How to Optimise Content for Voice Search
There are a number of trends that have grown quickly, resulting in marketers having to adapt their strategies. One of these is voice search. The technology was barely heard of in 2009, and now it is used by thousands of people throughout the world, activated by a touch or a single word. What does the exponential use of voice search mean for your content? How can you adapt and improve visibility when it comes to voice search?
Voice search is artificial intelligence (AI) technology that can hear and interpret users intentions, returning results that are relevant to their question. A good example is asking Alexa if you need sunscreen today. The software immediately detects that you are asking a question related to the weather in your particular area. Voice search is becoming more sophisticated by the day and the more advanced it becomes, the more people are using it.
More people are using voice search thanks to the convenience it provides. But why is this important to you and your content strategy? Most voice search systems used will turn to Google to get the answers the users is looking for. As you probably know, search engine optimisation (SEO) is important to improve your visibility in search results, and this remains the case with voice search.
A large percentage of your target audience are already using voice search and the sale of voice-activated speakers has sky-rocketed in the past couple of years. In fact it is expected to exceed $30 billion this year alone. In addition to this, smart phones have voice options, which is why its essential to optimise your content for voice search.
This is one of the most common questions we are asked here at Genie Crawl. The fact is that you must take on a new approach when planning your content and SEO, focusing on the future.
Snippets are concise and direct results. Google features them as relevant and useful answers based on the search query. Most of the time, there isn't a screen on the voice assistant screen, which means it gets its results from snippets.
While snippets are powerful, they are known as Position Zero, as they are the results you see before the organic results, and they are essential for voice search. If you want to reach your audience that uses verbal queries, then you must learn how to optimise your content effectively.
Featured snippets provide the truth about voice search with short, direct, and easy to understand answers. This means structuring your content effectively, paying close attention to your meta descriptions, subheadings, introductions, and lists, creating a natural and to the point post. When your content structure is optimised, it appeals to Googles crawlers, while grabbing the attention of your audience, helping to boost brand authority and generate website traffic.
Consumers that use voice search usually ask a question. This means optimising part of your content to answer specific questions. When your content provides answers that fit user queries, it will be chosen by Google more often, helping you reach your target audience effectively.
Schema markup, also known as structured data markup, helps search engines understand what your web page content is about, helping their algorithms access your data with ease. Providing details regarding products and services that are marked up in scheme, improve your chances of it being seen by search engine crawlers.
Optimising your content for voice search has become imperative in 2024, as more people rely on voice assistants to answer their queries. At the same time, you should always focus on SEO Best Practices to strengthen your strategy and improve your ranking in search results. Do you need help optimising your content for voice search? Contact the expert team at Genie Crawl today and let us help you reach your target audience with ease.
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