develop content that meets voice search optimization strategies. Let’s take a look at the strategies to get traffic from voice search optimization.
7 Important Strategies for Harnessing the Power of Voice Search Optimization
1. Use Long-tail Keywords
Long-tail keywords play an important part in voice search optimization. These queries are
longer and more specific.
These are useful because we naturally use longer phrases when asking questions in voice search. To optimize the voice search, use long-tail keywords, specifically questions, like “what”, “where”, “when”, and “how”.
By including questions in your content, you’ll directly link to user intent.
2. Use a Conversational Tone in Content
Write content with a conversational tone to meet user research. Additionally, writing in a less
formal style content will give more relevant content. You can use conversational phrases to directly connect with the reader. This type of content also improves customer experience.
Where relevant, feel free to add more humor and personality to your blog post. Writing in a less rigid style helps engage the reader and form connections. At the same time, ensure that your
content meets the latest SEO guidance. For example, recent Google updates favor content written by people who are an authority within their niche.
3. Consider Local SEO
Local SEO is very important to any business that wants to attract customers to a physical location or relies on local trade. Optimizing for voice search is essential for local SEO as many users will be using mobile devices and asking questions of search engines while on the go.
Using local place names within your longtail key phrases will help. Additionally, you should use services like Google My Business, Yell, and other local listing services to drive location-based traffic.
4. Capture Google Featured Snippets
Featured snippets are small sections within Google Search that highlight elements of your content. Voice assistants read featured snippets verbatim. If you capture a featured snippet for your chosen keywords, you will improve your voice search performance.
Again, answering very specific questions with brief, engaging, and comprehensive responses can help.
5. Try Schema Markup
Schema markup is an HTML code that you will add to your website. This helps search engines give more relevant search results and includes key details about your businesses such as address and opening hours.
Users won’t see the markup, but search engine bots will use this information within search results.
6. Mobile Device Optimization
Most of the search queries are generated from mobile devices. In the last decade, mobile optimization has become ever more important.
Many people use voice search on their mobile devices so it’s important to consider the size and color of your text and the layout of your web pages to ensure your site is completely mobile-friendly.
7. Maintain Your Website Speed
Website speed is crucial to give the fastest result to your audience. With this in mind, it’s vital to fine-tune your website by minimizing the size and amount of plugins you use, compressing media files, and choosing a fast and reliable hosting service.
Enhancing Your Website’s Voice Search Optimization
Voice search optimization has become something every website owner needs to consider, particularly if you want to drive local traffic to your site and build brand awareness. With so many voice searches being made, are you doing everything you can do?
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