With the help of voice commands, we quickly get an answer to a question, create routes, find products, or order a taxi. This is especially relevant for people who prefer a phone over a computer. All major digital ecosystems have integrated help services that allow customers to make voice queries.
Let’s talk about how voice search optimization changes the process of optimizing web pages and how to prepare for the popularization of voice queries so as not to lose positions in search results.
Voice search optimization services are valuable to?
Voice search optimization is useful for practically everyone with an Internet presence, from Internet companies to online stores or information portals. Everyone can benefit from Voice search optimization services to some extent. For example:
– Offline shops and services. If a person urgently needs to buy a product or receive a specific service, a voice assistant will speed up the search process. Users need not access the website; they need contact details and address information.
– Cafes and restaurants, especially in tourist areas. With the help of voice search optimization, the nearest establishment will be the choice if a person needs to get a coffee.
– Delivery services. Speed is also essential here. People need everything at once, so they look for the nearest company that quickly delivers food, products…
– Taxi. To call a taxi, only contact details are needed. That is why appearing on the first page of search results is beneficial after the user has performed a voice search.
How does voice search optimization work?
Voice search is also helpful for online stores. Voice assistants can add items to carts, pay for purchases, and recommend other products to customers based on their purchase history (like Amazon’s Alexa).
Speed and personalization win over users, who save time. Information portals will also benefit from this optimization for voice search. Dictation makes it easy to quickly find news, various data, and answers to questions. Voice optimization of blogs, media, and other web resources also benefits businesses.
How to optimize for voice search
Below are techniques suggested by marketers and SEO specialists worldwide. Voice SEO will help you optimize your website and app for the new search realities step by step.
- Pay attention to geolocation.
SEO specialists recommend focusing primarily on queries linked to the user’s geolocation. A high percentage of queries are “until what time is (the establishment) open?”, “where can I order a beer and a burger?”…
That’s why websites and apps (like any other manifestation of business on the Internet) need to adapt to Internet requests. Webmasters recommend at least adding information to your company profile on Google Maps so that your company data is displayed in search engine snippets.
- Use long-tail keywords
Nowadays, in SEO circles, it is common to use relatively short words and phrases for which content is optimized. More extended expressions are left as an option and are rarely used.
Copywriters who prepare articles focus on the frequent use of short keywords. This approach is valid for classic search queries because people prefer to write less, and their search queries have become shorter. Users only have time to write down some of their thoughts and wishes.
Optimizing for voice search makes it easier to type queries, but people again provide more details to tell the search engine what they want to find. Therefore, SEO specialists must rethink the reference terms and not leave out “long-tail” keywords.
- Write and clearly
People have adapted to search engines, and search engines have adapted to people. The Internet has taught us to incorporate more straightforward queries and questions familiar to human language.
This approach has become natural for the traditional method (i.e., via keyboard) of communicating with search engines, but this speech structure is foreign to voice.
When communicating with Google Assistant, we use organic structures, such as communicating with a living person. This brings us to another requirement for optimizing sites for voice search: introducing not just long keywords but understandable phrases instead of abbreviated and illogical keywords adopted in an implicit pact between search engines, users, and copywriters.
SEO Localization: Speak Globally, Rank Locally!
Benefits of voice search optimization
Voice search optimization changes the way people interact with technology:
- Increasing use of voice assistants: With the popularity of devices like Alexa, Siri, Google Assistant, and others, more and more people are using voice search instead of typing, especially on mobile devices.
- Conversational nature of queries: Voice searches are often more natural and longer.
- Search intent and location: Many local voice searches seek immediate results, such as “coffee shops open now.” Optimizing for voice search helps capture this search intent, making it especially useful for local businesses that rely on nearby customers.
- Preparing for the future of SEO: Artificial intelligence and voice assistants continue to improve, making voice search increasingly integrated into everyday life.
In conclusion, having an SEO strategy that includes Voice search optimization is a way to get ahead of the competition and prepare for the future.
