Voice search: how it’s changing SEO and content marketing
Embracing the era of voice search, users can now effortlessly interact with their voice assistants, like Siri or Google Assistant, to quickly access the information they need.
This change in search behaviour, marked by more natural and conversational queries, has implications for SEO and content marketing strategies.
As users increasingly adopt this intuitive approach to seek information, businesses must adapt by optimising their website and content for voice search.
Let’s delve into how this shift is reshaping the landscape of SEO and content marketing.
Impact of voice search on local SEO and content marketing
Changes in keywords and phrases
Keyword research is changing. There now have to be two strategies for SEO (search engine optimisation) and content marketing: one for customers making text-based searches and one for those making voice-activated ones.
One of the biggest impacts of voice search on local SEO is the shift towards conversational and natural language queries.
Local SEO refers to the optimisation of a website for a specific geographic location, making it easier for local clients to find a business when searching for products or services in their area.
When someone uses voice search, they typically ask a question in a conversational and natural way, such as “What is a mortgage broker?” or “Where’s a good mortgage broker near me?”
This means that businesses need to optimise their website and content for voice search to ensure that they’re providing accurate and relevant answers to these types of queries.
SEO now needs to take a more conversational approach and that means companies have to create new engaging content to reach their audiences.
Increased competition
With the rise of voice search, there is a higher likelihood of increased competition for top search engine rankings. Voice assistants often provide only one or two results based on the user’s query, which means businesses will have to compete harder for those few coveted spots.Localisation
A challenge for businesses with voice search is localising their content writing effectively.Voice search results are typically more personalised and context-based, taking into account the user’s location and search history.
This means that businesses need to ensure their location information and contact details are up-to-date and accurate, and their website is optimised for local search to appear in relevant voice search results.
There’s also an increasing importance of local listings and directories, such as Google Business Profile. These directories provide businesses with a platform to showcase your products, services and location information, making it easier for local clients to find you through voice search.
9 tips for developing a voice search-friendly strategy
1. Understand your target audience and how they use voice search
Before you start optimising your content, it’s important to understand how your target audience uses voice search. What types of questions do they ask? What specific challenges or difficulties are they facing?
As mentioned earlier, unlike traditional text-based searches, users ask more conversational questions when using voice assistants. This means that your web content creation needs to focus on answering specific questions rather than incorporating keywords.
For example, someone wondering about the pros and cons of refinancing a property will probably ask: “Should I refinance my home loan?”
If you’re a mortgage broker and you’ve answered the question in a blog, you can check you’re using the relevant keywords throughout the article. For example, your opening sentence might be: “Are you wondering whether you should refinance your home loan?”
Hunter & Scribe has the content creation tools for finance and property professionals that incorporates your key messages and is aimed directly at your target audience.
2. Create frequently asked questions (FAQ) pages
People tend to ask specific questions when using voice assistants. To make your content more accessible in voice search results, consider creating an FAQ page. This page should feature relevant questions and accurate answers about your products or services.Provide genuine value and accuracy
Your goal is to offer genuine value and accuracy in your FAQ. For instance, a financial adviser’s website might include FAQs such as:- What exactly do financial advisers do? A financial adviser is a professional who can help you set your financial goals and create a plan to achieve them. They can also educate you about financial products, tax rules and insurance options, to help you build and protect your wealth.
- When do I need a financial adviser? Consider consulting a financial adviser if you struggle to prioritise financial goals, need a savings plan or need help with investment management.
3. Use long-tail keywords and natural language
When people conduct a text-based search on Google, they often use short phrases or keywords. However, when using voice search, they tend to speak in full sentences or ask complete questions.
Therefore, use natural language in your content and focus on long-tail keywords rather than short ones. This would mimic natural speech patterns and improve your chances of being featured on a voice search result.
The use of these longer phrases also allows businesses to better understand the needs of their target audience and tailor their content accordingly. Long-tail keywords can improve your search rankings in both traditional text-based searches and voice search results.
For example, someone wanting to know about house demolitions would ask their voice assistant:
- What permits do I need for a residential demolition project?
- Which demolition companies offer services in Sydney?
- Are there any safety considerations for demolishing a house?
4. Focus on featured snippets
Featured snippets are the short, summarised answers that appear at the top of Google’s organic search results under the ads.
Voice assistants often read snippets aloud and this makes them essential for voice search optimisation. Aim to create engaging content that can rank for featured snippets by providing precise and concise answers to commonly asked questions.
Here is an example of a featured snippet:
5. Improve website speed and mobile responsiveness
Voice searches are often done on mobile devices, so ensure your website is optimised for mobile use.This means having a fast loading speed and a responsive design that adjusts to different screen sizes.
Voice search also affects search engines’ page rankings, so don’t underestimate its influence on SEO. It’s important to have clear and concise website content to rank higher for voice search results. Hunter & Scribe can help with SEO writing and web content creation. We use simple English – so all our content is easy to read and understand.
6. Make use of structured data markup
Structured data markup is code that helps search engines understand the content on your website and display it in a more prominent and organised manner.
Including structured data on your website can improve its visibility in search results, including voice search.
7. Interact with users on social media platforms
Voice search results frequently use content with a lot of likes and shares on social networks.
Maintain active and thriving social media pages and provide them with plenty of attention and care. The higher your level of interaction with social media users, the greater the likelihood they will come across your business via a virtual assistant.
Hunter & Scribe specialises in social media content creation for finance and property professionals.
8. Optimise your video rankings in search results
An informative video can often be more effective than plain text in answering user queries.
If a video can assist your audience, it’s also valuable for voice search. Include conversational long-tail phrases in the video titles – for example, starting with “How To” – incorporate keywords in the video’s description and transcript, and use a clickable and enticing thumbnail that encourages users to watch your video.
Where possible, Google can extract relevant video sections based on user requests.
9. Monitor and adapt
As with any content marketing strategy, it’s important to continually monitor the performance of your content and adjust accordingly.
Keep track of how your content is ranking in both traditional and voice search results and make necessary changes to continue improving your strategy.
Conclusion
The rise of voice search is reshaping SEO and content marketing strategies.
Embracing conversational content, local optimisation and mobile responsiveness can help businesses stay ahead in this evolving landscape.
By optimising your website for voice search and creating voice-friendly content, you can effectively reach and engage a broader audience.
