The importance of voice search and SEO
User behavior on search engines has evolved significantly and the figures for voice search prove it. In its early days, Google’s voice control was not very successful and even had a slump for a while. But in recent years, Google’s voice assistant has been used more and more. To the point of forcing brands and businesses to set up a voice SEO strategy .
More than 70% of Internet users use voice search during their queries while forecasts were 50% for this year 2020 which has just passed. Digital marketing players will have to quickly adapt and reinvent themselves for an effective SEO strategy for voice search . But first, it is important to know how this impacts your digital strategy and the natural referencing of your website. Discover the world of voice search SEO .
What is voice search?
The majority of smartphones and computers have a virtual assistant installed in their program. You have undoubtedly heard of “ Ok Google ” and the Siri and Xiaomi assistants. There are also connected speakers such as Google Home and Alexa, but generally speaking, their mode of operation is quite similar.
These are intelligent systems that understand the user’s voice commands. Then they respond to their queries, but the request must be specific so that the response is clear and simple. Thus, users are no longer required to use their hands since they can carry out their search aloud thanks to these systems. The user’s voice is directly picked up by the device’s microphone. This system is therefore used as a voice remote control.
What types of requests are these?
Here are some of the most common requests:
- How’s the weather ? (This is the most common request)
- How do I get to this address?
- Play my playlist, etc.
These commands and many more can be done by voice and without hands. Let’s take the case of Ok Google which is an intelligent system to respond to your requests precisely. To do this, it collects your data in real time (time, geographic location) in order to determine your intention. Then, Google voice search provides the best possible answer given the context.
But voice command can also be used to launch applications and that is why it is becoming more and more successful. This trend means that SEO and voice search go hand in hand.
The impacts of voice search on natural referencing
The search is done differently than with the search bar since we do not formulate queries in the same way. Indeed, the Google Assistant favors “spoken”, hence the need to make major changes in the way of handling a site’s SEO. This is essential since voice SEO has a bright future and can be used to attract new prospects online.
Here we are talking about voice SEO and this is why an SEO agency or SEO expert will start to identify the intentions of users of a site. This study allows you to define a personalized list of SEO optimizations. The other important information is that voice search only gives one answer to the user. Generally, the search snippet comes from position 0 (Featured Snippet) and it is this result that we find first when we search on Google. It is therefore essential to implement a natural referencing strategy to be included in voice search results.
Voice SEO and classic SEO: what are the differences?
The difference is first in the channel used, because Internet users type the content of their search in a traditional search. Here, it’s more about keywords. With voice search, queries are generally longer since they use their voices. Internet users use natural language to carry out their searches. Search results are therefore obtained faster and are more relevant.
Improve your site’s user experience
As with classic SEO, the objective is to be visible, to gain notoriety and popularity, but in a different way. Therefore, you need to work on the SEO of your site to have quality content while improving the user experience. Loading time should be short. This is important, because even if the search engine redirects the user to your site, they will quickly give up if the page takes too long to load. These are excellent levers for improving the conversion rate of your e-commerce site.
How to optimize and improve the positioning of a site?
Due to the constant evolution of the digital world, companies are constantly trying to improve their positioning. This is why they hire SEOs to produce relevant content. But it must also be unique, because duplicate content will be subject to penalties.
Optimizing your site allows it to position itself in a search engine. However, optimizing a site is not only about improving SEO, but also about providing a good user experience with fast loading speed as well as pages with structured data. So, referencing your site is not an easy task.
Favor concise answers
With voice searches, queries are longer and more detailed. Hence the importance of using long tail keywords. The 5W rule should be included, but providing short, simple answers is also essential. Google search displays the most suitable answers and in general, voice assistants read 29 words per search.
This means that you need to lengthen your content, because the longer it is, the more likely you are to appear in search results. Furthermore, an SEO article must also be well structured and well-organized. To do this, you can divide it into several paragraphs and include bulleted lists.
A conversational language
Furthermore, conversational language is also more recommended. This is all the more true since Google favors the answer to a direct question. So, your page must mention the question . It is therefore important to put yourself in the place of Internet users and include their questions in your titles and subtitles . From your keywords, you can identify related questions using tools. As an example, we can cite Answer The Public .
However, you can also use frequently asked questions in your field of activity. These are questions about your products and services, but also about your opening hours, your after-sales services, etc.
Optimize your site for mobile
Adapting content to mobile format has become essential, because it allows users to easily explore it on their smartphone. Navigation must also be fast since voice search systematically requires an instant response.
This is why mobile optimization associated with its speed can only help to strengthen your overall SEO . Moreover, a voice search is 4 times faster than an old-fashioned search.
Prioritize geolocated queries
This type of query results in higher conversion rates. It is therefore essential to optimize your local SEO for voice search on Google.
Structured data
This is microdata that helps search engines better understand your content. This is why you must systematically include them in your web pages. This is structured data such as that relating to “ FAQ ” or “How to”. They increase your chances of acquiring more enriched results and gaining places in the Knowledge Graph .
Do not abandon classic natural referencing
In parallel with optimizing your voice SEO, continue to work on your classic SEO . So, you can continue marking up your website, internal networking, securing it, etc. These SEO optimization factors are also taken into account by Google. Indeed, these are criteria for ranking local search results. It is therefore essential to adopt good practices.
Secure your site with HTTPS
Securing your site can play a role in your voice SEO. ¾ of sites in voice search results are secured by HTTPS and Google takes this into account. Moreover, the latter encourages its implementation even if it is also a reassuring criterion for Internet users.
What you must remember
Working on the voice SEO of your site is important to stand out against the competition. This is a truth that is confirmed by the fact that Internet users are increasingly carrying out their searches via mobile devices. An SEO expert can help you have good SEO through the most relevant SEO content possible. But before starting an SEO campaign, consider doing an SEO audit in order to establish the right strategy.
