Voice search is not a fad. It’s a reality.
More and more people are using their smartphones, smart speakers, and other devices to search for information, products, and services using their voice.
According to Statista, the global voice and speech recognition market size is expected to grow from $10.6 billion in 2020 to $31.8 billion by 2025.
That’s a whopping 200% increase in just five years.
But what does this mean for you as a business owner or marketer?
It means that you need to adapt your SEO strategy to the changing behavior and preferences of your customers.
You need to understand how they speak, what they ask, and what they expect from you.
You need to optimize your website, content, and online presence for voice search.
And you need to do it fast.
Because if you don’t, you’ll miss out on a huge opportunity to reach more customers, generate more leads, and increase your sales.
In this blog post, I’ll show you how to do just that.
I’ll share with you the latest trends and best practices for voice search optimization in 2023.
I’ll also give you some practical tips and examples that you can apply right away to your own business.
By the end of this post, you’ll be able to:
Understand the benefits and challenges of voice search for SEO
Know how to conduct keyword research for voice search
Learn how to create content that answers voice queries
Discover how to optimize your website and online presence for voice search
Find out how to measure and improve your voice search performance
Ready to get started?
Let’s dive in.
Why Voice Search Matters for SEO
Voice search is not just a different way of typing. It’s a different way of thinking.
When people use voice search, they tend to:
Use natural language and conversational phrases
Ask longer and more specific questions
Expect immediate and relevant answers
Seek local and personalized information
These differences have a significant impact on how you should approach SEO for voice search.
Here are some of the benefits and challenges of voice search for SEO:
Benefits of Voice Search for SEO
Voice search can help you:
Reach more customers who prefer using voice over text
Provide a better user experience and customer service
Build trust and authority with your audience
Increase your visibility and traffic from voice-enabled devices
Boost your conversions and sales from voice queries
Challenges of Voice Search for SEO
Voice search can also pose some challenges for SEO, such as:
Competing with fewer and more dominant results
Adapting to different devices and platforms
Understanding the intent and context of voice queries
Creating content that matches the tone and style of voice searchers
Measuring and optimizing your voice search performance
As you can see, voice search is both an opportunity and a challenge for SEO.
But don’t worry. I’m here to help you overcome these challenges and take advantage of this opportunity.
In the next sections, I’ll show you how to optimize your SEO strategy for voice search in 2023.
How to Conduct Keyword Research for Voice Search
Keyword research is the foundation of any SEO strategy. And it’s no different for voice search.
But how do you find the right keywords for voice search?
The answer is: by understanding how people use voice search.
As I mentioned earlier, people use voice search differently than text search. They tend to use natural language and conversational phrases. They also tend to ask longer and more specific questions.
This means that you need to focus on long-tail keywords and question keywords for voice search.
Long-tail keywords are keywords that consist of three or more words. They are usually more descriptive and less competitive than short-tail keywords.
For example, instead of searching for “pizza”, a voice searcher might say “where can I get the best pizza near me?”
Question keywords are keywords that start with words like who, what, where, when, why, and how. They are usually used to seek factual or informational answers.
For example, instead of searching for “SEO”, a voice searcher might ask “how can I improve my SEO ranking?”
To find long-tail keywords and question keywords for voice search, you can use tools like:
AnswerThePublic: This tool generates a list of questions based on any keyword you enter. It also shows you related keywords
Google Keyword Planner: This tool shows you the monthly search volume, competition, and suggested bids for any keyword you enter. It also gives you keyword ideas based on your seed keyword or website URL.
SEMrush: This tool allows you to analyze the keywords that your competitors are ranking for, as well as their organic and paid traffic. It also has a keyword magic tool that generates thousands of long-tail keywords for any topic.
To use these tools effectively, you need to think like a voice searcher. Ask yourself:
What questions would my customers ask about my product or service?
What words and phrases would they use to describe their problem or need?
What information would they look for before making a purchase decision?
Then, use these questions as your seed keywords and enter them into the tools.
You’ll get a list of long-tail keywords and question keywords that you can use for your voice search optimization.
For example, let’s say you run a pizza delivery service in New York. You might enter questions like:
How can I order pizza online?
What are the best pizza places near me?
How long does it take to deliver pizza?
What are the ingredients of your pizza?
How much does your pizza cost?
And you’ll get results like:
How can I order pizza online with PayPal?
What are the best pizza places near Times Square?
How long does it take to deliver pizza in Manhattan?
What are the ingredients of your gluten-free pizza?
How much does your large pepperoni pizza cost?
These are the keywords that you want to target for voice search optimization.
How to Create Content that Answers Voice Queries
Once you have your keywords, it’s time to create content that answers voice queries.
The goal here is to provide clear, concise, and relevant answers that match the intent and context of voice searchers.
Here are some tips on how to do that:
Use a Conversational Tone
Voice search is all about natural language and conversation. So, you want to use a tone that reflects that.
Write as if you’re talking to a friend or a customer. Use simple words and sentences. Avoid jargon and technical terms.
For example, instead of writing:
“Pizza is a savory dish of Italian origin consisting of a usually round, flattened base of leavened wheat-based dough topped with tomatoes, cheese, and often various other ingredients, which is then baked at a high temperature.”
Write something like:
“Pizza is a delicious food that comes from Italy. It has a thin crust made of dough, tomato sauce, cheese, and different toppings. You bake it in a hot oven until it’s crispy and melty.”
Use Headers and Lists
Voice searchers often ask questions that require specific or structured answers. For example:
What are the steps to make pizza dough?
What are the different types of pizza crusts?
What are some popular pizza toppings?
To answer these questions effectively, you want to use headers and lists in your content.
Headers help you organize your content into sections and sub-sections. They also help voice search devices identify the most relevant part of your content for a given query.
Lists help you present information in a clear and concise way. They also help voice search devices read out your content in a natural and logical way.
For example, if you want to answer the question “What are the steps to make pizza dough?”, you could use headers and lists like this:
How to Make Pizza Dough
Making pizza dough is easy and fun. Here are the steps you need to follow:
Ingredients
You’ll need:
4 cups of all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons of active dry yeast
1 teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon of sugar
1 1/2 cups of warm water
2 tablespoons of olive oil
Directions
In a large bowl, mix the flour, yeast, salt, and sugar.
Add the water and oil and stir until a soft dough forms.
Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface for about 15 minutes, or until smooth and elastic.
Place the dough in a greased bowl and cover with a damp cloth.
Let it rise in a warm place for about an hour, or until doubled in size.
Punch down the dough and divide it into two equal pieces.
Shape each piece into a ball and let it rest for 10 minutes.
Roll out each ball into a thin circle on a floured surface.
Transfer the circles
to a baking sheet or a pizza stone.
You can now add your favorite sauce, cheese, and toppings to your pizza dough.
Use Schema Markup
Schema markup is a type of code that you can add to your website to help search engines understand your content better.
Schema markup can also help you create rich snippets, which are enhanced results that show extra information like ratings, reviews, images, and prices.
Rich snippets can help you stand out in the search results and increase your click-through rate.
But how does schema markup help with voice search?
Well, schema markup can also help you create speakable snippets, which are results that voice search devices can read out loud to users.
Speakable snippets are especially useful for news and informational content that users might want to hear without looking at a screen.
To create speakable snippets, you need to use the speakable schema markup on your website.
This markup tells voice search devices which parts of your content are suitable for speaking.
For example, if you have a news article about the latest pizza trends, you can use the speakable schema markup to highlight the main points of your article.
This way, when a user asks for the latest pizza news, voice search devices can read out your speakable snippets as an answer.
You can learn more about how to use the speakable schema markup here.
How to Optimize Your Website and Online Presence for Voice Search
Creating content that answers voice queries is not enough. You also need to optimize your website and online presence for voice search.
This means making sure that your website is fast, mobile-friendly, and secure. It also means optimizing your local SEO and online reputation.
Here are some tips on how to do that:
Make Your Website Fast
Speed is crucial for voice search optimization. Voice searchers expect fast and accurate answers. If your website is slow to load or respond, you’ll lose their attention and trust.
To make your website fast, you need to:
Use a reliable web hosting service
Compress your images and videos
Minify your CSS and JavaScript files
Enable caching and CDN
Remove unnecessary plugins and widgets
You can use tools like Google PageSpeed Insights and GTmetrix to test your website speed and get suggestions on how to improve it.
Make Your Website Mobile-Friendly
As I mentioned earlier, most voice searches are done on mobile devices. So, it’s essential that your website is mobile-friendly.
A mobile-friendly website is one that:
Adapts to different screen sizes and orientations
Has easy-to-read fonts and colors
Has clear and intuitive navigation
Has clickable buttons and links
Has minimal pop-ups and ads
You can use tools like Google Mobile-Friendly Test and Google Search Console to check if your website is mobile-friendly and fix any issues that might affect your user experience.
Make Your Website Secure
Security is another important factor for voice search optimization. Voice searchers want to feel safe when they interact with your website. If your website is not secure, they might not trust you or your content.
To make your website secure, you need to:
Use HTTPS protocol instead of HTTP
Install an SSL certificate on your website
Update your software and plugins regularly
Use strong passwords and encryption
Scan your website for malware and viruses
You can use tools like SSL Checker and Sucuri SiteCheck to verify if your website is secure and free from any threats.
Optimize Your Local SEO
Local SEO is extremely important for voice search optimization. Many voice searches are for local information; they are three times more likely to be local searches than text-based ones1.
If you think about it, this makes sense. People often use voice search when they are on the go, looking for nearby businesses or services.
For example, someone might ask:
Where can I get a haircut near me?
What time does the library close?
How far is the nearest gas station?
To optimize your local SEO for voice search, you need to:
Use location-based keywords and phrases in your content
Implement schema markup for local businesses
Claim and optimize your Google My Business listing
Get positive reviews and ratings from your customers
Build high-quality backlinks from other local websites
These steps will help you rank higher in local search results and increase your chances of being featured in voice search answers.
How to Measure and Improve Your Voice Search Performance
Finally, you need to measure and improve your voice search performance.
This is not an easy task, as voice search analytics are not readily available or accurate.
However, there are some ways you can track and optimize your voice search performance, such as:
Use Google Search Console
Google Search Console is a free tool that helps you monitor and improve your website’s performance in Google search results.
You can use Google Search Console to:
See which queries bring traffic to your website
See which devices and platforms your visitors use
See which pages have rich results or speakable snippets
See how your website performs on mobile devices
Identify and fix any issues or errors on your website
To use Google Search Console for voice search optimization, you need to:
Verify and add your website to Google Search Console
Link your Google Search Console account with your Google Analytics account
Filter your queries by question words (who, what, where, when, why, how) to identify voice search queries
Analyze the performance of your voice search queries and pages
Optimize your content and website based on the data
Use Third-Party Tools
There are also some third-party tools that can help you measure and improve your voice search performance, such as:
SEMrush: This tool has a voice search report that shows you how well your website ranks for voice queries on different devices and platforms. It also gives you suggestions on how to optimize your content and website for voice search.
Rank Tracker: This tool has a feature that allows you to track your rankings for voice queries on different devices and platforms. It also shows you which keywords trigger featured snippets or speakable snippets in voice search results.
Voicebot: This tool helps you create and optimize voice apps for different platforms like Alexa, Google Assistant, and Siri. It also provides analytics and insights on how users interact with your voice apps.
These tools can help you gain more insights into your voice search performance and optimize it accordingly.
Conclusion
Voice search is not a fad. It’s a reality.
And it’s a reality that’s changing the way people search for information, products, and services online.
As a business owner or marketer, you need to adapt your SEO strategy to the changing behavior and preferences of your customers.
You need to understand how they speak, what they ask, and what they expect from you.
You need to optimize your website, content, and online presence for voice search.
And you need to do it fast.
Because if you don’t, you’ll miss out on a huge opportunity to reach more customers, generate more leads, and increase your sales.
In this blog post, I’ve shown you how to do just that.
I’ve shared with you the latest trends and best practices for voice search optimization in 2023.
I’ve also given you some practical tips and examples that you can apply right away to your own business.
By following these steps, you’ll be able to:
Understand the benefits and challenges of voice search for SEO
Conduct keyword research for voice search
Create content that answers voice queries
Optimize your website and online presence for voice search
Measure and improve your voice search performance
Now it’s your turn.
Are you ready to optimize your SEO strategy for voice search?
If so, I’d love to hear from you.
Leave a comment below and let me know what you think of this blog post.
Or better yet, ask me a question using your voice. 😉