Optimize for Voice Search

The robots are coming! And by that, we, of course, mean digital assistants like Siri, Cortana and Google Now. These features allow smartphone users and even desktop users to quickly search using their voice rather than having to type with their fingers.

This shift to voice search will mean a whole lot more than not having to set your sandwich down to make a search. Searches and therefore search engine optimization (SEO) as we know it may have to change. Here is how and why:

In the past, your site may have been able to gain quick search hits by writing about questions like “how many people live in the U.S.?” Now, questions like that are answered directly in voice search features, obscuring the source article and robbing the writer of a valuable inbound lead.

To fight back, sites will need to answer more complex questions. Instead of something like “what is telecom consulting?” they will have to create content like “Here are the 6 core services of telecom consulting.”

Deeper content like this explores topics from a more technical standpoint while empowering searchers with more than basic knowledge. Your website gets the actual hit since Siri cannot answer the question quickly, and you build your brand reputation in the process.

People write online differently than they talk. Short, choppy search queries like “Atlanta restaurants,” will likely be replaced by more human-sounding sentences like “what are the best restaurants near me?” Notice how the second sentence had a descriptive qualifier, too. Not only do people in conversations use more words, but they are also likely to get to the heart of what they are looking for as a result.

Your site can respond by emphasizing keyword phrases that do away with short choppiness while adding descriptive flair. Diversify your keyword portfolio and enrich it with adjectives to improve your relevance to voice searchers.

The most concerning part about voice search is that people are looking for more immediate answers. They are not punching in two-word phrases then sifting through to see what they get. Instead, they want the first thing served up to answer their question. They will likely not get much farther than the second or third before trying their search again using a different question.

For businesses, this desire for immediacy means that being first on SERPs (search engine results pages) matters more than ever. They will have to fight to appear as relevant as possible while following all the SEO best practices in the book.

Adjusting to the new search algorithms of digital assistants and voice search will not be easy, especially since they are likely to be updated and refined drastically within the next few years.

Keep pace with new developments and preserve the effectiveness of your SEO strategy with the help of professional digital marketers and SEO experts like ClickReady Marketing. We stay on top of algorithm changes and dive deep into marketing knowledge to keep our clients at the top of their SEO game.

Visit our Atlanta SEO services  page to learn more.