Voice Search Optimization: 9 Strategies to Optimize Your Website for Voice Search

With Google’s diversity update rolling out in June 2019, and Google’s own Rank Brain getting smarter at interpreting every searcher’s intent, marketers today need to think outside the box. That means utilizing SEO as an integrated approach—from publishing unique and original long-form content, to having a complex link acquisition strategy, to serving visitors a mobile-first fast and engaging website; this integrated approach is key to delivering a fully optimized and technically sound website.

But is this enough to stay competitive in search results and help you outrank your competition? Many marketing experts agree that Voice Search should be a top priority in your strategic marketing plan for 2020. And it expands beyond Amazon shopping and local business information.

31% of smartphone users worldwide use voice search at least once a week.” –Statista

According to IoT Now, a recent study by Zebra Technologies revealed that 51% of manufacturing companies are planning to expand their use of voice technology in the next five years. Furthermore, a report from allBusiness indicates that voice-driven technologies have achieved a rise in warehouse productivity of up to 25%. NEC, which manufactures servers and mainframe computers, is using voice-activated solutions in their order-picking process, where line personnel simply give spoken instructions and their order is instantly created. Manufacturers that are already embracing this trend are best positioned to implement voice-driven technologies in the industrial environment.

72% of people who own a voice-activated speaker say that their devices are used as part of their daily routines” –Google

Here are 9 ways you can optimize for Voice Search:

1. Optimize for Featured Snippets and People Also Ask (PAA).
   • Insight: 43% of SERP has PAA with links
2. Write paragraphs of 40-60 words and answer search queries earlier in the content.
3. Use Tools to guide your topic research: Featured Snippets results on topic, PAA, Answer the public, SEMRush Topic Research Tool and Featured Snippets report.
4. Ask question queries that answer the PAA with links (ex.: Tell me how to apply for …).
5. Pick one main keyword and look at everything single question around it to build a topic question matrix.
6. Focus on long tail keywords and long tail phrases.
7. Create a FAQ page on your website.
8. Determine a business goal and choose the assistant device with biggest return
9. Use Dialogue flow to build actions, skills, bots, and apps for voice assistant (open source) actions.
   • Insights:
     • Amazon has skills with Alexa; By default, Amazon Alexa looks at Bing for searches.
     • Apple has Siri shortcuts.
     • Google assistant can pull information from search results and Google Actions; Google actions are powered by AI (Google Actions Console). 

Voice shopping is set to jump to $40 Billion by 2022, rising from $2 Billion today.” – PR Newswire

Voice Search is the fastest growing data point. By 2020, it’s predicted that 50% of searches will be by voice search. Start strategizing today. 

Contact Us today to start building your Voice Search Website Strategy for 2020.