Voice search optimization is the process of optimizing your pages to appear in voice searches. When you optimize for voice search, you optimize for the way people conduct verbal searches. Voice search optimization gives you the chance to have your pages read out loud by a voice search device.
Voice search may have started as a small concept, but it is now one of the most important topics in the search industry. The ease to search with voice is second to none, and people cannot get enough of it.
The concept of voice search started with smartphones then quickly escalated to smart speakers and voice assistants worldwide. Today we are experiencing a voice search revolution with almost every generation welcoming voice search with open arms.
With the nearly quantum rise in voice search that is forecast, it is critical that we create content that is optimized for it. Otherwise, we will find it difficult to gain any organic traction. Considering the fierce competition vying for search engine rankings, the road is only to get tougher in times to come.
By the end of this article, I will make you understand the whole concept of voice search and how to rank your site and content higher accordingly.
Few people type the way they speak – especially for search queries.
When you type, you adopt a sort of stilted shorthand, so you enter something like “weather Paris” into your search bar.
When you speak, you’re more likely to ask the complete question, “What’s the weather like in Paris?”
This pattern holds true with voice search queries as well.
As programs like Google Now, Siri, and Cortana become more popular, and their programming becomes more refined, it’s increasingly essential that search engines learn to interpret natural phrases.
AI is helping voice search become capable of interpreting and responding to:
Spelling Corrections / Queries
If you ask Google to show you a picture of Wales and you get a shot of whales, you can then clarify, “W-A-L-E-S,” and a picture of the country will now pop up.
What’s Been Previously Said / Searched For
If you ask, “Where is the Golden Gate Bridge?” and follow that up with, “I want to see pictures of it” and “Who built it?” Google can interpret what “it” is based on your initial search.
Alternatively, if Google cannot immediately answer a query, you can help it narrow down the answer through context.
So, if you ask “How high is Rigi?”, voice search may not respond because it’s an obscure mountain in the Swiss Alps.
But if you ask, “What are the mountains in Switzerland?” first, and follow that up with the query “How high is Rigi?” Google will tell you that it’s 1,798m in elevation.
Context Based on Location
If you’re at a Convention Center in San Jose and you ask voice search, “How far is the airport from the Convention Center?” Google will understand that “the Convention Center” refers to your current location in San Jose.
App-Based Context
If you’re chatting about a specific restaurant in an app, you can ask Google to “Show me the menu.”
Google will understand which restaurant’s menu you want to see based on context and bring up the menu for that restaurant.
Context and conversational search are now essential as voice search continues to evolve.
Marketers need to thoughtfully incorporate a voice search strategy into their websites and double down on excellent content, written in a conversational tone.
We also need to understand that people who type a query, and people who ask questions into voice search, are often two different types of people.
The “typer” might be OK with doing research, while the “talker” typically wants quick answers and instant results.
We need to appeal to both types of people.
For example:
Context of What You See On-Screen
Looking up a Wikipedia entry on Johnny Depp?
Asking voice search to “Show me pictures of Johnny” results in a smorgasbord of Johnny Depp photos because he’s the “Johnny” you currently have on screen.
Context About You
Asking Google “What’s my office address?” will bring up your office address, without the need to clarify who “my” refers to.
As Google works on conversational commerce and local search, we now use voice search to help make instant purchases.
Asking voice search to “Order me a large pepperoni and mushroom pizza from Pizza Hut” or “Show me blue jeans / Show me size 12 / Order me the pair from American Eagle” makes shopping easier.
The above is a brief about Voice Search Optimization. Watch this space for more updates on the latest trends in Technology.