SEO plays a key role in improving your website’s ranking and visibility. But traditional SEO alone is not enough anymore. With the rise of Google voice search, Alexa, Siri, and other voice assistants, there has been a massive shift in how internet users perform online searches. Voice searches are steadily increasing, owing to faster response times, hands-free searching, and better accessibility. Therefore Voice SEO, or Voice Search Optimization are crucial for your website.
What is Voice SEO?
Voice SEO, or Voice Search Optimization refers to the process of improving your website so that it ranks high in voice search results. This involves optimizing your site for keywords and key phrases that are used in voice queries. Voice SEO is essential to increase your chances of reaching users who use voice assistants like Alexa and Siri to find information.
How Voice SEO Differs from Traditional SEO
Traditional SEO |
Voice SEO |
| Focuses on optimizing for keywords that users type into search engines | Targets long-tail keywords and natural language phrases used in voice search, since voice search is more conversational |
| Considers the intent behind search queries | Considers voice commands that require specific action or direct answer |
| Used for targeting more generalized queries and broader searches | Prioritizes local SEO, since voice queries are used more for vocal searches such as finding businesses or restaurants nearby |
The Growing Importance of Voice Search Optimization
NPR and Edison Research reveals that 62% of Americans over 18 years of age, use a voice assistant on their devices. 32% of Americans use smart speakers such as the Amazon Echo and Google Home. According to a Voice Search Study by UpCity in 2021, 50% of US customers used voice search daily. And this number has been on a steady rise.
These statistics clearly indicate that voice search technology is here to stay, and you have to step up your SEO strategy to cater to these evolving trends.
Benefits of Voice SEO for Your Business
- Voice SEO improves your appearance in voice search results. This boosts brand awareness and helps you achieve better local reach since a majority of voice searches are local.
- Since it helps provide relevant, valuable, and timely information for voice searches, Voice SEO positions your business as both trustworthy and authoritative.
- Optimizing for voice searches makes your website more easily accessible to users who search using voice assistants. This gives you a competitive advantage, and enhances user experience.
Voice Search Optimization Tips
- Focus on keywords and queries used in voice searches. Prioritize long-tail keywords, question keywords, and conversational keywords.
- Use free keyword research tools online. For instance, you can use the Keyword Magic Tool from SEMRush to use a seed keyword to analyze related keywords. This tool also allows you to filter by ‘questions’ or by ‘keyword difficulty’ so that you can find question keywords and keywords that are easy to rank for.
- Analyze voice search results for target keywords. This can help you understand what type of content appears in SERPs and align your content accordingly.
- Optimize your content with the identified voice search keywords. Make use of natural language to incorporate voice search keywords naturally.
- A large percentage of voice searches are local. So, remember to target local keywords.
- Track your voice search rankings and monitor how the related keywords perform over time.
Voice SEO is now a critical aspect of search engine optimization and digital marketing. If you have not caught up with this essential SEO trend already, it’s about time you do- because the benefits of voice SEO for your business are just too many to ignore.