Now that it’s 2021, at least 30% of all website sessions will be conducted without a screen.
How is this possible, you might ask? Voice Search!
By using a voice-only search, users can browse the internet and consumer information without actually having to scroll through sites on desktops and mobile devices. If current trends are anything to go by, this new technology might just be the key to successful brands in the future.
What is Voice Search?
Voice search essentially allows users to speak into a device as opposed to typing keywords into a search query to generate results.
Audio technology uses speech recognition to understand what users are saying with extreme precision. It then delivers results orally to the user.
Although it seems like a brand-new concept, voice search technology has been around for a while. You may have been exposed to it using speech-to-text or voice dialing.
It’s also embedded into Google Assistant, Siri, Microsoft Cortana and Amazon Alexa, which all have voice search capabilities. Also, devices like game consoles, entertainment platforms (Roku, Chromecast, etc.), and any mobile device, all share this capability.
Although specific devices can be optimized for voice search, brands, platforms, and websites can be optimized for it as well. For example, Amazon Alexa can easily scan through Spotify’s musical inventory, search Wikipedia, or pull up an Amazon product – all at the sound of a user’s voice. This kind of optimization is set to only increase in the future.
Does Voice Search Impact SEO Rankings?
Voice search vastly improves a user’s experience when interacting with your content. At the end of 2020, half of all online searches were performed using voice. Even Google is starting to place a higher emphasis on optimizing their SEO for voice search.
After all, the point of SEO is to rank websites accurately so users can find what they are looking for as quickly as possible. User experience is, and always will be, at the forefront of SEO. By January 2018, there were over one billion voice searches every month, showing the growing importance of voice search in the SEO world. It’s important to remember, however, that voice search SEO and traditional website SEO are not the same. Some variables affecting website rankings may not have the same effect on voice search – and vice versa.
Luckily, Customer Scout can help you balance the two SEO strategies and rank your website for search listings AND voice search.
Ways We Can Optimize Your Voice Search
When users use voice search to find something, they’re typically looking for something very specific. At Customer Scout, we know how users search, understand the algorithms, and how to get you to the top of the list.
Unfortunately, Google uses the same algorithm to rank sites no matter what you’re searching for, so here are some ways Customer Scout and help you:
1. Ensure Your Website Loads Quickly
Just like traditional SEO, voice search favors websites that load quickly. So, keeping your sight snappy in all the right areas is crucial.
2. Write The Way That You Speak
Voice search results are typically written at a 9th-grade reading level at most. So, while your information may be high-level, it needs broken down in a way that anyone can understand.
Although phrases should be short, long-form content still ranks better on both voice search and traditional search listings. Aim for web page content that lands between 1850 and 2500 words.
3. Include Featured Blocks Of Content
The average voice search result is about 29 words long. We know that shorter answers perform better, but how can we guarantee that Google will identify and read it to users?
By utilizing featured snippets!
A featured snippet – also called position zero, answer box, or quick answers – is essentially a summary answer from a web page. In desktop search listings, these snippets appear just after the paid ads but before the regular search listings.
At Customer Scout, we know what content will get your customers to where they need to be.
4. Concentrate On Local Searches
22% of voice search queries are looking for location-based content. Therefore, brands have a higher chance of producing voice search content if they invest in local content.
Local SEO is something we do for all of our dealerships. Let us bring them to you.
Does Voice Search Drive Website Traffic To My Website?
It most definitely DOES drive traffic to your website!
When Google reads results from voice search listings, it gives creates a dialog box that shows content from your site. This increases brand awareness. It also gives dictation of the written results which include links to the websites. This gets them to navigate the site traditionally and increases organic traffic when it happens.
Conclusion
Investing in voice search optimization is proven to improve brand awareness, online purchases and revenue.
Despite the ever-growing prominence of voice search, its popularity and professional use are still on the rise. However, if you optimize for voice search now, you’ll likely be ahead of the competition and see strong voice search rankings that will effectively grow your brand long-term.
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