Optimising Voice Search in Your Business
With technology constantly evolving, your business needs to adopt new trends and strategies to stay ahead of the game. With voice search, artificial intelligence allows for people to access internet results using just their voice. It allows for reading the pages aloud to them. This technology has had a sweeping effect on search engine optimisation and digital marketing. Voice search has proven to be a great source of organic traffic and it is in your businesses best interest to incorporate it now! In 2021, businesses that have utilise voice search experience 30% growth in digital commerce. For your business to stay connected with its audience, optimise your website now for voice search. In just a few easy steps you can….
Here’s how!
1. Using Natural Language
Using natural language allows the user to find the answers they are searching for quickly with voice search. When you’re searching for information on the internet, the last thing you want is to come across complicated sentences and wordy paragraphs.
With users’ short attention spans, content needs to be scannable and easy to read in our fast-paced society. This is why voice search technology has been created to follow everyday language and allows for users to easily give commands if they were speaking to a human. It has been reported that 70% of English language voice searches were made in natural or conversational language. So, if your website content adopts a more conversational tone, the chances of it popping up in voice search results increase. The easier it is for someone to read your website, the better the chances you’ll pop up in their voice search, so focus on simple English and short sentences.
2. Using Multiple-Word Keywords
Don’t miss out on customers just because you weren’t aware of the way that people are searching! While people may write consciously, they typically do not speak as consciously, so this is where using multiple-word keywords comes in handy. Four or more words, called long-tail keywords, should be used as people using the voice search speak in complete sentences. This means that their queries will have more words than your average written search. An optimised website should use long-tail keywords to mimic the length of the question the customer would ask. The long-tail keywords should also aim to capture the customers intent. For example, people using voice search will ask, “where is the closest women’s only gym near me” instead of typing “women’s only gym Sydney”.
3. Add Frequently Asked Questions
An easy way to use long-tail keywords is by adding an FAQ page to your website. This can be done by using all the customer data you’ve collected and developing questions and answering content tailored to your customers. Similarly, looking at the reviews and feedback about your business can give you a clear idea of what queries or concerns your customers would like addressed. Unlike written searches, voice searches typically include questions like who, where, when, which and how. Focus on incorporating these words to provide the right content when the customers engage in voice search. The easiest way to write FAQ content is by remembering that questions that require short answers will not generate as much traffic to your website. It has been reported that just 25 keywords will trigger 20% of voices searches. With an FAQ page, your business is more likely to show up when someone asks a question relating to your industry.
4. Add Location-Related Keywords
Location search is one of the most popular voice searches as consumers are three times more likely to search locally when searching by voice. If you are a local business, you should be optimising local search directories like Google My Business to appear on your audience’s radar. As a tip- make sure your business location, opening hours and phone numbers are correct and visible on your website. Once that’s done, you should add location-related keywords to your tags, image tags and website content. “Near me” queries should become your new best friend.
5. Get Mobile-Friendly
60% of voice searches are made from smartphone devices since people are searching when they’re out and about. If your website isn’t optimised for mobile use, it is recommended that you make the necessary changes fast! To be mobile-friendly, your website must load quickly and be easy for the user to navigate. A slow load or a complicated website to navigate could easily make the searcher switch over to another local business. To find out if your website is mobile-friendly, you can run a free test on Google. At The Digital Age, we also offer website developing services that will program your website to be mobile-friendly. Click here if you’d like to find out more.