What is voice search optimization and how does it impact your SEO strategy? We’ll give you facts and a few tips for optimizing your content for voice search to get you started.
What is Voice Search Optimization? Is it Relevant in 2022?
Voice search optimization is the optimization of keywords or phrases on a website’s page to appear in voice assistants. People will ask a question using a voice search device such as Google, Alexa or Siri and an answer will be provided according to how well search engine optimization (SEO) is implemented on one’s site. In this blog, we will discuss the statistics of voice search optimization, its impact in 2022, tips for utilizing voice search optimization and how voice search impacts SEO.
What Voice Search is Used For
People use a variety of voice search devices such as OkGoogle, Siri, Alexa, Spotify, Headspace, Cortana and the list goes on. It is used for people who utilize voice searches to discover something. Whether it be hours of a local business, searching for a new artist on Spotify or asking OkGoogle for the weather forecast, voice search is a convenient way to find out information. It is as simple as either saying“Alexa” followed by the question on the Alexa device or clicking the voice icon in Spotify and asking Spotify to “play my favorite music”.
Voice search devices such as OkGoogle and Alexa are located in people’s homes. Some are stored in the living room, some are located in one’s bedroom and/or kitchen. It is becoming increasingly common for people to use voice search over texting for a search in Google as it is more convenient and easier. One could be getting ready for the day and instead of searching online for the weather, they just ask Alexa via voice search and Alexa answers within seconds. It’s faster, easier and to the point.
Stats About Voice Search
Google reports that voice search on mobile is being used by 27% of the online global population.
eMarketer predicted that a voice assistant would be used monthly by over a third of the US population in 2019 which moved up 9.5% from 2018
According to Google, 52% of people keep their voice-activated speakers in a common room (family room, living room, etc.). 25% of people keep their voice assistants in their bedroom and 22% in the kitchen.
In 2018, Brightlocal reported 56% of people used voice search on a smartphone in a 12-month period.
According to Brightlocal, 58% of consumers used voice search to find information on a local business in the last 12 months (the article was written in April 2018).
Google states that 72% of people who own a voice-activated speaker say that their devices are used as a part of their daily routine.
Microsoft reports that 72% of US consumers are engaging with voice search through digital assistants such as Siri, Alexa, Google Assistant, and Cortana.
Between 20 and 25 percent of Android device searches are being completed by voice in the US.
After a study that was conducted on why people use voice searches, it was discovered that the most important reason was that the person’s vision or hand was unavailable.
Voice search is growing and altering the way people do local searches. As reported by DataReportal’s Digital 2021: Global Overview Report, 45% of internet users used voice search between December 2020 and January 2021. Furthermore, studies show that voice search sales are estimated to hit $40 billion soon.
Between the increase from 2018 to 2019 in monthly usage, the 72% of people who own a voice-activated speaker who use their devices as part of their daily routine and the predicted $40 billion in voice search sales, we predict more usage in years to come. This means SEO specialists and business owners should, if not already, implement voice SEO if they want to keep up with technology and gain more leads.
How Voice Search Impacts SEO
As the usage of voice assistants increases, people are becoming more conversational with their devices. They are asking questions and making transactional requests such as ordering a pizza or requesting an Uber. With this in mind, businesses need to be mindful of how they are writing their content on their website. If you’re trying to get your website to appear in a voice search, it is a good idea to write a complete sentence within your content using long-tail keywords.
While you might be compelled to optimize a page for a few terms that are easier to type into the Google search bar, people are asking specific questions to the voice assistants and the voice-activated device responds as if they are in conversation. Therefore using long-tail keywords is an effective way to be chosen by voice assistants.
Of course, you want to put yourself in the user’s shoes and then provide (write) the information the person is seeking just like traditional SEO but again think conversationally and write in complete sentences using long-tail keywords.
Optimizing your website for voice search optimization will set you apart from the rest. It is only a matter of time before Google will have an algorithm update prioritizing businesses that are set up for voice search. It is best to stay ahead of the game and beat your competitors who may fall behind in this arena. Not only will this set you apart from your competitors but it will give your business more brand awareness and customers. There are many actions you are going to want to implement in order to show up in voice search.
5 Tips for Voice Search Optimization
As a business owner, marketing and keeping up-to-date with voice search technology will do nothing but help your business’s bottom line. Here are 5 tips you should implement for voice search optimization.
1. Think User’s Intent
It is important to put yourself in the user’s shoes and think about what type of questions they are asking. Many voice searches are transactional requests. People will ask things such as: Where is there a pizza shop near me? What time is it? What is the weather forecast for today? People will also ask informational questions. It is important to think about the user’s intent and then create FAQs with schema markup so your content is used as an answer.
2. Schema Markup
Schema markup is microdata that is used to help Google understand what your page is about. It helps with the chances of being ranked in Google and also applies to voice search. According to Backlinko, 40.7% of voice search results came from featured snippets. Featured snippets are a short excerpt that appears at the top of Google search results counted as ranking “0”. Since many people using voice search devices are asking questions, it’s important to create an FAQ page or section on your website, add schema markup then submit a tag in Google Tag Manager in order to rank in Google. This will help voice assistants choose your answer as a response to the user.
3. Keep Business Listing Up-to-Date
When someone asks their voice assistant where the nearest restaurant is, Google looks at Google Business Profile and if there are two restaurants within the same distance to that user’s location, Google is most likely going to choose the restaurant with updated content that is closest to your location. As a business owner, you have to stay up-to-date on your business listing and your website as Google loves fresh content.
4. Long-tail keywords
Long-tail keywords are keywords or key phrases that are more specific where people requesting information are usually at the point of purchase. Long-tail keywords are important in voice search optimization because many people using voice search assistants are asking transactional questions and are also using more of a conversational tone. When searching on Google directly, most people are using fewer keywords to search but when talking to a voice assistant, the communication is longer. Therefore, long-tail keywords (longer keywords) are vital in optimizing for voice search success.
5. Think Mobile and Local
Brightlocal did a study where they explored how consumers used voice search to discover, contact and find local businesses. They asked 1,012 US-based users questions regarding their experiences with voice assistants. What they found was: 56% of people used voice search on a smartphone in the past 12 months (2018) and 58% of consumers used voice search to find information on a local business in the last 12 months (2018). This data is significant because if more than half of the 1,012 people are using voice search on their smartphone and 58% of those consumers are using voice search for local business searches, this data shows that it’s important to have your Google Business Profile updated, with good reviews and filled out. It also shows that it’s important to have a mobile-friendly website since more than half of consumers are using their cell phones.
Conclusion
Voice search optimization is vital for 2022. As the data shows, sales are increasing in voice search assistants, people are utilizing voice search assistants in their homes and on their phones as well as using it as a part of their daily routine. It is not going away. We predict that voice search will only continue to grow. Contact Gybo Marketing today to help you rank on Google and have your results appear in voice search assistants!
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