Hey kids…a new sobering statistic: According to the PEW Internet Research Center - By the year 2020, half of all internet searches will be voice searches. This is because Siri, Alexa, Google Assistant, and Mobile phones are more popular than ever.
So, in order to prevent loss of market share or get a leg up on the competition and actually gain market share, marketers and designers should start a shift to allow for voice search to ensure there’s a smooth, natural experience for voice search users. Responses must be conversational, actionable and easy to understand. So how do you Optimize your Website for Voice Search?
Update Google My Business, Yelp, Bing, and other Business Profiles that Link Back to Your Website
According to Google®, 46% of all searches have local intent. For local businesses, having an updated Google My Business profile with name, hours, street address and other relevant information will increase the brand’s search ranking and traffic. So spend some time and spiff up your account info on Google My Business, Yelp, Bing, The Yellow Pages. Your chamber of commerce, really ANYWHERE and everywhere that links to your Website.
Optimize Your Website for Mobile Use
When your Website comes up in a voice search, people are going to look at your information immediately. If it’s not designed to look good on a mobile screen, you’re going to lose people. Immediately.
Add Long-tail Keywords to Your Site
Because the nature of voice search tends to be very specific, (Think “Find me the best pizza in Chicago” instead of “pizza near me” at a desktop computer…) websites optimized in this manner will tend to get far better results. If you need help coming up with great long-tail keywords, an excellent tool is available at AnswerThePublic, which populates a list of various search engine queries that came through for specific keywords.
In my “pizza” example above, I also bring up some other interesting points. How does Google know what the “BEST” pizza is? Getting reviews on sites like Facebook, Yelp, and Google will help push you to the top of the results when people use terms such as “The Best”, “Most Popular”, “Most Reviewed”, etc... So ALWAYS prompt your customers to review your business on their website of choice.
Make Conversational-Style Content
Another point is that voice search has altered how people ask questions online. The way we speak is different from the way we type, so you can use that to your advantage as well. Start by making sure that some of your content on your BLOG’s and FAQ pages ask and answer questions in a more conversational style.
Think Local!
Every time a customer voices a question, you have an opportunity to give them the info they need. By using marketing metrics you can see what people are looking for, and you can start focusing on making sure that you include any regional content, create location-specific pages for towns, counties, states, etc... and tag your images and videos with as much geographic data as possible.
If you implement these strategies, you will be well on your way to optimizing your website for voice search!
ImageWorks, LLC | CT Voice Search Optimization
It’s important to optimize your site for voice search, but it’s best to have a site fully optimized for every type of search. If this task seems too daunting, don’t be afraid to call in the experts!
While professional SEO services can offer many opportunities to your business, you should never depend on SEO alone for the growth of your business. The companies that thrive on the online world have a comprehensive approach and utilize both online and offline marketing strategies. SEO can be a big piece; however, it is only one slice of the marketing pie.
By integrating all of today's Web tools such as SEO, social media, pay per click, and blogs, ImageWorks, LLC can turn your site into a lead generation tool.
