Are you ready for the voice search boom?
It’s estimated that by 2020 half of all internet searches will be done using voice search. Google Assistant, Siri, Cortana and Alexa are already contributing to billions of searches each month by people looking for businesses local to them, things to do and how to guides.
The knock on effect for brands is that they can’t fail to audit their websites to make sure they are ready for a rise in voice search queries online.
Why is voice search such a big thing?
When we talk to clients about their website design we always start by focusing on what their audience want and need. If customers can find what they’re looking for quickly and easily it’s more likely that their online visit will convert to a sale.
Using Search Engine Optimisation, or SEO, is an important factor in helping customers find your website and improve their online experience. It’s all about making things easier for internet users, and voice search takes this a step further.
People find it much easier to speak to an app than to stop whatever else they’re doing and type keywords into a search engine.
How is voice search different to typed searches?
People tend to type what they are searching for in shorter, snappier keyword phrases like: ‘Winchester pizza takeaway’.
Whereas when someone activates a voice app to make a search they use full sentences: ‘Where’s my nearest pizza takeaway in Winchester?’.
Thinking about the questions people may ask out loud about your brand or products is important for voice search SEO. However, don’t forget your audience who are still using traditional typed searches – there’s a balance to be found, for now at least.
How can your business get ready?
Google has said it will be placing more importance on voice search results soon. But you can’t see where you rank for it yet.
For now, there is a way businesses can up their chances of making it into a voice search result.
On Google, these results are the featured snippets in a box at the top of a lot of search result pages. This is a short excerpt from a webpage that is well optimised and answers the voice search user’s question. You’ll recognise it because it starts with the phrase ‘According to…insert website name’.
Businesses can’t pay to be featured – that still falls under Google Ads, which appear under the featured snippet. Snippets are selected based on the best keyword matches and webpages that use header tags, bulletpoints and lists to get their information across. Using these top SEO techniques is what will help prepare your website for the voice search boom.
To find out more about optimising your business website get in contact. Our website designers can audit your existing website and make it easier for customers to find, regardless of whether they are typing into a search engine or using a voice search app.