With technology an essential part of our daily lives, we now have a variety of ways to conduct online research at our convenience. But what does this mean for online content?
Internet users carry out searches in a whole host of ways, including via voice commands using services such as Alexa and Siri. Voice searches have been on the rise for several years. So, how can companies be sure their content is optimized to suit these user queries and search styles?
If you’re hoping to keep your content at the top of the search results, then here are five simple ways to optimize effectively for voice search.
1. Use colloquial keywords
Written sentences can be very different from normal speech patterns. In fact, spoken language is often far less concise than the quick questions you may dash into a search bar. For this reason, content that is optimized for voice searches must account for the differences between written and spoken language.
Incorporating ‘long-tail keywords’ into your content is the best way to do this. These will often be short phrases or part of a question that searchers are likely to ask via voice command. Consider the different ways searchers may phrase their queries and aim for long-tail keywords that use around five words.
To ensure your keywords will be as effective as possible, it may be worth working with a focus group of customers to learn more about their search habits and query phrasing.
2. Work with an ORM company
Keeping track of your business’s online presence can become overwhelming, especially when you’re trying to cater to a variety of customer needs. This is why working with ORM companies can be a huge advantage for voice search.
An ORM company will analyze your business’s online presence, focusing on what is easily discoverable by potential clients and how this can influence them to choose or avoid your products.
Not only this, but you’ll also gain insight into the wants and needs of potential customers and how they interact with your website. This way, it will be easier to tailor your long and short-tail keywords to your customers’ interests and identify how and when they may use voice searches in relation to your company.
3. Use strategic FAQs
Whether they’re searching for general recommendations or want the answer to a specific query, the majority of the time that people use voice search, they will be asking a question. Therefore, it’s wise to ensure that any FAQs you include on your website mirror the questions that customers are likely to search. Identify which search questions are most likely to lead to your company, and consider which phrasing is most likely to be chosen by your target customers.
Try to keep your questions specific and avoid vague phrasing such as ‘how much do we cost?’ – as a client probably won’t search in this way. Opt for more specific FAQs such as ‘how much does car cleaning cost?’ instead.
Try to include a (rhetorical) question or two within the body content of your webpage. Not only will this break up your text and keep it engaging, but it also allows you to add in a few extra key questions that can help your site to rank higher.
4. Stay ahead of user needs
To best optimize your site for voice search, it’s important to predict any further questions that searchers may have. In fact, providing the answers to more uncommon questions can help generate more visitors to your site – especially if you’re answering industry-specific questions or providing helpful information that can be hard to find elsewhere online.
Remember to list the questions clearly on the page where they’re answered and ensure the phrasing mimics common voice searches and incorporates a handy long-tail keyword!
5. Keep it diverse
As you might expect, everyone interacts with technology and conducts online searches differently. When you’re also trying to account for voice searches, it can be hard to find a ‘one size fits all’ approach.
Therefore, it’s best to diversify your approach to voice search optimization as much as you can. Consider different phrasing, spelling, or dialect variations, and incorporate them into your long-tail keywords where appropriate. You may also want to pinpoint the physical location of your key customers to better tailor your site phrasing to them.
Finally, don’t forget other forms of online searching. Whilst it’s important to ensure your website is optimized for those who prefer to voice search, try to account for a variety of conventional and non-conventional forms of online research to appeal to as broad a range of consumers as you possibly can.
Are you ready to optimize your content for voice search?
Voice search is undoubtedly an increasingly popular way to quickly retrieve information online and staying ahead of this user trend is an excellent way to ensure your site is consistently high in search result rankings.
Whether you prefer working with ORM companies or conducting your own analysis, it’s vital to make sure your approach to optimization is diverse and accounts for as many users’ needs and search styles as possible.
