How Would You Prepare Your Site for Voice Search Optimized Content?
Voice search is at its peak right now. And it's getting even more prominent.
Now, the question arises: How would you prepare voice search optimized content for your site?
Well, that’s why we’re here!
Voice search revolution
Some claim we’re in the middle of a voice search revolution… Is that true? Or, is it an exaggeration?
Let’s look at the stats as they don’t lie…
More than 40% of adults and 55% of teenagers use voice search in 2019 daily. Almost 20% of Google mobile queries are from voice searches. Since 2008, voice search trends have grown 35 times until now.
The stats say it all!
Voice search is no longer “the next big thing”. It’s already here.
As you dig deeper, you’ll find things more interesting…
In 2018, 25% of Windows 10 searches were done through voice search. It’s surprising and a welcome change to notice the popularity of voice searches. Speaking of voice search popularity in 2019, 6 out of 10 people vow never to go back to typing “pre-historic days”.
By 2020, an estimated 55% of total searches will be voice search optimized. As voice-based searches are driving type-based queries out of the arena, it is evident that we must make more of voice search optimized content to keep up with the trend.
Now, you must be wondering…
Why is voice search optimized content growing so popular?
There are 3 reasons behind this trend –
- Searching via voice is almost 4 times faster than standard typing. Faster searches will deliver faster answers.
- Post-2010, the incredible surge of mobile users brought this trend. Voice searching in mobile phones is way more "cooler" than regular searching.
- Voice searching is more convenient. This is why 60% of all mobile users use voice search as "they no longer need to type".
For example, in a Google voice search online, asking “How far is Howrah Station from Esplanade” feels like a breeze. Now imagine, typing the same query. Painful, isn’t it?
Yes, that’s how it is!
Now it’s clear that voice search isn’t just hype. It’s legit and is already affecting SEO.
How does Google voice search work?
Did you notice a subtle thing, here? I bet you did! It’s the subhead, isn’t it? Doesn’t it look like a keyword itself?
Yes! It does. You see, searching with voice is poles apart from typing. Here, the keywords aren’t limited to 2 or 3 words. Instead, it is quite long. This is because Google voice search online mimics how you speak in a real-world scenario.
Technically, Google voice search changes –
- How people search
- When people search, and
- What they search for.
Let’s elaborate…
Voice changes how you search
Here the searches are – more extended and more conversational. They are significantly longer than a text-based search. Moreover, they're less like computer languages and more like a conversational type.
So what is the trend in voice search 2019?
Google stats state that 65% of searches via Google Assistant use natural language.
For example, you want to make a cup of tea. A couple of years back; you’d typed “make tea” in Google search box. Now, when you want the same thing with a voice command, you query differs. You’d use human language, like, “Hey Google, how to make tea?”
See the difference yourself! It’s needless to say; it has a significant impact on how keywords are placed and its effect on SEO.
Now, let’s move on to the next factor…
Voice changes where people search
As voices searches are convenient, people use it far more often on portable devices like mobiles, tablets or smart wearable devices.
Google reports searches like, “Find Chinese restaurants near me” or “Where is the nearest mobile store?” have increased significantly in the last 2 years. And these searches are happening in public places like restaurants, gym, public transport etc.
The significance of Google voice search online has reached a stage that's unbelievable!
For example, a few years back, if you stained your shirt on your way to the office, what would you've searched? Something like, "clothing store Kolkata".
Now, asking via voice search is like, “where is the nearest clothing store open right now?” See how effortless it is!
Voice changes how people get search results
Voice search optimized content is turning Google from a search engine to an answering machine.
For this, the amount of organic clicks has dropped in the last couple of years. After all, you no longer need to visit a site for getting answers. It’s right there in featured snippets. Google is riding this question-answer based technology to provide relevant search results.
Back in the day, you’d ask a query and had to wait for a few seconds to get the relevant results. But with Google voice search online, answers read back to you instantly.
So, what does this signify for content writers and SEO?
Content writers need to produce voice search optimized content, to provide users, direct answers to their queries. Otherwise, it will be harder each day to present your content in front of users. That said, it's time to know how to do voice search based keyword research.
Voice Keyword Research
As a content developer, you can apply three strategies to find voice search keywords.
So let’s dive in.
1. Look out for “natural” keywords
Voice search keywords need to be more natural, resembling a human conversation. Robotic keywords such as “ketogenic diet athlete” are getting replaced with, “How to follow a ketogenic diet for an athlete”.
From 2019 onwards, voice search optimized content will give a massive boost in search volume as voice searching progresses. If a keyword seems forced or appears robotic, down goes your rank.
2. Don’t cut off ‘insanely’ long keywords
Until recently, most people avoided insanely long keywords.
Why?
As only a handful wants to write so much in Google search.
But, tides are changing. As more people are getting into voice search trends, ‘ humanising' of the keyword is replacing age-old keyword formations. It is causing keywords to become longer each passing day.
So don't be shocked to make your voice search optimized content with ‘elongated keywords'. However, keep in mind to maintain keyword density while optimising content. Try to sprinkle these long-tailed keywords throughout your content.
3. Focus on ‘question’ keywords
Thanks to voice-oriented search, question keywords are increasing at a rate of 60% increase each passing year.
A few years back, if you wanted to obtain higher rankings in Google, you’d type something like, “Beginner’s guide to SEO”.
Now with voice search, you ask, “How can I get my site rank higher in Google?”
Finding question keywords can be challenging; you need to dig deep to derive relevant keywords.
Okay! Now you know how to find keywords, it's time for optimising your content around them.
How voice search optimized content is created?
First, know that you don’t need to overhaul your site. Instead, you can get your site prepped for voice search SEO with simple tweaks.
- Include concise answers – A survey by Google states answering voice search queries with brief results proves useful. Try to maintain 29 words for best results.
- Create voice search FAQ pages – We converse in a FAQ tone in reality. Creating an FAQ pages score high in voice search.
- Optimise for featured snippet – Basically, more than 40% of voice searched answers come from featured snippets. For example, if you ask, “Is smoking prohibited in Dhaka?” You’d see a featured snippet popping up as the search result.
- In today’s smart technology, getting into featured snippet is essential for smart home devices like Google Home. They only provide ONE answer. So if you fail to rank in the featured snippet, you'd go practically invisible in those devices.
- Develop content in natural language – Voice searches are fluid and less mechanical than keyboard searches. Frame content the way you’d speak in your daily vocabulary. For example, if you search, “How to DM someone on Instagram” Google will find the best “match” for your query. But if go like this, “DM Instagram” the search results would be confusing.
- Embed long-tail keywords into long-form content – Although voice searches are relatively longer than keyboard searches, you can't create 100 pages optimized around 100 various voice search terms.
Recent findings show less than 2% of all voice search had exact keywords in the title tags. Instead, Google draws up an answer even if it makes up a thin section of your content.
Hence, the bottom line is?
Embed as many long tail keywords as possible in your content. If you manage it well, your page can rank for various voice search queries.
Writing a naturalistic, FAQ based with a long tail keyword is essential in creating a voice search optimized content. Concise answers along with featured snippets are a BIG part of Google’s way of answering voice searched queries.
So if you want your content to be voice search optimized, you can follow the guidelines mentioned in the blog. It will help your content to rank better in Google's SERP.
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