Keep an Eye on Voice Search and Plan to Optimize For It

Emerging trends are already influencing the fast-changing digital marketing world and shifting the ground rules and tactics of search engine optimization (SEO). Key among these emerging trends is the rapid rise of Internet voice search, which represents a variation to traditional typed searches and a subsequent need to account for it in SEO practice. Because Naples, Florida-based Moxxi Marketing keeps on top of all developments in the changing digital marketing space, it is following the rise of voice search and tactics for optimizing it with great interest. Read on to learn what we know about voice search optimization so far, and what small businesses should be doing to utilize it going forward.

Voice Search to Soon Make Up Half of All Online Searches

With the evolution of mobile technology and increased availability of voice-based digital assistants such as Siri and Alexa, more and more people are making their search queries by voice. In fact, many tech watchers and digital marketing pundits believe that at least 50% of all online searches will be voice-assisted by 2020, with some asserting that this benchmark will be set this year. Whatever the case, there are nuances between voice searches and typed searches that will definitely influence search results. With the number of results more limited on most mobile devices, ranking high is going to be even more important for mobile digital marketing success.

With the evolution of voice still very much a work in progress, small business owners probably should not expend significant resources to optimize their sites for voice differently than they already do for their regular SEO. However, they can start to account for voice with some subtle voice search optimization tactics.      

Voice Search Optimization Tactics to Start Adopting Now

If you are already utilizing efficient SEO strategies that achieve top search engine results then continue to do so because voice assistants will continue drawing answers from those at the top. If you are not practicing good, mobile-friendly, technical SEO with a strong organizational structure that helps search engines navigate all of your content, then it is time to do so. Along with maintaining solid SEO practices, consider utilizing the following tactics to initiate your voice search optimization efforts:    

• Optimize page loading speed. Google has made it quite clear that a site’s loading speed is a highly important ranking signal, and all suggestions currently indicate that this will hold even more true for voice searches.
• Keep answer snippets short and concise. In fact, 29 words seems to be the average length for snippets designed for Google’s voice search, but make sure that the answer makes sense.
• Keep your content active with social media, as this seems to enhance voice search optimization.
• Content written at a 9th grade level seems to be the most popular with voice search results.
• Make sure that your SEO efforts are leading to inclusion as a Google “featured snippet,” as seen at the top of search engine results pages. This primarily relies on the point above about practicing efficient SEO strategies, though enhance these even further by incorporating bullets, numbered lists, FAQs, and charts into the content, and make sure you make good use of headlines and subheads
• Make more strategic use of long-tail keywords to account for the differences between voice and typed-out queries. People tend to use longer and more complete phrasing when posting their search queries by voice, thus long-tail keywords crafted like people speak may better match the longer phrasing of the search query.

Voice search optimization remains a work in progress in regard to its effective use in digital marketing. Naples, Florida-based Moxxi Marketing will keep a close eye on the growing voice search trend and all Google SEO-related responses to it. If you would like to learn more about the rise of voice search and how to optimize for it, or would like to learn more about all of our digital marketing strategies please let us know.

Our team of marketing experts has a long-held track record of helping companies successfully launch and maintain online marketing campaigns that achieve solid, measurable results. We are experts at utilizing Google in our campaigns, and keep up to date with all emerging digital media trends, to make sure that your online presence is always producing results. From full-service social media marketing to targeted campaigns, Moxxi Marketing can boost your social media status, website, and overall online presence. Contact us today at 239.228.8837.