Did you know that there are a billion searches made by voice every month? In the past, it was long predicted that 50 percent of all searches would be voice-activated by 2020, and this is proven by the many individuals being hooked up online and resorting to voice search in 2020. In fact, the global pandemic brought by the COVID-19 crisis has all the more compelled users to search online using their voices.

As the new year recently took off, you can expect voice search to rise in popularity even more. This also goes to show that voice search will be the future of the search industry in the coming years. That is why, as early as now, you must start optimizing your website and content so you can get ahead of the competition and not risk getting left behind.

In this article, we will share four SEO aspects to focus on for your voice search in 2021:

1. Featured snippets

Have you seen those boxes appearing at the top of the search engine results pages providing answers to your queries? They are called featured snippets, and they are usually displayed on top of Google’s organic results and below the ads, and they are considered one of the best ways to drive more traffic to your website. As they offer more detailed information about a site, they are best used for voice search. For this reason, be sure to work with your web development team or use available plugins to develop and manage featured snippets for every webpage you’ll create.

2. Natural language

When it comes to voice search, don’t expect people to use brief technical words or phrases, as it’s more likely that they will use natural or conversational language when searching online. For instance, instead of saying, “best local fancy restaurant,” they will most likely utter, “where’s the best fancy restaurant in Atlanta?” For this reason, you must start incorporating precise language into your SEO-focused content pieces so that you can cater to users looking for relevant information in your industry using voice search.

3. Popular voice-search terms

At this juncture, you must be well-acquainted with popular terminologies used for voice search to make it more effective. In fact, more than 80 percent of these searches start with the word “how.” The chances are that people will be looking for “how to cook…,” “how to write…,” and so much more. Likewise, start incorporating notable words, such as “best,” “easy,” “free,” “list,” and “good.” If it helps, conduct keyword research to see what words or phrases your target consumers are more likely to use for voice search.

4. Local SEO 

Did you know that more and more locals are now using voice search when looking for products or services in their locality? Because of this, it’s time to work on your local and voice SEO and make sure they go hand in hand. Whether you own a restaurant, run a local shop, or provide HVAC services in your area, be sure to optimize your content and website for the local and voice search. Ultimately, doing so will kick your local business up a notch and even increase your ranking on the results pages!

Conclusion

At this point, you now know what SEO aspects to focus on—featured snippets, natural language, popular voice-search terms, and local SEO. To that end, you must focus on these four variables in your voice SEO implementation to give you a competitive advantage over other businesses in your industry!

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