Voice search is on the rise! Current statistics show that 41% of people use voice search at least once per day, and this figure is rising.
With voice assistants such as Siri, Alexa and Cortana part of our daily routine, it’s important websites are not only optimised for written searches, but voice too.
How do these searches differ?
Although you may not think it, the way people make a voice search is different to regular searches. The goal of devices that use artificial intelligence is to make you feel as though you are talking to a real human, so it makes sense how you interact is different.
This conversational feel means questions are asked in a much more natural style. Instead of short search terms such as ‘artificial grass vs real grass ’, people may ask ‘what are the differences between artificial grass and real grass’, or ‘tell me some great restaurants in Sheffield’ as opposed to typing ‘restaurants near me’.
As well as a differing search style, the way results are presented are different too. When running a search on Google, you’ll be met by pages and pages of results, however when searching by voice, you are given one. On Google, the answer you are given is often pulled from the Featured Snippet, so getting to that number one spot is crucial.
So how do I optimise my site?
Write content for your customers
A key place to start is by understanding what information your customers need from you. Put yourself in their shoes, what questions may you need to ask and what information would you want to know? With this in mind, you can start piecing content together. We always suggest keeping this as natural, short and direct as can be. Although key words are definitely important, try to steer clear of confusing jargon, and write in a concise way your audience understand. Remember, your customer is taking part in a conversation with their AI, so a friendly response is always great.
Update FAQs
A great way to make sure you are covering the questions your customers may ask is by having a dedicated FAQ page – and keeping it updated. If you notice an increase in one particular question, add it to the FAQ page! Getting these pages correct is incredibly important. Leverage this guide from Google to improve your chances of appearing in a Featured Snippet!
Think SEO
To make sure voice search shows your result, you need to utilise SEO, especially local SEO. Voice searches are often specific, so you need to make sure information such as your businesses location, address and phone number are easily accessible. As well as having these on your website, make sure your Google Business Profile (formerly Google My Business) is complete and accurate.
Not sure if your website is voice search ready? No problem – we’re here to help! Get in touch with Bubble today!
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