Google Voice Search: How to Optimize Your Content for the Voice Search?

Who doesn’t love to get things done in just a few words of instructions? I simply love it, and that is why the voice search feature of Google is one of my favorites. All I need to do is, give a simple set of instructions and there my things are done. Ok-Google must be a well-known word for you. Of Course, Google Voice Search, an amazing and trendy feature of Google has made our lives easier and has become a need for websites to be optimized for it.

Everything About Google Voice Search

Google Voice Search is a Google new feature that allows users to use Google Search just by speaking on a smartphone or computer. Just open the chrome and press the mic icon. Now, you can speak the keyword for which you need to get results from voice search google.

Google can do the rest of the search. In fact, there is no change in search result pages when you search by voice, as you will get the results the same as for a typed search.

Google’s voice search feature aims to keep its users with comfort because the utmost priority of this popular search engine is users’ convenience. So, all the alterations and developments are made with an intention to improve the user experience. The process of optimizing your website for voice-related queries known as voice search optimization.

Before we move further, I would like you to watch this video.

Revolution of Voice Search

Are we halfway to voice search resolution? Voice search is not a new thing as it already exists here. In recent days, voice search has seen tremendous growth in popularity. Indeed, around 50% of all searches are made by voice in 2020. According to recent statistics.

• 41% of adults are now using voice search in their everyday routine

• 20% of mobile queries are made through voice

• So, voice search is gradually developing since 2008

• In fact, voice search techniques receive the attention of desktop users also, as 25% of windows10 home computer does voice searches.

From the above statistics, it is clearly understood that both desktop and mobile users can benefit from voice search. With smart speakers, voice search is now possible on desktop computers.

Very soon, every home is likely to get smart speakers. Therefore, it is significant to adapt to SEO when you start a voice search with smart speakers.

Why Voice Search is So Popular?

Do you know the reason behind the popularity of Voice search? Voice search has the ability to find the information you need and even, accomplish the given task not only effectively but also hands-free. Here are four reasons for consumers often choosing voice search instead of keyboard searches:

• You can do multiple tasks at one time
• You can book an order at restaurant from your home
• Users can avail information in no time
• Your daily routine becomes easier

Let’s imagine you are driving so with voice search you can send messages, and get any information on the go without diverting your focus from the road. It is that much handy.

Role of SEO in Voice Search Optimization

Searches made by voice are quite different from typing. In particular, voice search modifies itself according to how, when, and what people search for.

People search in two different ways namely longer searches and more conversational. Compared to text search keywords, keywords used for voice search are quite long. And conversational, which means the language used here is not a computer language. Around 70% of searches, which people made, are using their native language. This gives a great impact on on-page SEO and keyword research.

Apart from being longer and conversational, the voice search setting is very convenient too. People are eager to get assistance from voice searches in public places. Yes, you are able to do voice search wherever possible with the help of location technology, LTE.

Google is now slowly shifting to a new platform called the answer engine instead of a search engine. So, you do not need to type the question and visit the particular site given in the result pages to know the answer. You will immediately get the answer in the same result pages itself with the answer-focused technology, which Google uses to offer voice search results.

Thus, it becomes a necessity to learn the working of Google voice search and the possible way to optimize it for getting additional traffic on your content. If you become an early executor of voice search, you will get several advantages over your competitors. This article helps you understand everything about Google voice search and optimizing your site accordingly.

What Do You Mean by Google Hummingbird?

Hummingbird is the new algorithm from the tech giant Google. This brought about the idea of conversational search being added to the Hummingbird algorithm. 

Conversational search is something that allows users to submit spoken native language queries.

Which is developed to focus on the meaning behind the phrases, rather than individual keywords. The reason is many people now using voice when searching on mobile, rather than typing.

Hummingbird goal is to better understand a question, such as “what is the capital of France”. To serve the best possible answer to the user. It looks for the meaning behind the words, rather than just at the words themselves and it looks at the entire phrase to interpret that meaning.

For better understanding the entire concept of Hummingbird, you need to become familiar with some features of a search engine including the knowledge graph & semantic search.

The Semantic Search and the Knowledge Graph

Before the launch of Hummingbird, the search engine released its knowledge graph. It is not an original graph but a set of features related to search engine result pages. It is designed in such a way to offer quick and more accurate results to users who made queries related to things, places, and people.

For instance, if you search for any recipes, the SERP shows do not only links to suitable web pages yet also a set of graph data that includes a recipe with nutritional facts. How is possible for Google to address the needs of searchers? Here is where you need to understand the concept of Semantic search.

Semantic search aims to match SERP result pages perfectly with the user’s language ahead of the meaning of searched keywords. Here, the intent of the search is different from the language used. So, Google provides users with the results matching their intent than the language used.

With semantic search, Google can get to know real-life entities and relations between them. Based on Google’s intelligence technology, a hummingbird focuses on matching search context with the results.

Future Impact of Google Hummingbird on Voice Search

Google Hummingbird core algorithm certainly going to affect the future of mobile-based searches. There is no surprise behind that because the number of people who use smartphones is growing day by day.

Google is focusing on improvements to the mobile search. Now results on mobile are clean, simple, and optimized for touch, and the answers are available in the search result itself. 

Google clearly understands the importance of mobile and it will shape the future of SEO and content marketing strategies. This means your website should need to be optimized for voice search

As a consequence, this will lead to greater usage of voice search because it is more convenient for users to do a search on mobile than from their computer.

What Your Business Needs to Know About Voice Search Strategy?

Marketers solely focus on voice search with the advent of voice search assistant. The dynamic role of SEO gets changed with the increased utilization of voice search and the increasing development of voice assistants. It’s time to think of things including mobile optimization, Page speed, schema, and snippets ranking. People search differently for different things.

Growth of SEO and Voice

People use many possible ways to search for content. We have been everything from desktop computers, smartphones to smartwatches. Now, voice search is used to solve problems, identify the new brand, and to buy the right products after proper research.

No specific space is available to use voice assistance because you can use it anywhere while cooking, exercising, watching television, going out with friends, and even in the bathroom also. Here are some real-life statics for you:

About 22% of users use voice search by google to get details of local business. So, smaller businesses are likely to avail more opportunities on Google. With many different searches related to near me or local, local brands have wide-open opportunities to grow.

If you are a smaller business and want to make your presence without having enough budgets, you can use directories, Google My Business, and comparison sites to create awareness among the consumers and develop into a sole result of relevant keywords or queries.

Future Predictions for Voice Search

It is very exciting to see the adoption of technology catering to the voice search in the upcoming years. By 2022, the majority of new brand cars have voice recognition features. Finance and insurance are some of the sectors, which tend to slowly adopt this new technology. Over the years, we hope that the trust and understanding of people will increase and even realize that their information is secure with voice search assistants. No doubt, people of all ages and genders will take the advantage of the voice search business.

How Brands Find Their Voice?

When it comes to voice search optimization, you have to consider many key things. However, the most significant step that businesses need to take into account is making more conversational content with long-tail keywords. How people ask questions by voice gives them a lot of information.

Besides monitoring page speed, businesses should optimize their website for the mobile version. This is because about 60% of voice searches have been made by mobile users so that it is important to optimize any strategy catering to almost all the devices. Based on recent statics, it is revealed that

Why Do Businesses Optimize for Voice Search?

Here is the video from Google itself where Sundar Pichai is demonstrating the real-life usage of Google voice search assistant.

In this example you can see how easily one can give instructions to the voice assistant, for booking an appointment related to the services you are looking for. And the rest is done by an assistant. It will make a call on scheduled time to the shop representative and do the conversation as well.

You can see how technologies are shaping our day to life and making the whole process seamless and easy. And no business owner can afford to miss this golden opportunity to make the whole customer journey frictionless. 

Presently, there are 45 million devices used in the US itself for voice assistant. So, businesses that need to stand unique among the competitors in the future can incorporate a way to use voice search benefits in any of their digital marketing strategies.

To Enhance Customer Experience

You have to adopt a voice search strategy in order to help customers with an optimized and unique experience. This, in turn, develops brand loyalty. Making natural and flawless interaction with brands is now easy with voice technology.

As voice search technology consumes less time, it is quite convenient for busy consumers who need instant fulfillment and stellar experience whenever they interact with your brand.

To Make Changes in SEO Practices

Voice search drives many changes in the practice of SEO. The way, which users interact with queries, is quite different when they search vocally instead of textually. Voice queries are very long compared to text searches. So, you can make content with longer keyword phrases to address this issue.

Usually, voice searches are made in the form of questions so that businesses could start making use of relevant question keywords to reflect the prospect on which people make queries. It will also increase the significance of local SEO as many mobile users search for locating a business near me.

To drive more traffic

Still, there are many questions related to voice technology that need to be answered. However, it is very clear that businesses with the adaptation of voice strategy will get a reward of high website traffic.

Go Ahead of Your Competitors

With a voice search strategy, you can assure that your customer can easily find you and also prevent the possibility of finding your peers rather than you. As voice technology is a brand new concept, not all brands have adapted to this strategy. Thus, you will now have an excellent chance to get started ahead of the competition

How to Optimize Your Website for Voice Search

Keyword Research for Voice Search

How can you perform keyword research for voice search technology? Here are three effective strategies you can make use of while finding keyword for voice search

Keywords With Natural Language

As said earlier, searches made through voice are natural and more conversational. Based on seasonal trends, CPC, and search volume, keywords get listed. Keywords with the natural language will definitely receive a huge boost in the search volume when voice search develops gradually.

Incorporate Long-Tail Keywords

Why do people neglect long keywords? It is simple because only a very few users haunt them. However, in the case of voice searches made by people, the length of a normal keyword is increasing longer. So, you feel free to optimize your web content with longer keywords. Instead of optimizing your whole page with long terms, you can just sprinkle these insanely long keywords within your content. Your content should have 5+ words.

Target Question-Based Keywords

Gone off those days when you use robotic keywords to earn high rankings in Google. Now, with the response of voice searches, you have to ask a question. Try to include keywords that ask questions.

Expand Your Content-Length

As part of a diversified content strategy, make use of longer and expanded voice search content. Just posting an article with 3000 words is not enough to meet your reader’s expectations. Thus, try to blend your content length. Mix up your shorter articles with the longer ones. With regard to word count, you should not be pedantic.

Give Out Visual Content

Do you want to explore a myriad of topics or far more complex topics in single publishing? Simply go for long-form and in-depth articles. However, people oftentimes do not prefer articles that are too lengthy. This is where you need to know the importance of visual content.

To include more spice to your content, why don’t you get the advantage of videos, infographics, and other visual components like graphs and charts? As they are skimmable, even a highly complex idea can be illustrated as effectively as you can.

Use Language Appropriate to Your Language

Giving preference to industry-related language is something which many sites fail to get benefit from. This is due to the fear of isolating potential readers who do not understand some topics. With the content including perfect terminology, you can prove that your website is valuable and reliable.

Use Schema Micro-Data And  Structure Data  for Rich Results

Though schema is not a signal to ranking, it is good to implement schema markup or other micro-data formats, because hummingbird gives more importance to semantic searches. Implementing schema markup is like a kind of pain. However, you will soon understand it’s worthwhile in the long run. It makes your site search engines and user friendly and helps to secure rich snippets in the search engine result pages

Claim Google My Business Listings

Voice search gives more preference to hyper-local questions. If you want your customers to find you easily, describe your business information in simple text, which is easy to read.

You also have to get listed in Google My Business where you need to submit accurate details including your name, contact number with area code, and address. Surprisingly this platform is free and you can list your business by your own, Which make your business eligible to be shown in Google search and map results 

Make Your Website Mobile-Friendly

Now worldwide there are more than 50% internet users are on mobile and it is continuously increasing. Now you know the urgency of mobile friendly websites. Often mobile devices are used to make voice searches. Therefore, it is very crucial that your website is too responsive to mobile users.

You can make use of a mobile-friendly testing tool to evaluate whether your site is mobile friendly or not with the guidelines set by Google and optimize it accordingly.

Create FAQ Pages and Keep Answers Short

People tend to speak various keywords instead of one, which they enter in search engines for the sake of referring to your business products and services.

You should listen to people’s words with much care. If you collect their general phrases and queries, you can make content for them.

Optimize Website for Local Searches And Near Me Keywords

If you own a business in local, you have to optimize the content around terms used by voice searchers.

So that when nearby people search for the queries related to your business your business pops up in the result page

When you optimize your website for voice search, avoid giving content with fancy and jargon words. While honestly saying, you should stay away from this stuff for any cause. So, clear and natural writing that focuses on local searches helps to rank in voice search. 

Try to Add Video-Based Content

Do you know about video featured snippets? It is nothing but a video result. Instead of linking your search to a Youtube Video, the search engine gives out a section of video relevant to your queries. Such video results are now popping up more for queries made of natural language.

Video is one of the big strategies being used by Google to answer your voice search queries. You need to optimize your videos in the search engine if you need to expose your content for the voice searchers.

Tips to Increase Website Authority and Build Quality Links

Are sites with more links rank high? Yes, it is true! If you want to rank high in voice search, build up a strong domain authority with tons of high-quality links. Domain authority should be higher than page authority. No matter, what will be your page authority rate, Google gets an answer from an authoritative domain for voice search.

Optimize Content With Question-Based or Long-Tail Keywords

We already know that question-based keywords are popular now. Don’t forget to incorporate filler words while optimizing your content for questions. If you have more matches, you are likely to show your ad on the voice search including words such as me, for, and a

Speed up Your Website Loading Speed

The voice search result has a loading speed of 3.8 xs faster than your usual webpage. In relation to voice search, you need to hold a fast loading site.

The Website Should Be Compatible for HTTPS Framework

It is very important to develop a web application, which will work across browsers. To do so, you have to keep simple code, valid doctype, make use of the framework, and CSS reset stylesheets

Voice Search SEO Case Study

Starbucks Voice Search Strategy

Starbucks leveraged voice search technology smartly, they developed a dedicated app that lets people order and pay in advance. It allows people to get drinks with voice search while using Amazon Alexa and Samsung Bixby in the South Korean market.

This marketing strategy simplified the process of buying drinks. Because as you know now people are getting busier they don’t have time to type long phrases in their query, so they shifted towards using voice search which is more convenient to use.

This technology substantially reduces the time, people can easily book their coffee at home before reaching the cafe. 

Argos Simplifies Item Reservations With a Voice-Enabled Feature

Argos is a popular store in the UK where people buy their products from their website by reserving them and picking it from the store.

After Argos evaluated ways to make improvements for shoppers, they did their research on their data first. Internal research showed that 55 percent of people like purchasing through voice-activated gadgets.

Argos took that finding too seriously. As part of its marketing strategy, They collaborated with Google Home and allowed people to check the availability of products with that speaker or the Google Assistant.

Which eventually increased the products bookings from their website

From these studies, you can see how important it is for every business to equip themselves with the current demand of the voice search 

Final Verdict

Maybe you became familiar with how a voice search works. Though voice search does not have a predictable future, it is getting considerable traction nowadays. It will not get any possibilities to slow down its development anytime. So, it has both an adverse and good impact on marketers. Optimizing voice search makes your website close to human language. Want to achieve an edge over competitors? Sail on the voice search ship!