Voice Search in 2023: The Game-Changer Your Business Can’t Ignore
Websites that fail to optimise for voice searches will lose out dramatically on traffic share
In recent years, voice search has become increasingly popular with the rise of virtual assistants like Siri, Alexa, and Google Assistant. As more businesses seek to optimise their websites for Google, the importance of mobile and voice search has been more important.
Comscore predicted back in 2016, that 50% of all searches will be voice searches by 2020. Recent studies by Iconic Digital and our partners, suggest that almost 63% of search traffic throughout 2022 has been delivered to our client’s websites through voice search on Google. This statistic looks only likely to grow with the rise of mobile technology and artificial intelligence.
Voice search has already changed the way people search for information, and it’s set to change the game for businesses as well. As artificial intelligence and Chat Bot popularity increases, voice search is only going to continue to grow in use. In this article, we’ll explore the impact of voice search on businesses and provide tips on how to optimise your website for voice search on Google.
The Impact of Voice Search on Businesses
Voice search has the potential to revolutionise the way businesses market themselves online. Here are some of the ways in which voice search is already changing the game:
Changed Search Behaviours
Voice search has made it easier for people to search for information on the go or when they have their hands full. Instead of typing out a query, they can simply ask their virtual assistant a question, and the results will be read out to them. This means that search queries are becoming more conversational and longer-tail, which presents both a challenge and an opportunity for businesses.
Increase in Local Search
People are increasingly using voice search to find local businesses. This means that businesses need to make sure that their website is optimised for local SEO so that they appear in the results for relevant queries. For example, a user might ask their virtual assistant to “find a plumber near me” or “what’s the best pizza place in town”.
Need for Position Zero
When a user asks their virtual assistant a question, the result that is read out is often taken from the featured snippet or position zero. This means that businesses need to optimise their content for position zero if they want to appear in the results for voice search queries. Webmasters that utilise structured data and schema markup language are far more likely to appear in position zero results.
Importance of Branding
With voice search, users are often not presented with a list of results to choose from. Instead, the virtual assistant reads out a single result. This means that it’s more important than ever for businesses to establish themselves as a recognizable brand that users trust.
Should my Webmaster optimise my website for Voice Search?
As the popularity of voice search continues to grow, webmasters should certainly pay attention to it and consider optimizing their website for it. However, this doesn’t necessarily mean that voice search should take precedence over traditional desktop-based keyword searches.
Both types of search are important, and webmasters should aim to optimise their website for all types of search queries. Traditional keyword searches are still a major source of traffic for many websites, and optimizing your website for these queries should remain a priority.
That being said, there are some key differences between voice search and traditional keyword searches that webmasters should be aware of. For example, voice search queries are often longer-tail and more conversational, and they tend to focus on questions rather than keywords. This means that webmasters may need to adapt their content strategy to focus more on answering questions and providing valuable information.
Additionally, voice search queries are often used on mobile devices, which means that webmasters should ensure that their website is mobile-friendly and optimised for smaller screens.
Overall, webmasters should aim to strike a balance between optimizing their website for traditional keyword searches and voice search. By doing so, they can ensure that their website is accessible to a wide range of users and that they’re not missing out on valuable traffic from either type of search query.
Tips for Optimizing Your Website for Voice Search on Google
Now that we’ve explored the impact of voice search on businesses, let’s look at some tips for optimizing your website for voice search on Google. You can also access 6 tips to help improve your voice to text SEO strategy.
Use Conversational Language
With voice search, people are using more conversational language, so it’s important to use natural language on your website. This means that you should aim to answer questions that people might ask about your products or services in a conversational tone.
Focus on Long-Tail Keywords
Voice search queries are often longer-tail and more specific than text-based queries. This means that you should focus on long-tail keywords that are relevant to your business and optimise your content around them.
Optimise for Position Zero
As mentioned earlier, the result that is read out for voice search queries is often taken from the featured snippet or position zero. This means that you need to optimise your content for position zero if you want to appear in the results for voice search queries.
Use Structured Data
Structured data makes it easier for search engines to understand the content on your website. This is particularly important for voice search, as virtual assistants use structured data to provide answers to users’ questions.
Focus on Local SEO
As we mentioned earlier, voice search is leading to an increase in local search. This means that you need to make sure that your website is optimised for local SEO so that you appear in the results for relevant queries.
Improve Site Speed
Site speed is important for all types of search, but it’s particularly important for voice search. People expect instant results when they use voice search, and if your website is slow to load, they’re likely to abandon it and move on to a faster site. To improve your site speed, you can compress images, minify code, and use a content delivery network (CDN).
Make Sure Your Website is Mobile-Friendly
Voice search is often used on mobile devices, so it’s essential that your website is mobile-friendly. This means that your website should be optimised for smaller screens, and it should be easy to navigate on a mobile device.
Use Schema Markup
Schema markup is another type of structured data that can help search engines understand your content. By using schema markup, you can provide more detailed information about your products or services, which can help you appear in the results for voice search queries.
Create FAQ Pages
FAQ pages are a great way to provide answers to questions that people might ask about your products or services. By creating a dedicated FAQ page, you can optimise your content for voice search and provide valuable information to potential customers.
Test Your Website
Finally, it’s important to test your website to make sure that it’s optimised for voice search. You can use tools like Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test and GTmetrix PageSpeed Insights to check your website’s performance and identify areas for improvement.
In conclusion, voice search is set to become an increasingly important part of the online landscape, and businesses that ignore it do so at their peril. By optimizing your website for voice search on Google, you can stay ahead of the competition and provide a better user experience for your customers. Use the tips outlined in this article to get started, and don’t be afraid to experiment and try new things to see what works best for your business.
Connect with the SEO Experts in London
If you’re looking to improve your website’s search engine rankings and drive more traffic to your site, then Iconic Digital can help. Our team of SEO experts in London have years of experience in helping businesses improve their online presence and reach new audiences through effective search engine optimisation strategies.
By working with Iconic Digital, you’ll gain access to a range of SEO services, including keyword research, content optimisation, technical SEO, and local SEO. Check out our local SEO tips and how to get your Google Business Profile optimised. We’ll work with you to understand your business goals and develop a customized SEO strategy that’s tailored to your unique needs.
So, if you’re ready to take your website to the next level and start seeing real results from your online efforts, then don’t hesitate to contact Iconic Digital today. Our team is standing by to answer any questions you may have and help you get started on your SEO journey.