Voice Search Optimisation
Voice Search is a technological innovation allowing users to perform a search online by verbally asking the question to their device. This device could be a smartphone (like an Apple iPhone), a smart speaker (like the Google Home), another smart device (like a Smart TV) or a computer.
Voice Search vs Traditional Search
With traditional search, users are returned a series of results that they can choose from (i.e. select by clicking or tapping on). However, with Voice Search, the user is typically returned a direct answer by their device, using content taken from one of these prospective results.
This changes the dynamic of search considerably. Previously, websites could improve their content until they ranked on the first page, and then use things like meta descriptions and <title> tags to entice searchers to click their results. With Voice Search, websites don’t have that option. The Voice Search device will pick a result, pick an answer from within that result, and speak that answer back to the user.
With many devices, the Voice Search Assistant will also send a URL to the user’s device that they can click on to learn more, if appropriate.
This makes life much harder for businesses, as now, there’s only ever one “winner” for a given search result. Luckily, there are a number of techniques you can use to increases your chance of being picked as the Voice Search result.
How do you optimise for Voice Search?
Optimising for Voice Search is very similar to optimising for the Answer Box / Featured Snippet. Generally, Voice Search assistants will use the content from the Featured Snippet for a given query to answer the user’s question, and will provide the URL from the Featured Snippet if the user indicates they wish to find out more.
As with anything in SEO, these techniques cannot guarantee you an Answer Box result, especially for a competitive keyword.
However, if you’re already ranking on the first page for a search query and incorporate the following techniques in your page, you’ll have a much higher chance of ranking in the Answer Box, and consequently, a much higher chance of being a Voice Search result.
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Voice Search Optimisation Services
If you’d like help coming up with an voice search strategy, or you’d like help optimising your content for voice search, Optiminder here’s to support your business with your voice search needs. Reach out today to find out how Optiminder can help you reach your prospective customers on their smart assistants, wherever they are.