Welcome to the era of voice search!

The use of voice search is growing day by day. According to a study commissioned by Google, 41% of adult Americans and more than half of teens now use this feature on a daily basis.

In light of this strong trend, voice search optimization will now be a key element for companies that specialize in SEO. Here is an overview of SEO for voice search.

What is voice search?

Voice search involves performing an online search by speaking into a high-tech device.

However, an increasing number can also operate by voice control, allowing you to, for example, start playing an audio track while settled comfortably in a hot bath.

The advent of digital assistants

Voice assistants have been major agents of change and to some extent the initiators of voice search. Major technology companies such as Apple (Siri) and Microsoft (Cortana) were among the first to develop digital assistants capable of responding to voice commands.

Over the next year, three of the tech giants will likely offer home voice assistants that will redefine the market. Apple’s HomePod, expected for 2018, will eventually compete with Google Home and Amazon Echo, which are already available in many versions.

In short, in addition to smartphones, a host of new devices will soon be compatible with voice commands and requests, leading to new user behaviours.

Differences between voice search and traditional SEO

Although the impact of voice search on SEO is continuously evolving, it is undeniable that voice search optimization is very different from that of traditional search. For one thing, voice searches are usually composed of longer sentences, often in the form of a question. Artificial intelligence is also continually evolving to better decipher the user’s intent as well as the context of their query, taking into account things such as search history and current location.

SEO agencies must be open to trying out new techniques and focus on what customers are looking for when talking to their voice assistant.

The importance of long-tail keywords

This might signify that it is now relevant to focus SEO efforts on longer keywords and full sentences. This long-tail keyword approach can be achieved with a website design that specifically answers users’ questions rather than simply targeting specific keywords. Targeting short keywords will no longer be as relevant since content and websites have to be more intricate and ready to answer questions addressed to voice assistants.

A new way of thinking about FAQ pages

One way to take advantage of trends in voice search is to create FAQ pages that focus on phrases and long-tail conversational keywords. In this sense, opt for natural-sounding questions and phrases instead of the old SEO keyword phrases that you probably used to employ. Also anticipate direct questions. Searches such as “best laser printer” will start to become scarce, giving way to hyper-specific queries.

This may seem like a daunting task but creating these pages and content snippets centered on specific semantic questions can help your site appear in voice search results.

The importance of metadata in voice search

Optimizing metadata is another digital strategy to put in place if you want to perfect a website’s SEO for voice search. This data is essential for providing appropriate context, including a company’s location and contact information.

Local SEO is more popular than ever thanks to voice search, and consumers are increasingly using queries like “nearest garage”. Voice search studies also indicate a greater need for the verification of location, hours of operation, phone numbers and any other information that will be relevant to people seeking nearby products and services.

Better position yourself with SEO for voice search

Many companies are already hard at work trying to take advantage of the big changes promised by the increasing number of voice searches. If you don’t want to get caught off-guard and lose search engine positions to their advantage, you will have to react quickly.

To help you in this delicate task, the My Little Big Web team is a natural fit. With our expertise in search referencing, we can help you benefit from this new reality of SEO for voice search.

Contact us today!

Eugénie Delhaye

Cofondatrice et Spécialiste Marketing Internet et Référencement Naturel (SEO) Ma maîtrise des techniques de référencement, combinée à une analyse minutieuse des tendances du marché, me permet de créer des stratégies SEO sur mesure, efficaces et durables.