This post originally appeared on tBL member Joshua Lyon’s blog Joshua Lyons Marketing Blog and is republished with permission. Find out how to syndicate your content with theBrokerList.
Voice search is becoming more common in this era—and it doesn’t seem like it’ll go away any time soon. The way people search for information has changed significantly over the years, and it’s actually more efficient. Even smart phones have imbedded voice search into the devices (Hey Siri or OK Google), which gives users a quicker way in searching for information. So, it’s more important than ever to optimize your website for voice search. But, how can you do this? In this blog post, we explain what voice search optimization (VSO) is and how to do it.
What is Voice Search Optimization?
Voice search is the process that allows people to access internet results using just their smart phone and their voice. VSO gives people the chance to have their pages read out loud by the device for a quicker and more efficient way in searching for an answer to something.
Nowadays, the majority of the population uses a smart phone or device, which includes voice search optimization. According to Hitwise, 60 percent of searches are now performed on mobile devices—and majority of those are used by the voice feature. If you don’t think you’ve ever used the feature before, you’re possibly mistaken. Voice search is common to find local restaurants, directions, finding out the weather, etc. If you have ever said, “Hey Siri, where is the closest gas station?” you have used voice search.
Why Do I Need This in Business?
In addition to smartphones or devices, over 66 million Americans own a smart speaker. Some popular smart speakers are Amazon Alexas and Google’s Smart Speakers. With these around, there is a search engine available at all times. So, there is always a possibility someone may search for something relating to your business. This is why you must optimize your website for voice search! Using voice search strategy is vital for your business. As more people are using search devices, investing in this strategy will help you reach those people. With local search, more than 55 percent of people use voice search to find nearby businesses.
These statistics support why you should invest in voice search:
Sales From Voice Search Amount to More Than $2 Billion!
Voice search drives sales. Think about that. Many people use their smart speakers to purchase household items. According to Brafton, 25 percent of consumers say they are most likely going to order everyday household items through voice assistance.
More Than One Billion Voice Searches Happen Each Month
Having a strategy in place will make it easier for people to find your business. Considering there are so many voice searches happening each month, it’s important to spend some time making your site optimized.
Are you enjoying this post? If so, be sure to subscribe for occasional email updates from our team!
Brands That Adopt Voice Search Could Grow Digital Commerce by 30 Percent in 2021
VSO holds high potential for your business—so best to invest now so you can succeed later. This investment is mostly time, unless you outsource your VSO to a marketing agency.
75 Percent of Smart Speaker Owners Search For Local Businesses Every Week
In addition to this statistic, 53 percent of these smart speaker owners report searching every day. So, be sure you optimize your content for voice search to be one of the businesses they find.
How Do You Optimize Content For Voice Search?
Make Your Content Scannable
People who search the internet on their devices are looking for content that’s already been optimized for this platform. Make sure your content is easily readable, scannable and doesn’t have any ad popups that distract readers from their search. It’s important to use simple sentences, short paragraphs and bold headers to break up content as much as you can. People don’t enjoy and won’t read long searches and paragraphs. SensoMetric Instruments conducted a research study on iPhone reading—which they found out that only five percent of people read the full text on their screen. Most people will scan the text instead of reading it all the way through. So, make your content easily scannable.
Claim Your Google My Business Listing
Claiming and optimizing your Google My Business is a great way to provide Google with additional details about your business. You can add your phone number, email, address, business hours, website. This increases your chances of showing up when a relevant voice search is performed. But, if you don’t optimize your Google My Business listing, it will be less likely for the smart speaker to recommend your business. So, be sure to focus on optimizing your Google My Business page properly.
Get Mobile-Friendly
As mentioned above, 60 percent of searches are made from a smart phone device. You’re going to need to have your content mobile-friendly, as it is being accessed through smartphones, which will take them directly to your site. There are many responsive website platforms your business can use such as WordPress, Wix, Squarespace, etc. Or, you can hire a website developer to create a mobile-friendly site. Also, make sure your content loads quickly and is easy to read. With our short attention spans, people easily leave pages before they load if they are taking too long.
With local search, more than 55 percent of people use voice search to find nearby businesses. Voice search optimization is important! Click To Tweet
Create Content Answering Customers Questions
The easiest way to get people to find your page is by creating content that will guide them there when asking a question in a voice search. Content that is most commonly created for this purpose are blog posts or frequently asked questions (FAQs). Listen to the way people talk about your company and the questions they ask. From that, create content that will be meaningful and helpful for others with the same thoughts.
You can also use questions in your content like, “What is a good SEO company in Pensacola?” so you can show up in search results. When someone asks a question relating to your business or industry, you will be more likely to show up in search results.
Optimizing Your Content For Voice Search
The world is constantly evolving in new ways, most of them being in digital marketing and technology. It is important for your business to keep up with the new trends and strategies to help your business stay relevant. It’s not an easy process, but it will help your business stay closer to its consumers and audience.
If you need help practicing voice search optimization, feel free to contact us. Our team of website developers, content writers, and marketing consultants can help you optimize your site. We know how important it is to show up in voice search results and look forward to assisting you!
