The 2020 Guide To The Google Voice Search Revolution.

Voice search is exactly what it sounds like. It allows users to speak into their device to make a query as opposed to searching for specific keywords to generate results. The Audio technology is now so advanced that it uses speech recognition to determine what someone is saying with extreme precision. It will then deliver its results to the user orally like a conversation saving the consumer time and means that they don’t even have to look at a screen. So, it is now time to not only optimise your website for keyword searches through search engines but for voice searches as well. 55% of households are expected to own smart speaker devices by 2022.

The main benefit to Google voice search is that it drastically improves user experience. Due to its prolific use and the fact that it is fast becoming common practice, search engines are now placing a higher emphasis on voice search optimisation. SEO ranks websites to allow people to find the most accurate information for what they are looking for and as quickly as possible, user experience will always be at the forefront of search engine optimisation. If you appear on the first page of Google you are essentially guaranteed a share of the traffic as not all consumers will click on the top search result. Now, with voice search SEO, things are different. Only one result will be read aloud, so it is winner takes all!

When people make search requests on their mobiles devices or computers, they more often than not will write in short phrases. For example, research shows that when looking for an SEO company in valenica, the majority of users will simply search ‘seo valencia’. whereas, when searching through voice people will speak a lot more naturally and could ask ‘who is the best SEO company in valencia’. So don’t be afraid to start including more of your long-tail keywords as this will help to optimise your website for voice search as well as the shorter and snappier keywords that appeal to desktop searches.

Just like traditional search engine optimisation, Google voice search favours websites that load quickly. This goes back to the constant focus on the user experience that I mentioned before. It is essential to ensure that your website has a fast loading speed, it is responsive and works well on mobile devices and that you have optimised all of your images so they do not slow your website down.

22% of voice search queries are looking for location-based content. Therefore, brands have a higher chance of producing voice search content if they invest in local content. For example, create local SEO pages that are dedicated to areas that you are targeting and try to use terms like ‘near me’. For more information on local SEO see our local seo guide and our seo valencia pages.

On average, Google voice search results are around 29 words long. We know that short answers always perform better so how can we guarantee the content that the search engines will identify and relay to the user. The best way is to create a Featured Snippet! A featured snippet, also called position zero, answer box or quick answers is essentially a summary answer from a web page and the box will appear just underneath the paid ads and will include your snippet. For more tips on obtaining a featured snippet see our guide to featured snippets.

Nothing in online marketing is ever certain and the power of Google voice search is no exception. However, it is gaining considerable growth and traction, and it is not showing any signs of slowing down. Good marketers will never ignore a trend and at Chrisp Design, we are already optimising our sites for voice search. If you optimise your site for voice search SEO now, you’ll likely be ahead of the competition and see strong voice search rankings that will effectively grow your brand long-term.