Text-based searches are still the most common way to look for business online, but that trend is quickly changing. Voice searches have proven themselves as a completely viable alternative to text-based searches. We live in an era of convenience and there are very few things that are as convenient as using your voice to ask a question. This is especially true for mobile websites. Desktop users have very few reasons to use voice search which is why it’s primarily a function of mobile phones. Voice searches aren’t conversational AI bots yet, but they are still doing their job quite well and progressing fast. Here are some ways you can optimize your website for voice searches
1. Focus on local searches
Voice searches are pretty far removed from their written counterparts. They don’t follow the same search trends. It seems that when people use voice searches do find something online, it’s more likely to be something that they need right now. It’s extremely common for people to look for directions when they use voice search. It feels more convenient than typing it out on your phone. Because of this, the kind of search queries you use has to be more specific.
If a user wants to know the location of a local business while they’re on the go, their searches will reflect that. Voice searches have some interesting keyword variations in these scenarios. “Near me” is a universal keyword that you should keep in mind when optimizing for SEO. It’s the most convenient way to ask where a business is located relative to your own location.
The best way to get your website to the top of local search lists is to develop your “Google my business” page. Google helps you by setting up a local listing for your business which means that any time someone searches for something local in your field, your business will show up at the very top of the searches.
2. Useless technical language
When you type out a question in a search engine, you can take your time and research the exact form that question should take. Perhaps you’ll read up on the topic before trying to find some more specific answers. The landscape has changed completely with the rise of voice search. People value speed and convenience above all else when using their voice search assistant. If you want to stay at the top of relevant searches, you need to get familiar with the more common language.
Getting too technical will lead to a loss of traffic from voice searches. Not everyone is entirely familiar with the intricacies of your business, but they can still express what they want to find online. Optimize your searches by using more colloquial questions. Imagine the kind of things someone who isn’t an expert would ask.
3. Keep the common queries at the top
When it comes to optimizing your mobile website, speed is one of the most important factors you can work on. The goal of the designer is to get the user where they want to be in the shortest amount of time. A very large number of users call a business after finding them using a voice search assistant. The search engine will only show your business if it has the relevant query ready.
If a user is trying to find your business using voice search, prioritize common search queries so that they are features on search engines. Doing this will make sure that your website pops up at the top of search engine lists.
Once their searches have found a match, your business will get more than just phone calls. The goal of optimizing your searches isn’t just to engage the customer in direct communication. Any kind of result that leads to strengthening your brand presence is going to beneficial to your business. It’s enough that your brand is one of the first things features in the search query.
This lets them know what the best business in town is. This could eventually lead to searching for your brick and mortar shop or asking for additional information. Whatever gets them engaged with your business is going to be worth it.
4. Make the conversations organic
With rapidly rising technology you can have a small conversation with your voice search assistant any time you wish to find something. The answers you get from the search query don’t have to be cold and robotic. Users know that they’re talking to an algorithm when they’re using voice search, but it doesn’t have to seem that way. The select number of answers that are available should strive to be as organic as possible. Aim for the best kind of user experience you can give the person searching for your business.
It would be smart to put yourself in the shoes of the user. Think of what the most common questions someone would put in a voice search are. When you optimize your website to fit these search queries. At the same time, you want your answers to be optimized and show up on search engines.
If you want to find the right balance between organic and optimized, you might have to put in some effort. It’s not the easiest task, which is why a lot of businesses like to consult a Sydney SEO Agency before picking the top search queries for their mobile website. Getting the right kind of keyword while making it seem like natural language is an expert level skill.
5. Featured previews are helpful
Using something like voice search is all about convenience. If someone wanted to take their time, they would probably type out their questions in a search engine. People want to ask their questions and get immediate results. Luckily, search engines like Google have them covered. Featured previews are small snippets of content from the website that is most relevant to the search query.
The most relevant answer is instantly propelled to the top of the search and an algorithm skims the website page and gives out the most important parts. It doesn’t seem like a huge timesaver for the user since it only reduces the number of clicks or button presses by one, but it’s a huge plus to mobile website designers.
This is a great opportunity for any mobile website to shine. If you optimize your queries well enough, it could lead to your website being at the top of search lists which means that it will be featured without even showing the websites of your competitors. This could set you apart from other local businesses. Your voice search assistant wants to offer you convenience in the form of speed and efficiency. Most people will trust the algorithm to find the best possible website, which makes this feature especially powerful.
All you need to do is optimize your website to the standards of the search engine. In order to figure out whether or not the content is adequate, search engines like Google use a number of criteria. The title of the website has to be a close match to the search query. Various tags and relevant keywords have to be present on the website to trigger the algorithm into making the proper kind of preview. If everything is present, the best answer will be shown ahead of everything else.
Conclusion
In the past few years, voice searches have proven that they can go toe-to-toe with text searches. Many businesses are adapting to this and they are optimizing their websites to feature the best possible voice search queries. Trends quickly change and everyone wants to be ahead of the curb when it comes to search engine optimization and getting their business out there. Mobile phones are rising in popularity and with it, voice searches are starting to dominate the market. With this in mind, you know where to allocate your resources most efficiently.
Nick is a blogger and a marketing expert currently engaged on projects for Media Gurus, an Australian business, and marketing resource. He is an aspiring street artist and does Audio/Video editing as a hobby.