There have been revolutions happening on the web as long as it has existed. One of the most recent changes was the addition of mobile searching. This change didn’t affect sites or searching in the way that many anticipated. It seamlessly replicated similar patterns to desktop searching for users and sites. Now we have the latest paradigm, voice search, which will again transform the way we use the web. Will it require massive changes to all the websites? The answer is probably no. But there are optimizations that website owners can do to take advantage of this new method. First, let's take a look at voice search.
What is voice search?
Voice search is the tool used when people ask their personal devices for information in natural language using only their voice. Today the tools we use to do voice searches include such things as Google Home, Amazon Echo (using Alexa), and Apple Homepod (using Siri), among others.
Voice search isn't limited to these new virtual assistant devices. People are also using voice search on their mobile devices (smartphone and tablets) as well as their desktops. Voice search is becoming a leading method of getting information from the web as it is convenient in certain situations.
So, with voice search becoming a more significant deal every day, optimization will help the website owner. An excellent place to start is in optimizing content in a way conducive to voice search.
Optimize Content
The good news about content when it comes to voice searches is that the same content strategy for regular searches also works for voice searches. With that said, following these tips will have a more significant impact on voice search.
The first thing to do is to make your content more conversational in nature. Imagine that a visitor to your site has only the words to go by. Those beautiful images, diagrams, and charts certainly look nice, but Alexa doesn't describe pictures to users. Keep the visual data, but don't let that be your only content.
Instead of depending on non-textual screen elements in an article, take the time to make it a dialogue you have with the visitor. By having this imaginary conversation (one-sided, though it is), you are providing a lot of information for search engines to process and deliver to a virtual assistant for reciting.
As you consider the visitor conversation, think about asking some questions on behalf of the visitor. This serves to draw the reader in and let them identify with the article. And as luck would have it, this also gives search engines a perfect chance to answer questions that a voice search may have asked.
We have extensive experience using best practice SEO methods for websites. While this is just one of the many services we offer, the return on investment is continuing to climb as voice search becomes more popular.
Keep a Concise FAQ Page
FAQs are a great way for visitors (and search engines) to know what your site is about and what to expect. When you consider that they could be natural language questions that are asked by voice searches, it becomes of even more importance.
To take advantage of this natural fit with voice queries, keep your FAQs short and to the point. You'll want to be as concise as possible while providing suitable information. Don't be afraid to include many common questions if they are relevant to your site since these will help with voice searches.
We can offer guidance as to FAQ best practices, especially as it relates to voice search.
Use Site Schema
There is a lot of information on the web about using site schema on a website, and it can help SEO in a variety of ways. The most important advantage that schema provides is that it describes your site to the search engine. Schema tells the search engines what your data means, not just what it says. This information is even more critical as natural language is integrated into searches.
Our experience has shown that a proper site schema can help a website become more consumable and usable by search engines. We have experts that are well versed in site schema setup and implementation.
Capitalize on the Featured Snippet
Currently Google Home and Google Assistant read the featured snippet for the search result at position zero. Now, Google naturally wants to present a product that is the best digital assistant on the market. By providing a strong snippet, you are assisting the search giant while also getting the word out about your site. It's a win-win for everyone.
The only thing sure about the web is that changes will happen. However, it is almost like the old saying, the more things change, the more they stay the same. In the end, we will have the same people asking searching for the same subjects they have in the past. Sure, the queries may be more natural in structure than a typical typed query, but the topics will be similar. With the right approach, voice search optimizations will help the website to capture traffic on all forms of searches. And that is probably the definition of progress.
Neon Rain has extensive experience with the latest innovations available on the Internet. We are dedicated to providing high-quality websites for our customers that take advantage of everything the web has to offer, including voice search optimization. Contact us today to see how we can help your business stay on the cutting edge of technology through the best modern website practices.
Fun Things to Ask Voice Search Assistants:
Digital Trends - Funny Questions to Ask Siri