Searching the internet has never been easier. Voice search is becoming the new norm, allowing users to explore the internet via speech, creating accessibility and speed when looking for information.
Voice searches are conducted via a smart device, such as the Amazon Alexa, Google Nest and Apple’s Siri feature. Quicker than typing a query into a search engine and with the ability to utilise the function hands free, unsurprisingly 57% of homes in Britain now own a smart device (The Eco Experts). Whether it’s asking where the nearest restaurant is or querying the daily report, voice search is a part of people’s everyday lives.
To capitalise on the growing use of this functionality, brands should ensure all websites are optimised accordingly. Find out our top tips below to remain at the forefront of this technological change.
What is Voice Search Optimisation?
The process of voice search optimisation first involves considering keyword and keyphrase research to address common verbal queries that relate to your content. This determines what your target audience would be searching for regarding your brand, products or services. By identifying these keywords and phrases and incorporating them into your content, your website will climb higher within search engine results. In turn, this enables voice search technologies and virtual assistants to present your website content to users more frequently. By increasing your website’s visibility, you will drive enquiries and leads to your business resulting in increased sales. Over 55% of people use voice search to find local businesses, so voice search optimisation is crucial in building your local presence (WebFx).
Tips for Voice Search Optimisation:
Improve your website’s loading speed
Alongside choosing the phrases you optimise for carefully, site speed also plays a key part in your visibility. As a general rule of thumb, ensure that your website loads in under two seconds, otherwise the user experience is disrupted. Smart devices will prioritise using websites with a fast loading time, so this is a vital step to take to appear at the top of voice search results. In order to improve your website’s loading time, use speed-checking tools such as ‘Page Insights’.
Add a conversational tone to website content
When researching keyphrases, it is important to consider users will search using sentences, not just individual words. Consider longer phrases and sentences and include, where appropriate, onto your website. These are called long-tail keywords, which can also be more niche in terms of content or looking for the solution to a problem. Often long-tail keywords are much easier to rank for as the competition is much smaller with websites focusing on the key shorter words and phrases.
For example, ‘sushi’ is a common keyword that has 2.23 billion results, however ‘vegan sushi recipes’ is an example of a long-tail keyword that only ranks for 25 million results. So, it is beneficial to choose niche terms to boost your chances of ranking well.
Consider question based content
Voice searches are commonly used for asking questions, so consider questions and providing immediate answers to queries in your content. Including an FAQs page on your website is also a proven way of incorporating questions and answers, rather than spreading them out across the entire site.
Optimise your website for mobile users
According to Forbes, 58.99% of all web traffic comes from mobile devices and in turn a high proportion of voice searches will occur on mobile phones. It is therefore key to ensure that your website is mobile-friendly to create a consistent user journey regardless of the device being used.
In a world in which search speed and convenience are favoured, voice searches have become an integral part of the Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) world. By following these steps, you will ensure your website’s overall SEO performance will improve and be in a much better position to rank on search engines.
To find out how to optimise your website content effectively, get in touch with our team today by emailing customerservice@mackmangroup.co.uk or calling 01787 388038.