A recent survey stated that 50% of its respondents used a voice assistant to improve their sales. 25% of the respondents also said that they consider using it in the future. This proves how critical a voice search is for a business. Optimizing for voice search will help marketers to improve online presence and customer engagement.

Your content plays a vital role in promoting your business and adding value to what you offer. Thus, any type of content should be properly optimized for your target audience. The following are some ways to optimize your content for voice SEO:

  • Get a Featured Snippet

Nowadays, adding a featured snippet is a powerful hack for search engines because it improves rankings on the SERPs. 

Featured snippets are more critical when it comes to voice searches. It is observed that there is no ranking slightly lower with a page using voice searches, whether they answer or not. 

  • Your content should be available on all data sources

When voice assistants find your content in various places, the higher the possibility that it will come up in voice searches. This is why it is important to ensure that your content and data are present and placed in relevant places such as Google, Google Maps, Yelp, Wikipedia, and Apple Maps.

Voice assistants have different sources of information. Yelp, for instance, is highly crucial for Siri since it utilizes Apple Maps details for local businesses. Another example is Alexa that uses Wikipedia and Google search to provide information to the users.

Be present across all possible data sources to make sure that users will find you in any device they are using.

  • Provide Brief Answers and Valuable Content

The average answer for a voice search is 29 words. This is why it is crucial that you ask common questions to receive exact answers. Aim for simpler writing and easier reading. It will be helpful if the content is aimed at a 6th-8th reading level to make it easier to comprehend and understand.

But, it doesn’t mean that you will disregard long-form content just to succeed with voice search. According to experts, the average article for a voice search result contains 2,312 words.

Devices try to pull the most relevant information from an article to match the subject’s intent and authority. In fact, long-form content aids in establishing the owner’s expertise and allows the user to receive more in-depth information.

  • Put Emphasis on Long-Tail Keywords

Keywords are said to be the lifeblood of web searches. They play an integral role in how search engines are finding information. Nowadays, search engines prefer long-tail keywords which are using more natural language.

Perform thorough keyword research and make sure they are relevant to the users’ specific searches and questions.

  • Utilize Hyper-Local Searches

Business owners must think local when it comes to optimizing content. Make sure that XML sitemaps are readable for the search engines and readers. Use ‘near me’ searches and optimize them as well. Take advantage of using the Google Ads’ Location extension, Google My Business listing, and Google Maps. Ensure that all information is up-to-date and accurate.

  • Optimize Your Website’s Loading Speed

Users who depend on voice search expect to get answers quickly. If a website’s page is taking too long to load, the user may leave the site at once. Keep in mind that an average voice search result page must load in 4.6 seconds. Also, make sure to optimize your website for mobile searches. Some effective tips to increase website loading speed include optimizing image sizes, limiting plugins, using website caching, and utilizing CDN.

  • Never Disregard Schema Metadata

Use the power of markup language, which is also known as schema metadata. They provide search engines additional information to show up in voice searches. Schema lets you describe the search engines to understand the page better and have it ranked for both types and voice searches.

Conclusion

Valuable and relevant content serves as the heart of your SEO efforts. To properly optimize your content for voice search, utilize some tools and apply techniques to make them visible online. Also, you need to ensure that your website is secured so that voice assistants will work more effectively in answering questions from the users.

Leverage the power of voice SEO search for your website. Local SEO Pro offers voice-focused SEO solutions and other strategies to keep your business data updated and consistent. Sign up today with Local SEO Pro to get started!