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Content and Copywriting
Years back, many thought voice search was only for lazy folks who hated typing. However, the level of acceptance the general public has shown voice search is a pointer that it has come to stay.

Now, it’s normal for us to ask Alexa, Siri, or Cortana for recommendations on the best food place around town. How time flies!

Statistics show that 71% of customers prefer voice search over typing.

It is only wise for you to optimize your website blog for voice search since customers enjoy the convenience of using it.

The first thing to realize is that voice search differs from regular search queries in terms of language patterns. Voice search inquiries are based on how people talk rather than how they type.

How do you position your blog to serve the growing number of voice searchers? If you stick around long enough, you’ll find out.

What is voice search optimization?

Voice search optimization covers all efforts to ensure that your content pops up after a verbal query.

In a regular voice search, users can make a query like, “Where are the best food hotels near me in Hong Kong?” The results will be those that have been optimized for such a phrase.

To ensure your website appears in search results, optimizing it for the growing number of voice search users is important.

How to optimize for voice search

Voice search is fast, and it is the second most popular channel for searches on mobile phones. This only means you’ll have to leverage its numerous benefits for your websites.

Here’s how to go about optimizing your website for voice search:

Prioritize long-tail keywords

Using generic keywords like “Hong Kong hotels” can be less effective when you’re optimizing your website for voice searches.

Most people tend to use more words when making verbal queries as compared to when texting. This is because people enjoy the sound of their voices, and making a voice search is remarkably effortless.

To appear in search results, you’ll have to target more specific, long, and direct keywords that’ll satisfy search intent. Building content around regular questions or phrases that people use to make inquiries is a smart way to optimize your blog for voice search.

Google’s Autocomplete suggestions, the “People Also Ask” and the related searches section at the bottom of the page, are free avenues to gain long-tail keywords for your website blog.

Infuse conversational language (Speaking patterns)

Since half of the US population uses voice search every day, you must adopt a conversational tone to optimize your blog.

Most people use voice assistants and smart speakers as they would speak with a friend, which shows the priority placed on conversations by most users.

Taking note of the specific speaking patterns of your target audience will greatly impact your optimization process.

This way, you will learn to use personal pronouns more, tell stories, and inform your audience as you would interact with a neighbor. Your content will resonate better with your target audience and also better position you as a go-to solution for your audience.

This should help: The Importance of Clarity and Simplicity In Business Writing

Improve local SEO

A large percentage of online searchers use voice search to access information within their local community.

If you’re running a local business, you should ensure that your site has informative details that’ll help your target audience locate you easily. Your brick-and-mortar business should also have a blog with content that positions you as the answer to your audience’s needs.

Activating your Google My Business profile will help you appear on Google Maps and Google Search when prospects search for related information. Adding a relevant phone number, location, and images will communicate trust to your audience.

Also, you can ask your previous customers to leave honest reviews for you there. Here’s how your business will appear on Google after using local SEO.

Capture Featured Snippets

A featured snippet is a small part that serves as the first answer to your search before you click the link to a page. According to a survey by Backlinko, 40% of the results from voice searches are from the featured snippet.

How do you write an outstanding featured snippet that’ll inform your audience within seconds?

The major hack is for you to provide answers to specific questions you might have generated during your search the snippet will appear right under the header. Using listicles, especially for how-to guides, is another way to optimize your blog for voice search.

Create an FAQ section

Creating a Frequently Asked Question (FAQ) section makes it possible for you to provide direct answers to the many questions that voice searchers ask.

However, you need to adopt an engaging tone when building an FAQ section because it makes it possible for you to retain their attention.

Instead of handling an FAQ section like an afterthought, you should ensure that every aspect offers valuable insights that will benefit online searchers. Think about regular questions people ask about your brand and craft in-depth content to answer them directly.

Optimize for mobile

Nearly 60% of all searches made on search engines are mobile phones, and 20% of all voice searches are mobile. If you want to appeal to voice searchers, you’ll have to ensure your site is mobile-friendly.

A mobile-friendly website is easy to navigate, loads quickly, and possesses impressive formatting that suits smartphones. All your website’s important texts, CTAs, and details must fit perfectly into mobile without any distortions.

Ensuring that your website is optimized for mobile will help you increase your audience’s time digesting content on your blog. This way, you can reduce the likelihood of losing your customers to your competitors.

Boost website speed

What’s more annoying than a website that takes forever to load? People hate to be kept waiting, especially when they know it’s unnecessary.

After making a voice query, searchers are expecting a swift response to their question and if your website speed sucks, then you’ll lose their attention just as quickly as you got it.

When you boost your website speed, you increase the likelihood of having more content ranking on search engines, which gives you more visibility.

Conclusion

Voice search continues to gain popularity and will not lose its relevance soon. If you want to take your website blog to the next level, then it’s important for you to quickly jump on the bandwagon to retain relevance within your niche.

Using an engaging tone, increasing site speed, and prioritizing long-tail keywords are all hacks that can help you optimize your blog for voice search.


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