Two decades ago, having a conversation with a machine was something that could only come straight out of a science fiction movie.
But now—it’s a reality. Voice search is insanely popular for a lot of reasons. But you can mostly thank voice assistants like Siri or Alexa for its rise. Isn’t it crazy that we’re talking to voice assistants that fit in our pockets?
Almost as crazy as the fact that businesses can get tons of web traffic through those pocket voice assistants.
Voice search has been on the rise for a few years now, and it’s now accounting for almost 13% of all searches.
With 65% of American consumers utilizing voice search daily, that’s not hard to believe.
People have access to voice search almost 24/7. Whether they’re at work on their laptops, on a night out with their phones, or relaxing at home with Alexa a few feet away.
It’s just so convenient, too. Google will read the best answer from the web, saving consumers time, effort, and energy.
So, is your business website optimized for voice SEO? Or are you missing out on tons of traffic?
If you’re looking to increase your site’s visibility on the web, then here are X tips to optimize your site for voice SEO.
1. Pick the Right Keywords
People don’t search like they talk.
When you want to buy some paint, you type “brown paint” into the search bar. If you were to go up to a friend and say “brown paint”, they’d look at you like you’re crazy.
You would probably say something like, “Where can I get brown paint?” And while our voice assistants aren’t our friends, we still talk conversationally. Like we’re talking to a human.
So picking a keyphrase like “brown paint los angeles” might not be a smart idea.
Instead, you might want to opt for something like “Where can I get brown paint in Los Angeles” or “Where can you get brown paint in Los Angeles”.
Pages that use natural-sounding keywords are going to get a lot more traffic than robotic keywords.
You might be wondering: how can you incorporate keywords naturally?
Here are some sentence frames to help you out:
2. Include FAQ Sections on Your Pages
FAQ sections are absolutely perfect for voice SEO.
Why?
Because question keywords are on the rise and the average voice search answer is 29 words.
FAQ sections check off both of those boxes.
In fact, a voice search result is 1.7x more likely to come from an FAQ section.
So make sure to include an FAQ section on your page.
Don’t forget to include an FAQ schema, too. It’s just as important.
Schema is microdata that you can add to your HTML to clarify parts of your page to search engines. In other words, you’re telling Google that the bottom chunk of your webpage is an FAQ section. This means that Google can recognize that part of your page as something that people would likely want to hear as an answer.
When you’re writing your FAQ section, write the questions as conversational keywords. And keep the answers shorter than 30 words.
3. Write for a 9th Grade Reading Level (or Below)
It’s been proven that search engines prefer posts that are reader-friendly. The best performing posts are written at a 9th-grade reading level or below.
This is even more important if you’re trying to optimize for voice search, people want to hear simple and straightforward answers.
4. Optimize for Local Search
Optimizing for local search can be huge for voice SEO. This is how you’re going to get those “___ near me” spotlights. People are always using voice search to look for businesses in their area, so this is important.
Here are some quick tips to help you optimize for local search.
1. Claim Your Google “My Business” Listing
If you haven’t already, then you should claim your Google “My Business” listing. Here are some SEO benefits of doing so:
Helps with authority, which leads to more guests visiting
Drives traffic to your website
Provides social proof
Clarifies information to Google, which they can then relay to searchers
Wondering how to claim your listing?
Here are the steps that Google outlines:
Open Google Maps
Sign in to your account or create one
Enter your business’ address in the search bar and click next
Choose how your business will display on Maps
Select a business category
Enter a phone number or URL, then click finish
Select a verification option and complete the process
2. Target “___ near me” keywords
A few years ago, you’d be targeting keywords with the city or street name your business is on.
Now, you have to target for keywords like “___ near me” or “___ in the Los Angeles area”.
Businesses that optimize for these keywords are going to do the best with voice search.
Ready to Take the Next Step? Let Rosayo Help.
Now that you know the basics of voice SEO, you’re ready to take the next step. Improving your website’s online presence is no easy feat, which is why Rosayo is here to help.
Rosayo is a content marketing agency that can write awesome posts that’ll do great in voice search.
If you’re looking to get your business ranking on voice search results, then get a free quote.
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