Voice SEO is no longer optional for businesses wanting to dominate search results.
30% of all browsing sessions in 2020 will include voice search. The voice assistant user base in the US is 42.7% of the total population.
Many webmasters have already started optimizing their website for voice search results. If you haven’t and are looking to make your site ready for voice search, you are in the right place.
In this guide, I will describe what voice SEO is, why it is important, and how Google answers voice queries. I will also explain how people use voice search, how you can optimize your website for voice search, and show you some great examples of voice SEO in action.
What is Voice SEO?
Voice SEO refers to the process of optimizing your website to appear for voice search results. Voice SEO involves tweaking your content, location, and brand information to increase your chances of arriving at the top for search results.
When you search for anything on your smartphone using voice assistants, you still get a set of 10 results, just like text-based searches. However, Google reads out the featured snippet to you.
Related: Featured Snippets Optimization
When reading out the most relevant result, Google begins the sentence with “according to [the website name].” In the below example, it is LinkedIn.
Why is Voice SEO Important?
Voice SEO is a relatively new term in the marketing field. Not many marketers are optimizing their website for voice search, which provides you tremendous opportunities to outdo your competitors.
Related: Complete SEO Guide
Voice SEO is important for every website because of the following reasons:
- Businesses that optimize their website for voice search see an increase in brand awareness and online visibility.
- When people use voice assistant devices to search for anything, they get answers only from the webpage in the featured snippet or the first position (if the featured snippet is not present). With voice SEO, you can acquire the position zero for relevant search phrases, thereby increasing your reach.
- When you improve your rankings for voice searches, you also enhance your website’s position for text-based searches.
- 58% of people have used voice search to find local businesses in the past year. With a robust voice SEO strategy, you can expect to increase footfalls in your physical stores.
- In the coming years, more and more people are likely to use voice search every day. Businesses that don’t have a voice SEO strategy will likely vanish from customers’ minds.
- Voice SEO improves your customer experience and fosters great relationships with searchers.
- It makes interactions with brands more natural, convenient, and seamless, thereby increasing retention and loyalty.
Hummingbird Update, Semantics, and Voice SEO
Hummingbird update was first announced on September 26, 2013. The Hummingbird update’s primary goal is to use natural language processing (NLP) to gauge searchers’ intent and provide the most relevant results.
Hummingbird even considers synonyms and theme-related topics when delivering results to searchers.
Semantics took Hummingbird to the next level by creating guidelines to determine a searcher’s intent and the contextual meaning of the search phrases.
Here are the factors that semantics considers to provide the best possible results to searchers:
- Restraints context
- Search intent
- Variation (regional, age-specific, industry-specific, and demographics)
- Location
- Synonyms
- Concept matching
- Natural language
Here’s an example that shows semantics in action. Observe the search results for the following queries:
How to make money?
How to earn?
Google understands that both queries have a similar meaning. Hence, it provides the same search results.
With Hummingbird and semantics using NLP, context, and intent to deliver results, they built the foundation of voice search.
Marketers wanting to optimize their website for voice results need to consider all the elements of Hummingbird and semantics.
Tremendous Growth of Voice Search
Before seven or eight years, voice search was not even a thing. Only a handful of people were using it. Besides, the accuracy of the results wasn’t great. However, post the Hummingbird update in 2013, voice search results’ accuracy improved drastically. This increased the adoption of voice searches globally.
Related: Top SEO Stats and Best Inbound Marketing Stats
Here are some statistics that show the tremendous growth of voice search and it’s future:
- By 2022, 55% of all US households will own a smart speaker, up from 13% in 2017. [Source: Prnewswire]
- The global voice and search recognition market was worth $829 million in 2016. That number is expected to reach $3,172 million by 2021. [Source: Statista]
- 40% of the adults now use mobile voice search at least once every day. [Source: Quora Creative]
- 65% of users who own Amazon Echo or Google Home cannot imagine going back to days before they had a smart speaker. [Source: Geo Marketing]
How People Use Voice Search?
When compared to traditional text-based searches, voice search differ in two ways:
- Voice searches are longer.
- Voice searches are more conversational.
Almost 70% of voice searches on Google Assistant use natural language.
For example, let’s say you want to cook a chocolate cake at home. When searching via text, you’d probably type something like “chocolate cake recipe.” But when searching for the same thing using your voice, you would likely say something like, “how to make a chocolate cake?”
How Can I Optimize My Site For Voice Search?
The change in search behavior when using voice assistants has a big impact on how marketers do keyword research and SEO. Here are X ways to optimize your site for voice search.
Search for Natural Keywords
As mentioned above, users are more likely to use a conversational tone when using voice search. Therefore, it is crucial to look for natural search phrases when doing keyword research.
Related: Keyword Research Guide To Find The Best Keywords
Begin by analyzing what phrases your current visitors are using to find your website. There are two ways to do it.
- Open your Google Analytics. Click on Acquisition. Select Queries under Search Console.
- Open your Google Search Console. Click on Performance and then scroll down to find the Queries section.
Pick the ones that seem natural and conversational. Since people are already finding your website using those phrases, they are worth using on your website.
Also, include question phrases to your keyword list to increase your chances of appearing for voice search. A 2017 report by Moz indicates that 8% of search queries are phrased as questions.
Use tools like Answer the Public to find question-based keywords. Enter your seed term in the software, and it will return with the most searched phrases.
You can also use Buzzsumo’s Question Analyzer to find question-based keywords. Buzzsumo shows you the most answered questions related to your seed keyword on online forums like Reddit and Quora.
Optimize Your Content for Voice Search
Your content plays a crucial role in increasing your chances of appearing for voice search results. Make sure to optimize your content around the keywords you found in the first step.
Here are other ways to optimize your content for voice search:
Answer Multiple Similar Questions
When you answer multiple similar questions in one content, you increase your chances of appearing for different voice search queries. You can find what most of your target audience are asking related to a topic by analyzing “people also ask” section in Google search results.
Find the most relevant ones and use a similar (but not exact) question in your content.
Write Short, Concise Answers
A study by SEMrush found the typical voice search result is only 41 words in length. Make sure to write short and precise answers to questions in your content. However, Google does provide both shorter and longer results.
For example, the answer to the question,
- “What is voice SEO?” is 38 words
- “Who discovered America first?” is 50 words
- “Why is our environment changing?” is 32 words
So statistically, you can increase your chances of appearing for voice search results by keeping your answers around 40 words.
Write Long-Form Content
A study by Backlinko found that the average word count of a voice search results page is 2,312 words. Therefore, it is crucial to write content with more than 2000+ words.
Related: Copywriting Guide
Another benefit of writing long-form content is that it allows you to integrate various keywords and answer as many questions as possible. However, make sure the keywords fit naturally in the content and don’t look stuffed.
The same study by Backlinko found that most webpages in voice search results were written at a 9th-grade reading level or lower. Therefore, make sure your content is easy to understand.
You can check your content’s readability level using tools like Hemingway App.
Aim to Acquire Featured Snippets
The SEMrush voice search study found that 60% of voice search results come from featured snippets. By acquiring the position zero, you increase your chances of appearing for voice search results.
Apart from writing short, concise answers, follow these steps to optimize for featured snippets.
- Use SEMrush to find featured snippet opportunities. Set up position tracking in SEMrush and click on “featured snippets.” It will show you the keywords for which you can acquire the position zero and the pages that are currently ranking. Analyze those content and optimize your content better.
- Use numbered or bulleted lists wherever possible. This enables you to compete for how-to searches.
- Use Ahrefs to find low-hanging opportunities. These are the pages that rank on the first or second page of Google results. Go to Site Explorer in Ahrefs, enter your website URL, and click on SERP features under organic keywords. Optimize each content to increase your odds of acquiring featured snippets.
Create Voice Assistant Skills
With more and more people using smart speakers to buy products, creating voice assistant skills has become more crucial than ever.
Follow the steps mentioned here to create an Alexa skill and a smart home action in Google.
Also, follow these best practices when creating voice assistant skills.
- Create a landing page to show how to use your skill. If you can, add a video to help users better understand it. For example, Capital One has created a separate page on their website that shows how you can enable the skill, the things you can do and ask Alexa.
- Make it clear when the user needs to respond. For example, let’s say a user wants to buy a smartphone. They ask Alexa to open your website and buy a particular mobile phone. If you’re going to ask which color, use words like, “here are the available options: blue, pink, and red. Which one do you want?”
- Tell users what options they have or what they can do with your skill even when they don’t provide any additional detail. Take the below screenshot, for example. When a user says, “Alexa, open Car Fu.” It should respond with something like, “Car Fu. You can ask to get a ride or request a fare estimate. Which will it be?” and not, “Opening Car Fu.”
- Keep your responses brief. Voice assistant devices speak slower than a human, so what seems short in the paper might take more time when read by Alexa or Google Home.
- Avoid overwhelming users with too many choices. As a rule of thumb, you should not offer more than three options.
- If you need more than one piece of information from the user, ask each of them individually. For example, if a customer wants to book a table at your restaurant, you may need various information, such as time and number of people. Ask each of them step by step to avoid any possible confusion.
- Avoid adding too many steps in the conversation. Reduce the number of actions by having conversations only for important steps, such as confirm the delivery address and payment.
Increase Your Domain Authority
Unlike traditional SEO, the page rating doesn’t seem to influence voice search results, but Aherfs Domain Rating does impact them. The average Domain Rating of voice search results is 76.8.
For example, let’s consider this result for the search phrase, “what is voice SEO?” It is from WhatIs.com.
The domain rating for the voice search result from WhatIs.com is 90 (which is high) but has a low page authority (15).
Here are some ways to increase your domain authority:
- Get backlinks from high-authority websites. Publish high-quality content that everyone wants to link to.
- Disavow bad and broken links.
- Improve your internal linking structure.
- Ensure your on-page SEO is on point. It includes optimizing your title, using proper header tags, SEO optimized permalinks, and Alt Text tags.
- Increase your social signals. Stay active and engage with your social media followers.
Work on Your Local SEO
58% of people use voice search to find local businesses. Improving your local SEO increases your possibilities of appearing for “near me” and “location-based” searches.
Related: Local SEO Ranking Factors Used By Google
Here’s an example of how local voice search results appear on smartphones. When searched for “restaurants in California,” it shows the top restaurants, directions, their opening hours, rating, and facilities available (dine-in, takeaway, and delivery).
Here’s how you can optimize your local SEO:
- Ensure your Google My Business (GMB) profile is complete. GMB allows you to add a name, phone number, and phone number (NAP) to your business listing. Make sure to pick the right business category, depending on what you sell.
- Create business listings on various third-party review sites, such as Yelp, Citysearch, and Yellow Pages. Ensure your NAP is the same across all the platforms.
- Encourage your customers to leave reviews on your Google and other listings. People are more likely to visit a business with more positive reviews.
- Optimize your website for local keywords. This increases your chances of appearing for “near me” searches. For example, if I live in California, and I search for “grocery stores near me,” I will get only the list of shops located in California.
Implement Schema Markup
Schema markup is an additional piece of code that helps search engines better understand what your website is all about. This increases your chances of appearing for relevant search queries.
Here’s how schema improves your search listing. It allows you to add ratings and multiple links on your search listing.
Google is developing a speakable schema that identifies sections within a webpage that are best suited for audio playback.
Google says, “Webpages with speakable structured data can use the Google Assistant to distribute the content through new channels and reach a wider base of users.”
It is worth mentioning that speakable schema is in beta testing mode and is available only for new sites. In the coming months, you can expect Google to launch a speakable schema for every website on the internet.
Instead of waiting for Google to complete the beta testing, make sure to implement a schema markup on your website to increase your chances of appearing for voice search.
There are different types of schemas, each with a specific set of properties. The core vocabulary of schema consists of:
- 829 different types
- 1351 properties
- 339 enumeration values
Use Schema.org vocabulary to understand the different types and determine how you can implement structured data on your website.
Ensure Your Technical SEO is On-Point
Just like in traditional SEO, your website’s technical health impacts your voice search rankings. Use tools like SEOptimer to conduct a site audit and identify errors in your technical SEO.
Open SEOptimer and enter your website URL. The tool will then return with all the issues in your SEO that need to be addressed. Click on “Performance” to see technical SEO errors on your website.
Follow the best practices to improve your technical SEO:
- Ensure your site loads as quickly as possible.
- Make your website mobile-friendly.
- Upload sitemaps to Google to ensure each page is indexed.
- Optimize your URL structure to reflect the title of your content or webpage.
- Build an easy to navigate website, even when browsed with the help of voice assistants.
- Implement SSL certifications to improve your website certificate.
- Create AMP pages for your website.
Best Examples of Voice SEO in Action
Early adopters of voice SEO are leading the pack. These companies are prepared to acquire a significant market share in their industry by dominating the voice search results.
Let’s take a look at the best examples of voice SEO in action:
Optin Monster – “SEO Ranking Factors”
When you search for “what are the on-page SEO factors?” the answer comes from Optin Monster.
Here are some reasons why this page ranks for voice search:
- Optin Monster has a high domain rating: 86.
- They have created a numbered lists to structure the content specifically for featured snippets.
- Finally, the word count of the guide is more than 5,000+ words. It indicates that the topic is discussed in-depth, thereby increasing the chances of ranking for voice search.
Hosting Facts – “What are the Top Email Marketing Tools?”
When you search for “what are the top email marketing tools,” the answer comes from Hosting Facts.
Here are some reasons that might have helped Hosting Facts acquire the top spot of voice search results.
- Their domain rating is 79, which is above the average.
- They have structured the content in an easy-to-understand way with subheadings, short paragraphs, and bullet points.
- The word count is 3870, which is again above average. The content is written at a 6th-grade level.
US News – “Top Places to Visit in the World”
When you search for the “top places to visit in the world,” you will hear Google read out answers from the website US News.
Here are some reasons why US News is ranking for voice search results for this query.
- It has a high domain rating: 91.
- The content is well-structured and has a great internal linking structure.
- The content is written at an 8th-grade level and has above average word count (3150+).
Local Businesses – “Furniture Store Near Me”
When I searched for “furniture store near me,” I saw these listings.
Here are some possible reasons why these three stores are ranking for “near me” searches in their locality.
- They have a complete GMB profile. I can see their opening hours, directions, contact information, and other details (in-store shopping and curbside pickup).
- They have got enough reviews.
- They have optimized their website for local keywords.
What Did We Learn From These Examples?
If you create content that is easy to understand (at or below 9th-grade reading level), well-structured, has relevant internal links, you can acquire the top spot for voice search results. However, you must have a high domain rating (76+).
If you are a local business, make sure your GMB profile is complete, encourage customers to leave reviews, and optimize your website for local keywords.
Future of Voice SEO
With the availability and affordability of smartphones, voice search has grown exponentially over the last few years. The growth of voice search doesn’t seem to slow down anytime in the near future.
Here’s what the future of voice SEO holds:
- Voice shopping in the US is expected to reach $40 billion by 2022.
- Search engines will continuously bring updates to improve voice search results in the coming months and years. This means marketers need to stay atop the algorithmic changes to ensure they are getting the most of voice SEO.
- Websites that focus on their customers and target audience while creating content will subsequently dominate voice search results.
- AI will play a vital role in helping businesses understand their customers’ needs and craft content that can rank at the top of voice search results.
- More and more companies will create voice assistant skills to dominate searches performed using smart speakers.
Wrapping Up
Voice SEO helps you appear for voice search results on different devices, including smart speakers. Businesses that optimize their website for voice search see an increase in brand awareness and sales. Follow all the strategies provided above to enhance your chances of appearing for voice search results. Happy Voice Search Optimization!
