With the advancing technology and the need to stay connected and informed, text and voice searches are becoming more popular today – but not in equal measures.
The advent of smart speakers and voice search apps has made it easier to search the internet hands-free. Google Assistant is not the only kid in town; we have others like Amazon Alexa, Cortana, and Siri, which make life easy for internet users.
Today, you can say some words on your smartphone mic, and Google Assistant will respond, giving you the search results for what you are looking for. Voice search is changing the kind of content you can have on your website – it should be detailed, accurate, and quality to address the long keywords from voice search.
When it comes to voice search, there is a significant difference we all need to know. This article highlights the thin line between these two types of search and makes it easy for you to optimize your website for voice and text search.
The Differences Between Voice Search And Text-based Search
1. Voice Search Is Locally Based
With voice search, the local audience is the main focus of most websites. While websites are available for a global audience, voice search seems to narrow things locally. Those searching the internet on voice search tend to be more specific about what they are looking for online.
They will enter search queries like “Best hotel near me” to get the best offers in their location. Before going to the country or regional level, most users will first consider their neighbourhoods and city. This affects what information or results that most websites will show up in the search queries. Voice search will often give a top priority to the local businesses first.
2. Location Matters A Lot On Voice Search
Unlike text search, voice search is highly location-dependent. Most voice assistants have adapted to a common answer for similar questions. They also tend to respond to casually phrased questions more naturally.
For instance, a question like “Which is the best coffee shop here” prompts a location-based search for all hotels and restaurants around rather than the exact search query.
Also, when a user asks the Google Assistant to “call an ambulance near me,” their smartphone will call the closest hospital. This has made it possible for most people to prefer using voice search in making medical appointments.
This research shows that at least 35% of consumers prefer using voice search when making medical appointments.
Now, if you want your website and business to be available for voice search queries, you have to optimize it with Google My Business. That means you should create a Google My Business page and fill it out fully. To ensure your business ranks at the top of voice search results, you have to use local business schema markup and Google My Business.
Voice search is 3X more likely to be local-based than text search. Research has shown that the biggest voice search uses include asking for direction and calling someone. This means optimizing your website for local SEO is the most important thing to do.
Therefore, you should utilize ad extensions that make your business visible on local searches. When you fill out Google My Business, you should provide essential information like business location, phone number, and products and services you offer.
Related: Voice Search Google: The Complete Guide
3. Mobile Is The Dominant Platform
Although smart home devices are becoming more popular today, mobile remains the dominant voice search platform for most people. Mobile searches depend on location, which means you should optimize your business for location-based searches if you want to drive the right traffic.
Mobile devices come with a screen on them, which means they will offer users multiple options to choose from on search results. That is why most users will prefer mobile to Amazon Echo or Google Home.
Even when your website appears at the top of voice search results, most users will still not prefer it if it is slow and not mobile-friendly.
When you decide to take advantage of long-tail keywords in your web content, you should ensure your business location details are up-to-date and easy to search. Optimize your website for mobile search and to increase your voice search and traffic. This way, you will stay ahead of your competitors who’ve not addressed the increasing popularity of voice search.
4. Voice Search Encourage The Use Of Natural Language
When using voice search, you speak to Siri, Google, Cortana, and other voice search assistants and ask them for answers to your questions.
We have witnessed a steadfast growth in the search queries that start with a question in recent years. In most cases, these questions will often reveal the intent of the search users is looking for. Here are some examples.
- What is the best place to take dinner?
- How do I activate Google voice search on my android phone
- Where can I get the best casino in Texas
- When does KFC open today?
In the above example, you notice when and where questions show that a user intends to buy from your shop. What and who questions show that the user is looking for more information or simply researching about something.
Related: How to Turn On Google Voice Search
5. Voice Search Uses Longer Search Queries
Normally, the average text search will be 1-3 words. Most users know that they don’t have to type long keywords or full sentences to get what they are looking for online. But that is for text-based searches. In the case of voice search, users tend to search on long-tail keywords. That is, they use more than seven words in a row when searching.
It is not easy to determine the percentage of queries driven by voice search, but you can use the length to estimate. If you want your website to appear on voice search results, you should include long-tail keywords in your content.
Expand your reach by using broad match modifier keywords. Also, don’t forget to maintain what searches your website appears on.
6. How People Talk When Using Voice Search
Google Assistant learns how users speak and adapt to that. This is the major difference between voice search and text search – phrasing, tone, and word choice are critical. It means businesses will have to turn their ears to how people speak if they want to reap from voice search.
People use natural language when searching the internet on voice search. It means people are more likely to ask questions rather than use short keywords. They tend to choose conversational words. Users expect immediate and more specific answers to the questions they ask when using voice search.
It means as a business. You have to focus more on long-tail keywords. Create the content in a conversational tone to answer most of the questions from your customers. If possible, you should create a FAQ page on your website. The FAQ will usually address most of the questions appearing on voice search. You can also include and comment section or discussion forum on your website to answer the most common questions users may have about your business.
Search engines like Google can detect user intent. Therefore, if your website can deliver the kind of content your target audience is looking for, you will rank on top of your competitors on SERPs. Leverage your website for local search if you want to climb at the top and reach your customers right in the comfort of their smart devices.
Related: How To Fix Voice Search In YouTube Not Working Issue
7. Google Serps Will Provide A Single Answer
Another difference between voice search and text search is that Google and other search engines will only provide a single answer to users. Unlike regular searches, search engines will normally provide several answers to text-based queries, and users have to choose which they prefer the most.
As a business, if you want to rank at the top based on a given keyword, you have to deliver pure gold. Detailed and accurate content will make your website appear at the top and probably be chosen by Google to give those answers users are looking for.
When using Google, the one answer will often appear on Featured Snippet. Therefore as a business, you should follow best SEO practices for the target audience. This will ensure your website appears on the first page on SERPs.
Related: Featured Snippet Optimization: Complete Guide
Final Thoughts
The main difference between voice search and text search is based on how users search. For voice search, most people will use natural language when framing their keywords. They use long-tail keywords and are often question-based. Text search is short, and search engines provide more options for users to choose from.
As a business, if you want your website to appear at the top of search results for voice search, you have to make your content conversational. Use only long-tail keywords and focus more on answering the questions that most of your customers have.
This article has mentioned some tips you can employ if you want your website to rank at the top of Google for voice search.
