Optimizing for Voice Search: The New Frontier

Marketers have just gotten used to optimizing for desktop and mobile. Now, there’s a new kid on the digital marketing scene: Voice Search. When voice search first came out, it was a fun party trick. Today, voice search has skyrocketed because it’s faster than typing, hands-free and reliable. Voice search can be done on voice search-equipped apps or digital assistants. Digital (or virtual) assistants are becoming as familiar in homes as a TV. There are many digital assistants to choose from:

• Google Assistant – Google
• Siri – Apple
• Alexa – Amazon
• Cortana – Microsoft
• Bixby – Samsung
• Yandex – Alice

Voice search relies on natural language processing; it learns a person’s language and behavior patterns. Other apps can be utilized for voice searches, such as GPS and Google Play. Since it will become as natural as making a phone call, voice search will become another piece of the digital marketing pie. And since voice search is done on smartphones, mobile SEO should also be optimized. However, being that voice search is so new, it’s hard to tell if the query came from a voice or mobile search, just like it was with desktop and mobile queries.

Benefits of Voice Search Optimization

Voice Search Optimization (VSO) is another way to increase your brand and sales leads. VSO provides:

• More visibility with featured snippets. What are featured snippets? Are they like rich snippets? Features snippets are a summary of an answer to a user’s query. They appear in “position zero,” which is above position one on page one of a search engine. Google Home and Google Assistant will not only give you the answer to your search query, they will also cite the website the answer came from as well as send a link to the user’s Google Home app.
• A way to meet user’s demands and query intent. When a user asks a digital assistant (or app) a question, such as Give me Target’s store hours in Reading, the user receives a direct answer. Whereas, a typed query will produce a variety of results, including Target’s corporate site, Target reviews and Reading Target’s store hours.
• A boost in local business. A lot of searches include the words “near me” in them which increases local business visibility. You can also include the words “landmarks near” the business. People are more likely to visit a store the same day they search for it.

How to Optimize for Voice Search

• Build your content around questions or statements. Since we use questions and statements in voice searches, you should include them in your content. After all, we talk to our digital assistants as if they are real people. When typing a query, we tend to use only keywords.
• Use more long-tail keywords because they convert faster and more likely to be used by potential customers.
• Create a Q & A page to optimize the “action” words – who, what, why, when and where. It’s also a great place to use long-tail keywords.
• Create a featured snippet. When a person does a voice search, the featured snippet will most likely be read to the searcher. The team at Results Driven Marketing can create your featured snippets.

Philadelphia SEO marketing Experts

At Results Driven Marketing, we have a lot of experience with the SEO tools needed to create proven SEO strategies that increase traffic to your website, which will lead to more conversions and successful ROI. From research to internet marketing strategies, we do it all to help our clients grow their businesses. Contact us today for a free “Web Presence” evaluation at (215)-393-8700. We’ll help you understand SEO Basics, review your online reputation, provide feedback and much more!  

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