The Influence of Voice Search on SEO Practices

Voice search is an emerging trend in the world of search and certainly something that SEOs should be keeping their eyes on. Voice search essentially allows users to speak into a device as opposed to typing keywords into a search query to generate results.

Audio technology uses speech recognition to understand what users are saying with extreme precision. It then delivers results orally to the user. In addition programs such as speech to text and voice dialing are great examples of voice search.

But it is important to remember that voice search SEO and traditional website SEO are different. Therefore, some factors that affect website ranking may or may not have the same effect on the site.

Voice search allows users to speak into a device in a search query to generate results. It has eliminated the tedious task of typing keywords into a search query to generate results.

Impact on SEO

• Google changes its search algorithm around 500 - 600 times every year and all these changes affect search results in significant ways. This affects SEO strategies - and is a major reason for SEO being a dynamic process.
• The impact on SEO is sure with the advent of voice search.
• Digital assistants such as Alexa or Siri answer with a short sentence, usually from a news source and the user doesn’t see a long list of options to choose from. A very clear answer to the query!

What are the benefits that are driving people to use voice search?

Voice search is good because:

1. It increases the search speed

• The search platforms cannot match the speed of voice search due to its convenience. A user just needs to say a query vs. typing the query on the laptop or mobile phone.

2. Productivity is enhanced

• The world of 4G and 5G has made people look for results fast. We can speak a sentence faster than we can type it.
• The use of a touchscreen or keyword is eliminated when a person chooses to get an answer to a query with voice search.
• Time saved is time earned.

3. The access is massive

• This is probably the best part about voice search
• They can be accessed by anyone and everyone
• Users who are blind or a person who cannot use the screen for some reason, voice search is the best option.
• It is a big group of people that brands may be missing out on if they are not thinking about voice search.

Well, if you are thinking that SEO is no longer important, just because Siri and Alexa are giving good results, then you may be wrong here!

• The fact is these voice searches give only the most relevant search results, making the optimization even more critical. In order to get your business noticed, companies will have to work on optimization more and notice the patterns voice searches use.
• Marketers have to ensure that all the content is conversational and natural. This will help. How? This will meet the Q and A pattern of voice search.
• Tools like Schema Markup make sure that Google has got the most of the details of your business.
• Blogs were, are and will always be an important method to make a voice search successful.

Top Players in the Game of Voice Assistants are

1. Google Voice Assistant

Supported on Phones | Speakers | Cars | Wearables

lets you connect your smart home devices, Find your android phone, open your apps with voice commands, Plan your day from Alarm to Routine, Let Google Assistant make read news for you, Send Voice Messages, Set Appointment and Reminders, Identify surroundings with your camera and much more.

2. Bixby by Samsung

Bixby voice commands work with a selecting growing number of third-party apps Bixby works with 160M devices across the globe and supports 8 languages. Galaxy smart speakers, galaxy home and Samsung smart refrigerators support Bixby and performing really well with day to day tasks.

3. Alexa by Amazon

Alexa has successfully proven it's premium products by providing great user experience. Alexa helps you to gain information on news, weather updates and you can ask how many cms is a meter. You can successfully stream media on Amazon Music, Spotify and Pandora. It can manage Reminders, To-do lists, and Alarms. Give customers access to thousands of custom skills, including Domino’s, Uber, Jeopardy, and Starbucks on any device with Alexa built-in.

This Is What Indians Said To Alexa Every Minute

4. Cortana by Microsoft

A monopoly of Microsoft with Cortana as a virtual voice assistant is very specific but handy on your laptop or PC working on Windows. It retrieves queries from BING- Microsoft's own search engine. Here is a tip, Microsoft has its own calendar app but you can integrate your Google Calendar using Cortana and access from the lock screen of windows.

5. Siri by Apple

When we talk about Siri, it is an intelligent voice assistant fulfilling all above mentioned basic tasks and Siri is a savage while answering the funny questions

Here is the summary of the capability of performing tasks by these voice assistants.

Voice Bots Framework Softwares that can help you to create your Virtual Voice Assistant or Voicebot that can be integrated on various platforms.

Voicebot.ai - Giving Voice to a Revolution

voicebot.ai specializes in voice web technology, artificial intelligence, internet of things, and Amazon Alexa

4 Tips To Optimize For Voice Search

When users use voice search, they are typically hoping to complete an action – such as playing a song or purchasing a product – or information on a subject.

But despite the two different intentions, Google uses the same algorithm to rank sites. Below are 5 simple steps to improve voice search rankings, no matter your goal.

1. Ensure Your Website Loads Quickly

Just like traditional search engine optimization, Google voice search favors websites that load quickly. Ensure that:

• Your site is responsive and works well on mobile devices
• Images are optimized
• Files are compressed
• You utilize website caching to improve page speed
• Your server’s response time is reduced
• And other tasks that speed up traditional websites

2. Write The Way That You Speak

• When users search for content on desktop or mobile, they tend to write in short, almost bullet-pointed phrases. For example, if a user wanted to find a great web designer, they could type “top web design companies” into Google.
• But if they used voice search, a user might say “Who are the top web design companies in the world?”
• To ensure your content is optimized for voice search as well, including those long-tail keywords that sound more natural as opposed to shorter, snappier keywords that perform well in desktop SEO.
• Plus, keep phrases short and simple. Voice search results are typically written at a 9th-grade reading level at most. So, although your information may be high-level, break it down in a way that is easy for anyone to comprehend.

3. Include Featured Blocks Of Content

• The average voice search result is about 29 words long. But although we know that shorter answers perform better, how can we guarantee the content Google will identify and read to users?
• Create a featured snippet, of course!
• A featured snippet – also called position zero, answer box, or quick answers – is essentially a summary answer from a web page. In desktop search listings, these snippets appear just after the paid ads but before the regular search listings.
• To optimize your content for an identifiable featured snippet, include a concise summary of your main content above the fold under 29 words.
• Sections that use H-tags, lists, and bullet points are easily readable by Google and thus perform well. Plus, be sure to include your long-tail keywords within the featured snippet.

4. Concentrate On Local Searches

• 22% of voice search queries are looking for location-based content. Therefore, brands have a higher chance of producing voice search content if they invest in local content.

Conclusion

Investing in voice search optimization is proven to improve brand awareness, online purchases, and revenue.

In fact, one study found that voice search eCommerce resulted in $1.8 billion in Amazon revenue. That figure alone is expected to increase to $40 billion by the year 2022.

But despite the ever-growing prominence of voice search, its popularity and professional use are still on the rise. But if you optimize your site for voice search now, you’ll likely be ahead of the competition and see strong voice search rankings that will effectively grow your brand long-term.