Stay Current with Voice Search Content
Ever since search engines became the way to look for things on the internet in the mid-1990’s, the way in which we search for things has gradually evolved. And during that evolution, we’ve since adapted to how we do our searches. But mostly those searches tend to stick with using a keyword or phrase. And those keywords and phrases were always typically done on our computers. While computers are still a vital means of searching the internet, we’ve now entered a more sophisticated way of searching for things…by voice on our phones.
Voice Search in the Age of Smart Phones
With the advance of technology and the surge in popularity of smart phones, voice search has become an important way to try to quickly seek out an answer to what we’re searching for. The problem that arises with these voice searches is that when spoken, keywords that are typically typed in, don’t sound natural when spoken. It’s important to realize that people search differently when it comes to typing in keywords on a computer versus searching for the same thing on a mobile device.
So, with the growing number of smart phone users out there, it’s no surprise that more and more people are using a voice search of some kind instead of going through the tedious task of typing keywords into their phone keyboard. In fact, it’s estimated that by the year 2020, over half of all search queries will be done by voice search. So where does that leave you when thinking about your voice search content? That means that the time to optimize your content is now. It’s time to get on board with the new search engine age and maximize your voice search content so that you can stay fresh and relevant in the competitive market.
Voice Search vs Typed Search
Where does one start when it comes to optimizing your business for voice search content? First, you’ll want to understand what people are searching for and how they do it. For example, voice search is a highly used tool when it comes to looking for information about a physical location someone wants to visit. This is why it’s important to make sure you have your business listed with sites such as Google My Business. If someone is looking for a specific service in your area and your business is listed on Google My Business, the chances of your business coming up on a voice search will definitely increase. This is especially helpful for those types of voice searches that are looking for a service near them. Make sure your business listing is as specific and accurate as possible when you’re selecting categories on your Google My Business profile.
The next way to get your content and business noticed is to identify long-tail keywords. What this means is that voice search tends to be more conversational than typed in search. For example, a potential customer might ask their voice search “Where is the nearest gas station?” which will then prompt locations of gas stations in that area. Research has found that the majority of voice searching is done in the form of a question. This means you should consider optimizing your search content so that it sounds more conversational. It’s also a good idea to research spoken conversational inquires that could potentially lead to a search finding your business.
Voice search is a highly used tool when it comes to looking for information about physical locations. Click To Tweet
Create New Voice Search Ready Content
On the same topic of optimizing your content to better suit voice searches, you may also want to consider creating new content for your page in the form of a question and answer section. Make your questions and answers as specific as possible. Because as the age of voice searching evolves, so will the questions being asked while searching. Research common questions consumers might ask about your product. In doing so, you’ll increase the chances of a voice search pulling information from your website for a specific search. And that will in turn increase the chances of your business being chosen by the searcher.
Voice search optimization can be a vital tool in making sure your company stays competitive and flourishes in a competitive economy. With so much searching now being done on mobile phones through a voice search, optimizing your content will put your business ahead of those who have not yet got on board with the search engine platforms of the future. By keeping your content up to date, current, and fresh, you’ll be off to a great start. But by optimizing your search content to make it more voice search friendly, you should see your page hits increase along with your profits.
