How often do you say or hear someone say “Hey Siri” or “Hey Alexa”? In the digital age, calling upon virtual assistants through voice searches is becoming more and more common. The way we search for information is undergoing a significant transformation, thanks to the rise of voice search technology. As voice search continues to gain traction, its impact on the SEO and web landscape is becoming increasingly pronounced. In this blog, we’ll explain why and how you should optimize your website for voice search queries.
Why Is It Important To Optimize Your Website For Voice Search?
Every month, roughly one billion voice searches are made. Consider how many potential customers could have queries that relate to your business. Choosing to ignore the rise of voice search could cause you to be leaving sales on the table. Just like all other areas of the digital landscape, voice searches require us to adapt the technical components of our websites to ensure they support the needs of voice assistants. While an unoptimized website can still yield results in a voice query, choosing to optimize your website can help ensure that your business stands out among the competition.
What Strategies Should You Use To Optimize Your Website For Voice Search?
- Target Conversational Long-Tail Keywords
Use the 5 Ws: Voice searches sound like real conversations and typically average four to seven words, often starting with the “5 Ws” – Who, What, Where, When, Why, or How.
Rephrase Content: Instead of targeting the text phrase “Best Fishing Boat,” write headings or sections like, “What are the best types of boats for amateur fishermen?”
Natural Language: Write content in the same plain, everyday English that you would use to speak to a friend.
- Optimize for Featured Snippets and AI Answers
Keep Answers Concise: Aim to answer specific questions directly in about 30 to 40 words. The longer the paragraph, the harder it will be for concise information to be pulled from it.
Use Clear Formatting: Make information scannable by incorporating bullet points, numbered lists, and short paragraphs.
Build FAQ Pages: Dedicated FAQ Pages naturally align with how voice queries are formulated and provide direct answers to common questions.
- Strengthen Local SEO
Why Local SEO: Roughly 75% of all voice search queries have local intent, such as “Find a pizza place near me”.
Claim Your Profiles: Optimize your free Google Business Profile and Yelp Business Profile to ensure your business details appear correctly on Google Assistant, Siri, and Alexa.
Local Keywords: Naturally embed town names, landmarks, and “near me” variations into your page copy. Examples could look like, “Expert plumbing services in Los Angeles, CA” or “Serving Clark County and Surrounding Areas”.
- Prioritize Technical Performance and Mobile
Why Technical Performance Matters: Most voice searches are executed on smartphones or smart speakers, meaning technical SEO and user experience are heavily weighed.
Improve Page Speed: Voice assistants need immediate answers; ensure your site loads in under 3 seconds by compressing images, minifying code, and leveraging caching. Sluggish sites are typically skipped over by virtual assistants.
Mobile Responsiveness: Ensure your site is fully responsive, easy to read, and navigate on screens of all sizes. If a potential customer cannot navigate your website on their phone, it is highly unlikely they will wait to use your website until they have access to a computer.
Who Can Help Me Upgrade My Website?
If you’re ready to elevate your small business by upgrading your website, Blackbear Marketing can help! Get in contact with us so we can discuss where your website could use improvement and how we can help!
