Voice search queries are making it easier and more natural for us to communicate with machines. Although today that mostly includes music, sports, and weather forecasts it doesn’t mean that users don’t expect fast and consistent results along with the ability for the device to comprehend and answer more complex questions.
Those questions expand into categories like entertainment, local information or personal assistant tasks. Context plays an ample role here. As Siri, Alexa and Cortana become stand-alone devices with the Amazon Echo, Google Home or the Apple home pod they will start becoming more integrated into your background. That will influence the way you shop online and expedite the progression of e-commerce. Here are some tips on how to optimize your website for voice search.
Use Natural Conversational Words
The key here is to understand semantic relevance and entities. Your keyword strategy must shift towards using long-tail keywords. It is better to write like we speak in an actual conversation and think about what questions your clients might have. We advise using keyword families that include normal language, synonyms, and co-relevant terms. A good step towards this direction is to include a frequently asked questions page on your website. Create categories with similar questions together on the same page and go for a natural-sounding Q & A tone. You should also expect more specific questions. So instead of “best fitness tracker” you are going to get more precise queries like “Where can I find a fitness tracker with a heart monitor ?” It’s this level of attention to detail that will make a difference in your rankings.
The 5 W’s
Every question is looking for an answer to one of the 5 W’s: who, what, where, when and why. Some add a sixth “how” to the list. It is recommended that this fundamental principle of research be used in your industry to provide some basic information about your product to your audience. These are not “yes” or “no” questions but more like key phrases.
Structured Data Markup
Implementing the correct schemas will give Alexa and Siri even more guidance about who you are and what exactly you do. Structured data markup makes it easier for search engines to crawl your website and give meaning to your content.
Final Thoughts
Today over 20% of mobile searches are through voice with projections that number will reach 50% by 2020. The implications and apps for this are already huge as it presents an opportunity for all types of businesses. Regardless of what platforms you currently use voice search is here to stay and you should be considering ways to incorporate it in your marketing plan.