Remember when Apple first debuted Siri, and everyone had tons of fun asking their phones to tell them jokes or sing for them? Today, voice search is not just a little form of entertainment. Many people now rely on their device’s voice search feature to look up things for them.
Some marketing professionals may not think too much, because any form of search done through a search engine should pull up the same results, right? Well, not exactly.
Can Voice Search Affect SEO?
The short answer is yes it can. But, how exactly does voice search affect SEO? Simple, it all boils down to phrasing.
When people use voice search to look things up for them, they often do it in a conversational manner. For example, when typing into search engines, people would use “best nail salons in New Jersey.”
However, if you use voice search, you are more likely to phrase it like “What are the best nail salons near me?” and if your website is not optimized to answer questions, you may not appear in the search results, at all.
Aside from that, SEO traditionally places an emphasis on keyword use to the point that some content may have stuffed keywords or awkward phrases forced into them. Voice search focuses more on expertise, authoritativeness, trustworthiness (E-A-T), and local presence. Not strengthening these areas will make you fail when it comes to voice searches.
How Can I Optimize My Website for Voice Search?
There are several ways that you can do this.
1. Enhance You Authoritativeness and Trustworthiness
Even without voice search, this is an important aspect to build on. Search engines do not just rely on keywords and the content you create. Most search engine algorithms are powered to prioritize ranking websites that are more trustworthy and reliable.
With voice searches, this is more important than keywords. That means that you have to focus more on creating reliable links and building a better internal link structure. You also need to come up with reliable and honest content.
2. Answer User Questions
As mentioned above, people who use voice search are more like to phrase their search as a question instead of how they normally would search it. This is why it is important that you focus on answering user questions instead of just posting content.
You can use analytical tools to see which questions are common among users with an interest in your industry. There are even specific sections like Google’s People Also Ask (PAA) that includes questions people most associate with your kind of content.
3. Emphasize Your Local Presence
People using voice search often do so with an emphasis on location. Many users searching up a business often do it to find something local. This is why you need to put an emphasis on your local presence.
This means you need to specify your location or multiple locations if you have any. You have to emphasize that you are within certain areas so that users searching for your specific location will be able to find you easily.
Conclusion
It is clear that voice searches are here to stay. Technological innovations tend to come with a lot of challenges for one reason or another, but in the case of voice search, it seems to be the best alternative when it comes to mobile users. Voice search can be a challenge for businesses, but if you focus on the right areas and make sure that your website is optimized, you should be able to create a positive experience for both users and search engines.
To achieve voice search optimization for your website, you will need an expert. Lucky for you, Local SEO Pro is a platform that offers you all the tools and strategies you need. Sign up with Local SEO Pro today to get started!
