With voice recognition technology on the rise, businesses must rise to the occasion by ensuring their website and content are optimized appropriately through voice search optimization. Most people make the mistake of only considering how their site performs on a desktop computer, but nowadays, the average person uses voice commands to get answers from the internet.
The most popular voice search software is Siri, followed by Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa.
There are many reasons why people depend on using voice commands for search rather than manually typing in their query, including the ability to multitask, instant gratification by getting results as quickly as possible, hands-free capabilities, and the simplification of the overall search process.
That is why you want to make sure that your website stays on-trend and optimizes accordingly.
Tips to Optimize Your Website
There are a few ways you can optimize your website specifically for voice search:
Keywords – Since people type or text differently than they would speak something out loud, you want to consider how keywords show up differently. For example, when typing manually in the search bar, a person would usually use three keywords, and plenty of results would pop up that include any of those few keywords. However, when using a voice command search, a person usually asks a specific question. When putting together content on your website, you want to tailor it to that specificity used by voice command search.
Functionality – When a person uses a voice search, the software responds with the first results that appear and also the most accurate. That being said, if your website runs slow, it most likely won’t cut. Improving your site speed can improve your website’s voice search optimization.
Think “Local” – According to Search Engine Land, 58% of people use voice search to find local business information. This statistic indicates that a lot of voice commands are location-based, including requests like driving directions, closest store or restaurant, or local business hours and information. The first step in optimizing regional voice search commands is claiming your business listing on Google My Business. Then, you should create content on your website or other business listing pages that include helpful location-based information.
As the use of voice search technology continues to grow, make sure your business grows with it! If you have any questions, please contact Lifestyles Media Group today.
