Talk To Me
In this ever-emerging field of technology and search, voice is the newest trend in tech, however, currently, most users still prefer to search by text on a desktop and the second is mobile devices.
In this ever-emerging field of technology and search, voice is the newest trend in tech, however, currently, most users still prefer to search by text on a desktop and the second is mobile devices.
So, if most people still prefer text search, does this mean that voice won't take off? I would say not.
Historical data of technology inductions will show that we are still in a transition and adjustment phase with voice search. Just as users got used to mobile devices instead of home phones, text messages as the new email, social media as the new word-of-mouth; it is likely that voice search will eventually become the same after some time. In fact, according to comScore, 50% of all searches will be done by voice by 2020 and 30% of searches will be done without even a screen according to Gartner. Voice search, welcome to the new norm.
Who is using voice search?
According to CapTech Consulting, the majority of smart speaker owners are ages 18 to 36, the second is 37-52, and only 15% of the remaining being 53 and older.
Research also showed that teenagers are more likely to use mobile search, like Siri than adults and multiple times a day. As of 2017, 13% of all households in the United States owned a smart speaker and that number is predicted to rise to 55% by 2022.
This shows that as we age out of those who do not use voice and continue to evolve into voice search technology, more and more people will become used to using the voice search capabilities making it the new text search of the future.
What are they searching for and when?
No surprise that most smart speakers like the Alexa are used at home while voice search on mobile devices is more likely to be used in the car. Currently, Amazon is releasing a new Alexa product for your car to assist with commands like navigation and voice to text. This can help improve safety when driving so that people are less likely to text and drive or get distracted by searching for directions on their device.
Searches in the car are more for the obvious searches like “nearest gas station” and calling. Home searches are more for cooking, home improvement questions, weather, music playing, and news.
Things are changing rapidly with the advancement of voice search in the home. Appliances like refrigerators, thermostats, and ovens now can connect with smart devices in the home and able to be voice-controlled. Who would have thought that we would live in a world where we can talk to our fridge, or even better it can talk back?
How Voice Search Impacts SEO Rankings
Voice search drastically improves user experience – and because of that, by the year 2020, half of all online searches will be made through voice search.
The point of SEO is to rank websites accurately so users can find the best information for their search query as quickly as possible. User experience is, ultimately, at the forefront of search engine optimization.
By January 2018, there was an average of one billion voice searches every month, proving that voice search is on the rise. But it is important to remember that voice search SEO and traditional website SEO are different.
4 Tips To Optimize For Voice Search
When users use voice search, they are typically hoping to complete an action, such as playing a song or purchasing a product, or information on a subject.
Below are some tips to improve voice search rankings, no matter your goal.
1. Ensure Your Website Loads Quickly
Just like traditional search engine optimization, Google voice search favors websites that load quickly. Ensure that:
- Your site is responsive and works well on mobile devices
- Images are optimized
- Files are compressed
- You utilize website caching to improve page speed
- Your server’s response time is reduced
2. Write The Way That You Speak
When users search for content on desktop or mobile, they tend to write in short, almost bullet-pointed phrases. For example, if a user wanted to find a great web designer, they could type “top web design companies” into Google.
But if they used voice search, a user might say “Who are the top web design companies in the world?”
To ensure your content is optimized for voice search as well, include those long-tail keywords that sound more natural as opposed to shorter, snappier keywords that perform well in desktop SEO. Plus, keep phrases short and simple.
3. Include Featured Blocks Of Content
The average voice search result is about 29 words long. But although we know that shorter answers perform better, how can we guarantee the content Google will identify and read to users?
Create a featured snippet. A featured snippet – also called position zero, answer box, or quick answers – is essentially a summary answer from a web page. In desktop search listings, these snippets appear just after the paid ads but before the regular search listings.
To optimize your content for an identifiable featured snippet, include a concise summary of your main content above the fold under 29 words.
Sections that use H-tags, lists, and bullet points are easily readable by Google and thus perform well. Plus, be sure to include your long-tail keywords within the featured snippet.
4. Concentrate On Local Searches
About the author
Hi, my name is Rick and I thank you for reading this article!
I explore to learn new stuff every day and here I will share all my experiences and thoughts with you.
You can also find me on Twitter and Instagram. :)