You may have heard a voice search before, and you may even be actively using it on your mobile devices. Voice search is unquestionably the future of searching the internet, as a business owner you need to get ready for it. What does that mean?

In this article we will examine the benefits of voice search and how to optimize your website to meet the needs of those who use this search method.

What is Voice Search?

Voice search is speech recognition technology, implemented by search engines, to make searching faster and more efficient. Voice search essentially began with Apple’s implementation of Siri on their iPhones, but has now been embraced by both Google and Bing. Google has been a huge promoter of voice search over the last year.

This is also led us to new devices such as the Google Home, and the Amazon Echo. These are voice command devices set up in your home, which allow you to schedule events, listen to music, order an Uber, and much much more.

Voice search came on very quickly and is rapidly taking over as the primary method of searching the internet and utilizing the services of the internet.

Tips for Voice Search Optimization

These are just a few of the things that you want to do to optimize your website for the new voice search revolution!

Use Phrases and Longtail Keyword Terms

The biggest difference between traditional optimization for search queries and optimization for voice search queries is that the optimization needs to be more conversational now. Instead of adding keywords that say, for example:

sushi toronto

It is better to have a conversational statement that better reflects a question that someone might ask. Such as:

Where is the best sushi restaurant near me?

In SEO, this is referred to as long tail keyword terms, or phrases.

We want to see these changes reflected not in just the titles and descriptions for the website, but also in the written content on the website. Copy on your website should be written in a  conversational manner.

Read: 6 Reasons Why SEO is a Must For Your Business in 2018

Answer Questions that May Be Asked Through Voice Search

As we are now using long-tail keyword terms and phrases on our websites, we need to know which ones to use. It’s our goal to anticipate what kind of questions are prospective clients or customers will be using.

What’s the best way to go about that? Well, using your clients and customers as a base of knowledge is always best practice. Go ahead and ask your existing customers, that you have a good relationship with, what questions they may ask through voice search to find a company like yours. What’s the exact phrasing they would use?

Once you have that knowledge, go to Google, type in one of those queries and see if there are other matching queries that you can use as well. A thorough Google search will give you all of the evidence you need regarding the questions that your prospects are asking to find companies just like yours.

Read: What is SEO and Why is it Important?

Optimize for Local Searches

Voice search, due to the fact that it uses a conversational tone with more language, tends to favor local optimization. Very good example of that is the sushi hypothetical we used above. It would be impossible for Google to provide an answer to the near me aspect of the sushi query, without knowing exactly where the sushi restaurant is located.

You want to ensure that not only is the city where your company is located is featured in your SEO keywords, but your neighborhood as well. You also want to be specific about the services or products that you offer. If your company sells a line of shoes for example, not only should you say shoes in your keyword terms, but also list the different brands of shoes that you sell.

Voice search means far more specific search terms. People are more inclined to mention specifics in their searches now that they have the freedom to use more language. Make sure that you account for that in your website optimization.

Are you interested in discussing voice search optimization to help skyrocket your business? Call Bush Marketing today!

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