Article

Sudhir Singh
Sudhir Singh 12 June 2017

Voice Search SEO : Why You Need to Optimize

Understanding that the future is conversational and the gen-next is tech-savvy is important. They don’t hesitate to ask for directions, help with homework or call for help through voice command. Ignoring this trend is going to be an expensive mistake, no business should make for future sustenance.

Siri took the digital world by storm when launched in 2012. Since then many voice recognition technologies like Google Voice Search, Alexa etc., have been launched. Research indicates that by 2020 more than 50% of internet queries will be via voice search. So, if businesses are keen to stay ahead of the pack and optimize their search features, here are some pointers on how to capitalize on voice search. 

Location/on-screen context optimized voice search

Voice search is mostly used to identify physical places around the consumer. A voice command would direct the search engine to throw results in a specified area or demand locations in the area where they are traveling. Hence, it is important to be specific on the location, name, business details, phone numbers and directions for search engines to rank your page amongst the top five. Cross check this data as it appears on the website since Google will rank it accordingly on its pages.

Searches may be directed based on on-screen browsing, apps or even your personal information. Search engines are working to provide conversational shopping experiences, hence it is even more imperative to fine tune categories and user information to be visible high up on search results.

 Microdata optimization

Ensure that directions to physical locations and XML sitemaps are easily visible to site visitors and search engines. Invest in call tracking technology to understand where the customers saw brand messages and what helps it in conversion to sales. This channel is critical especially as multi-channel campaigns are launched by companies to reach prospects and convert new customers.

Emphasis on long tail search words and conversational language

Regular search phrases and voice search phrases differ a lot. While typing, a succinct keyword phrase is required to throw up the results. Voice search is basically a conversation with their phone and users would generally input long phrases to search for a particular outcome. Think conversationally to identify the kind of natural language and spoken questions that would bring consumers to your site. Identify conversational keywords for search results and make room for colloquial terminology and accent to optimize on voice search.

Use words/phrases to append with questions phrases such as “which”, “what”, “who” or “how” to create an optimized voice SEO for your site. It is beneficial to create FAQ style content in your product and blog pages identify deeper search intent and optimize on queries.

With the advent of personal voice assistants, companies also need to ramp up their inbound call strategies, since it gives the customer access to directly call the companies based on their locations.

Mobile friendly voice search features

As more and more searches migrate from desktop to mobile phones, Google has shifted its emphasis to mobile responsive pages. Voice search is almost an exclusively used on mobile phones. Hence, introducing mobile friendly voice search features are a must. Not only should one ramp up their design but speed and load time of the website pages should be geared up too. Utilize Mobile- Friendly Test to see if your website is up to the mark. Make the content of the website scannable and navigable using thumb or index finger. Enhance the user experience along with sophisticated voice features to optimize your sites SEO on search.

Optimization as per search engines

Another important factor in the success of voice search is tailoring them as per the different search engines. Microsoft (Cortana), Google (Google Now), Amazon (Alexa) and Apple (Siri) have all launched their voice searches and have unique algorithms with which they sort the data for search results. With changing dynamics and multi-platform usage by customers, customization of voice search modalities is imperative for businesses.

Understanding that the future is conversational and the gen-next is tech-savvy is important. They don’t hesitate to ask for directions, help with homework or call for help through voice command. Ignoring this trend is going to be an expensive mistake, no business should make for future sustenance.

 

Please login or register to add a comment.

Contribute Now!

Loving our articles? Do you have an insightful post that you want to shout about? Well, you've come to the right place! We are always looking for fresh Doughnuts to be a part of our community.

Popular Articles

See all
The Impact of New Technology on Marketing

The Impact of New Technology on Marketing

Technology has impacted every part of our lives. From household chores to business disciplines and etiquette, there's a gadget or app for it. Marketing has changed dramatically over the years, but what is the...

Alex Lysak
Alex Lysak 3 April 2024
Read more
How to Review a Website — A Guide for Beginners

How to Review a Website — A Guide for Beginners

A company website is crucial for any business's digital marketing strategy. To keep up with the changing trends and customer buying behaviors, it's important to review and make necessary changes regularly...

Digital Doughnut Contributor
Digital Doughnut Contributor 25 March 2024
Read more
Sales and Marketing Collaboration: A Recipe for B2B Success

Sales and Marketing Collaboration: A Recipe for B2B Success

In the world of B2B, the age-old rivalry between Sales and Marketing often overshadows the potential for a fruitful partnership. Yet, when these two departments align their goals, strategies, and efforts, the results...

Zsofia Raffa
Zsofia Raffa 12 September 2024
Read more
Guide to optimizing promo codes in your email marketing campaigns

Guide to optimizing promo codes in your email marketing campaigns

For e-commerce brands, email campaigns and promo codes are valuable tools, especially when used together. Email marketing is a great vehicle for promo codes, but only if they are correctly optimized. Promo code emails...

Michael Quoc
Michael Quoc 4 September 2018
Read more
How to Understand Your Customer Needs Through Social Media?

How to Understand Your Customer Needs Through Social Media?

Social media is generally known to be a tool of online communication that is used to easily share information and bring together people with similar ideas on the internet. But brands use them as a marketing tool. And...

Manisha Sukhyani
Manisha Sukhyani 29 August 2017
Read more