Voice search has gained huge popularity in recent years, and today, nearly 50% of the US population rely on voice search to perform their day-to-day activities. In fact, 71% of consumers prefer searching for their queries using voice rather than typing. Also, over one-third of US consumers have opted for one or more of the smart speakers available today, such as Alexa.
So, looking at the numbers, we can safely say that voice search is here to stay for years to come, and hence, eCommerce businesses should focus more on optimizing their marketing strategies and voice search SEO techniques. In this article, we will discuss how Google voice search is changing the game in the world of digital marketing.
What is Google Voice Search?
Google Voice Search is a tool or function that enables users to search for their desired products or services on the web using Google. They use spoken voice commands to look for something rather than typing out entire keywords or key phrases. This tool from Google allows users to speak on their mobile devices, a computer, or other wireless speakers like Alexa, to enter the required information by speaking.
This advanced Google voice search online technology is available anywhere, anytime, thus offering higher flexibility and ease of use. Users simply need to tap or click on the voice search button, that is the microphone icon, in the Google bar, and speak their query out loud in their desired language. This is why it’s necessary to optimize for voice search based on local search terms and key phrases.
Benefits of Google Voice Search
Voice search speeds up the searching process, and it comes in handy when we are in a hurry, especially while on the move. This feature offers prompt and quick answers to one’s search terms, thus being a more efficient option over normal typing done from the conventional keyboard. Besides, studies have shown that voice searching is 3.7 times faster than our average typing speed.
Moreover, as we have all experienced, typing can be tedious at times, especially if we have to type on long-tail key phrases. That’s why we prefer typing shorter search terms, which often end up showing unrelated search queries. What’s more, people can search for something in a hands-free manner, while doing other activities. For example, one can ask Alexa to play their favorite music while sitting at a distance, performing other tasks. That’s quite cool!
Why It’s Popular Nowadays?
Voice search has gained popularity because of its convenience, especially for mobile searchers. People can make a query on-the-run and with a single click, thus making it a popular choice over typing out an entire query. Today’s consumers are becoming more impatient due to busy work schedules, and hence, they find Google Voice Search a quick and easy solution for all their searches.
As a result, it becomes necessary for digital marketers to optimize their content based on these local voice searches and long-tail search terms. According to Google, 27% of its users rely on voice search, and about 60% of them contact a business directly from these voice search results.
This proves the urgent need for eCommerce retailers to keep their content updated, and focus on providing more informative and targeted content, especially keeping voice searchers in mind. Furthermore, rather than focusing solely on providing informative content, you also need to update your business contact details, website or purchase page links, list of in-stock products, operating hours, and other service information.
How to Optimize Content for Voice Search?
Here are some of the effective voice SEO tips to target your voice searchers, thus bringing in more business.
- Use Natural Language
Pay attention to the conversational tone of your content to connect with your specific voice-searching audience. In fact, every searcher loves to read content in natural human language rather than the emotionless, robotic ones. They should have the feeling that you are speaking directly to them, and that shows that you care for and understand their interests and pain points. Besides, conversational content is also considered valuable in the eyes of Google, thus improving your site’s SEO health.
- Determine How Your Content Sounds When Read Aloud
Evaluate your content based on how it would sound when someone reads it aloud. Make sure it sounds like human natural language. If you format your content accordingly, it can be easily understood and recognized by voice search devices and tools, thus increasing your chances of ranking higher.
- Prioritize Local SEO
Since a major portion of your voice searches would be about local businesses, you need to optimize your content for the local market. Ensure that the question-and-answer section of your business listing is thorough and informative.
In other words, ensure it is answering the queries of your local searchers, especially if you are targeting a local market. That’s because voice searches are more likely to be for local shoppers. For example, users may look for any local businesses near their location, such as for finding movie theaters, restaurants, hotels, and other local stores or businesses.
- Optimize for Mobile
As mentioned earlier, many voice searches come from mobile devices. Because mobile devices generate more than half of the internet traffic worldwide. So, optimizing your content for mobile users is vital for improving your website’s value and SEO rankings. To ensure that your web pages are landing for both typed-in and voice searches, make sure to create a more responsive website design and, above all, make your website mobile-friendly. It will always keep you ahead of the competition.
Why It’s Essential for Your Business Success?
Considering the fact that the number of online shoppers is ever-increasing, and a significant portion of consumers prefer voice search over typing, it’s necessary for eCommerce brands to optimize their content for voice search. It helps Google and other search engines to recognize your content so that the bots can consider ranking your website in the voice search results. Besides, voice search optimization also enables businesses to understand and identify the keywords or key phrases searchers are using while shopping online.
Voice searches are different from normally typed keywords since voice uses natural human language flow. Our writing and speaking styles are different. When we are speaking, we are likely to use complete sentences that we don’t usually do while typing.
In other words, voice search generally uses long-tail key phrases, and hence, requires a different treatment while you optimize for voice search. Besides, the biggest advantage of voice searches is that you can tell a lot about the searcher’s intent and behavior since they are using full sentences to look for a particular product or solution.
FAQs
Q. 1. In what ways are people utilizing voice search?
Users can use voice search to listen to their favorite songs, play a game, watch or stream a movie on YouTube or Netflix, check on the weather, and set reminders for their upcoming to-dos or events. Some voice assistants also allow users to control their household appliances remotely, such as turning on/off their lights, coolers, etc., provided the appliances have some kind of wireless connection.
Q. 2. How Google plans to ‘train’ itself to identify not just your voice but also your behavior patterns?
Google is good at identifying your voice, as many of us already use its voice assistant. The moment we say “OK, Google”, it immediately recognizes our voice and opens up the microphone. By using advanced machine learning and artificial intelligence tools, Google can recognize our language and behavior patterns, understand them, and respond to them by providing relevant search results. What’s more, Google is also trained to detect and evaluate human emotions through our voices.
Q. 3. How Your Content Works as a Voice Snippet?
Google uses voice snippets to fragmentize and populate its voice search results. Snippets are concise and direct results that Google features in response to a query or search term. So, while you are creating content for your website, such as a blog post, keep in mind the way voice searchers would ask for their desired information on a particular page. It will help you to choose and incorporate the right keywords based on these voice search terms.
