Siri and Alexa are pretty names, but behind the nice front is an explosion of cleverness.  As you may know, Siri and Alexa are the Apple and Google Voice recognition software. However, they are just a sample of the voice recognition technology that is available to your customers. In an ever-expanding technological world, it is vital that businesses keep up to speed with current tech trends.

Everybody wants convenience and what better way than with hands-free technology. We’re not talking about self-operated hoovers and self-driving buses (although they’re pretty cool). We’re talking about voice activated and voice-controlled software. Voice recognition software is increasing in popularity with up to 60% of people preferring to talk into their device rather than type.

How does a voice search differ to a typed search?

The mechanism of search engine optimisation you have in place at the moment is most likely not the best for voice recognition and search technology. We’re not saying your current system of SEO needs to be drastically altered, but it might benefit from some tweaks to make it voice activation software friendly.

The reason for this is relatively simple. Currently, when we type a search into Google, we do it in the quickest format possible, picking out the key words rather than typing out a whole question. For example, instead of:

    “what is the weather forecast for Perth today?”

We would type:

    “weather Perth”

However, when using voice searches, people ask whole questions, not simple keywords. This changes the way Google searches for the answer.

How do I improve my voice recognition SEO?

A simple way to optimise your website for voice searches is to humanise your content. One way to do this is to make it more conversational and use long tail keywords. Having a Q&A section on your website or blog articles will also make it easier for Google to find the answers to the questions people are asking.

For example:

Some of the most common voice searches are for local amenities, such as the nearest Chinese restaurant or sports shop. Therefore, it is important that your business is optimised for local searches.  As voice searches are often made ‘on the go’, Google can locate where you are and find local amenities that you need near to where you are. One way to ensure your business is on the map and ready for a voice search is to make sure you have an up to date local Google business page.

Another way to improve voice recognition SEO is to use structured data markup and the correct schemas within your website. Schemas are words used within the coding of your website that makes it easier for search engines to understand the context of the content. Ensuring these are working properly will give the voice-activated software clear information about your website content.

For example:

In light of voice recognition technology, you don’t need to take away your current SEO systems. However, you should try to enhance them by making your website content more humanised and conversational. Ensure that you are using structured data markup to contextualise content for search engines and consider having a Q&A page that can match a question and answer for a voice search.

If you have any more tips on optimising a website for voice search, let us know in the comments!

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