Voice Search and its Impact in 2022
Voice Search and its Impact in 2022
As we enter a new decade, it’s important to reflect on the past and look ahead to the future of SEO strategy. And one of the biggest changes we’re likely to see in the next few years is the rise of voice search.
Voice search is already having a major impact on SEO. In fact, today, current statistics show that 41% of adults use voice search at least once per day and that number is expected to grow rapidly in the coming years. As more and more people use voice assistants like Siri and Alexa, they’re turning to them for everything from simple Web searches to complex commands.
This shift represents both a challenge and an opportunity for SEOs. On the one hand, it means that businesses will need to optimise their content for voice search to stay relevant. But on the other hand, this opens new opportunities to capture more organic traffic and improve your rankings.
So how do you adapt your SEO strategy to accommodate voice search? Here are the top 10 tips:
1. Create longer, more conversational content.
When people use voice search to look for information online, they’re usually searching for something that sounds natural when spoken out loud. This means that the most effective way to optimise your content for voice search is to create long-form articles that read like actual conversations – with lots of natural languages, conversational tone, and relevant keywords.
2. Include question words (“who,” “what,” “when,” etc.) in your content.
One of the key features of voice search is that it allows users to ask questions as they would naturally speak them to a friend or family member. So it’s important to include question words (“who,” “what,” “when,” etc.) throughout your content in order to make it more voice search-friendly.
3. Use structured data to help search engines understand your content.
Structured data is code that you can add to your website to help search engines better understand the content on your pages. This is important for voice search because it allows search engines to provide more accurate results when users ask questions.
4. Optimise your site for mobile devices.
Most voice searches are conducted on mobile devices, so it’s important to make sure your website is optimised for mobile. This means having a responsive design, fast loading times, and easy-to-use navigation.
5. Claim your business listing on Google My Business.
Google My Business is a free listing service that allows businesses to manage their presence on Google Maps and Search. Claiming your listing can help your business rank higher in search results and appear as a “Voice Snapshot” on mobile devices.
6. Include local keywords in your content.
When people use voice search to look for nearby businesses or services, they often provide more detailed information than they would be using traditional text-based queries. To optimise your site for local voice search, including city and state names in your content, as well as other relevant keywords like “near me” or “close by.”
7. Optimise your images with alt text.
In addition to traditional text-based content, many websites now also include a lot of images. And since Google can’t “see” images as humans do, it relies on alt text to understand the content of your images. So, when you add alt text to your images, use relevant keywords and include natural language.
8. Add videos to your site.
Video is becoming an increasingly important part of overall SEO strategy, and this is especially true for voice search. This is because people often use voice search to find how-to videos and other types of video content. So, if you want to rank for voice search, make sure to include videos on your site.
9. Use natural language throughout your site.
When people use voice search, they tend to use natural language rather than keywords. So it’s important to use natural language throughout your site – in your titles, Meta descriptions, and header tags, as well as in the body of your content.
10. Monitor your voice search rankings.
Just like with traditional text-based SEO, you need to track your voice search rankings and identify any areas for improvement. There are several different tools that you can use to monitor your presence in voice search, including Google Search Console, SEMrush, and Moz.
And with these 10 simple tips for optimising your site for voice search, you’re sure to see improved rankings as more people rely on this fast-growing technology to find the information they need.
If you want to learn more about how to optimise your site for voice search, or if you need help with any other aspect of your SEO strategy, contact our team of experts today at Australian Website Development. Speak to real people and not salespeople – make a difference in your website today!