The number of people using voice search functions is increasing rapidly and it’s estimated that by 2020 voice searches will account for half of all searches made on mobile platforms. Optimising your website for voice search will increase your chances of being found by interested users. Optimisation for voice searches is slightly different than normal SEO, so it’s important to create a well-balanced website that ranks highly when searched for by any method. Here are a few simple ways to optimise your website accordingly.
1. Structured data
Structured data, also known as schema markup, is metadata in a site’s coding that helps search engines understand, organise, and ultimately rank your website. Voice search results are dependant on the search engine understanding what is being asked and then being able to find relevant answers. Structured data clearly defines what topics web content pertains to, allowing search engines to judge whether the site is suitable to answer voice search queries.
Structured data is essentially a way of cataloguing a site’s content so it’s more easily read and used by search engines. An abundance of well-designed, structured data will vastly improve your chances of being found by users of voice search.
2. Mobile optimisation
The vast majority of voice searches are made on mobile devices, so it follows logically that your site must be correctly optimised for mobile in order to perform well in voice search rankings. Site layout, copy and design all play a major part in mobile optimisation, but the most important aspect in terms of voice search is site speed.
Dedicate serious time and/or money into the development of your mobile site in order to produce the fastest and most responsive product possible. User experience and site functionality are key ranking signals for Google and other search engines and will, as a result, improve your voice search optimisation.
3. Answers
A large part of all voice searches is comprised of brief, conversational questions that demand short and concise answers. Tailor your site’s content to voice search by anticipating relevant questions and answering them in search engine-friendly snippets. Aim to answer queries quickly yet comprehensively by getting right to the heart of the matter and eliminating any irrelevant information.
Create a list of probable questions relating to the topics covered on your site and weave the answers naturally yet succinctly into your content. FAQs are a great way to appeal to voice searches, as the ready-formed answers are perfect for the impatient nature of voice search.
4. Security
Site security is an important factor in optimisation for all search methods. Specifically, it is essential to migrate your site from HTTP to HTTPS if you haven’t done so already. Google has stated on numerous occasions that encrypted connections are a major signifier in their ranking algorithms, so it’s imperative your site is secure.
Web security practices are important for many obvious reasons, but the benefits of search engine optimisation should not be overlooked. There are various ways to keep a site secure, from HTTPS to password management and account control, but a combination of them all will benefit your voice search optimisation the most.
5. Copy
Copy on a voice search optimised site should be more conversational in tone than one optimised solely for conventional desktop searches. Speech patterns differ subtly yet significantly from text communications and voice searches are more informal and natural than traditional searches. When using voice functions, users tend to talk as if their device was a human being and your copy should reflect that almost casual tone and familiar syntax.
Voice search users are unlikely to search for single words, so optimise your copy for common phrases and figures of speech as well as individual keywords. The difference in language used for the different search methods is slight, but distinct and properly optimised copy can produce significant results.
Voice search is becoming increasingly common as larger numbers of users seek quicker and more convenient responses to their queries. A site that is skilfully optimised for multiple search methods will easily outperform competitors that aren’t, so it pays to put in the time and effort to do it right.
