How does the increase in voice search users impact marketing?
When it comes to optimizing your website for search engines, even seemingly small details can have a big impact. With voice search technology on the rise, users from across all age ranges are embracing voice search functions for online queries that would have formerly been typed directly into the search engine. This shift toward voice search technology is changing the way we do SEO, and we’re going to tell you a little about why.
What is Voice Search technology?
Voice search utilizes a range of speech command functions built-in to your smartphone, laptop, tablet, or other smart devices. By calling on virtual assistants such as apple’s Siri, Amazon’s Alexa, or Cortana if you are using Microsoft, you can have your smart device perform a Google search for you, based on your spoken search command.
Voice Search is on the rise.
Google is constantly updating algorithms, improving its ability to recognize and categorize web content for users. Statistics show that upwards of 40% of adults use voice search at least once each day and one study found that up to 48% of consumers in 2019 were using voice search for general web searches. As voice search recognition becomes more refined and accessible, we see the number of users increase across all age groups.
Why does voice search matter for my business’ SEO?
Getting to and remaining on the first page of Google search results gives your business more visibility. As the number of people using voice searches increases, Google will prioritize relevant websites which are optimized for voice search users. This has implications for SEO because the language that we use changes dramatically when we speak versus when we type. As Purna Virji points out, people tend to unconsciously alter their search behaviour when searching via voice versus text. A spoken search query is more likely to use natural language than a typed query. For example, when we type a search in Google, we may simply write “saskatoon restaurants” whereas when we talk to Siri or Cortana we would more likely ask, “what are the best restaurants in Saskatoon?”
When the content on your website is updated using conversational language, it becomes more likely to be suggested in search results for voice search users. Google will be able to recognize its value for both text and voice searches, and this will have a positive effect on your website ranking. According to SeoClarity, 20% of voice searches are triggered by just 25 keywords. These include question words and other commonly used verbs like make, do, and can, as well as key nouns and adjectives like recipe, easy, and home. Writing for these will boost your business’ value as perceived by Google analytics without impacting your reach in text-based searches. This can increase local traffic to your website and correlates to stronger engagement with your business overall.
Optimize your website for voice search.
If you want your website to be found in results from voice searches—which are now nearly 50% of all searches and steadily increasing—it’s essential that your website be optimized for voice search. The Danger Dynamite team is dedicated to taking the guesswork out of search engine optimization by ensuring your ongoing keyword research is informed by current search trends and your website content is kept current and is informed by quality research, allowing you to spend your valuable time on the daily operations that keep your business running smoothly. We take a holistic approach to SEO that includes voice search optimization and all of the other things you might not have considered!
Danger Dynamite proudly serves Saskatchewan, Medicine Hat, Calgary, and Vancouver Island areas with expert end-to-end digital marketing services including holistic SEO. Check out our services and give us a shout to get started!