Voice search. Really, who has not used this? Before, when we want to search for something on the internet, we have to type the words to get the answers. But now, all you must do is just use the voice assistant to search for something rather than typing. Cool, isn’t it?
Before, the feature could only be accessed in English. Today, over 60 languages are supported by Google Voice Search.
Voice search optimized websites have a better likelihood of engaging potential customers than the typed search. That is why it is important to know the difference between typed and spoken inquiries in the Search Engine Result Pages (SERP) as results may vary.
People usually ask long questions as they would generally speak when using voice search. As a result, the Hummingbird update provided a huge boost to voice search optimization.
So, why the need to optimize for voice search?
1) User intent – People search for your website because they either want to buy something or want to get more information about what you are offering.
User intent tells us the reason why people type their questions in the search engine like “how to…” “what to…” “top 10 ___” “____ near me” and so on.
That is why you should consider user intent when making content to improve the relevance of your pages to specific search queries.
2) Featured snippets – This appears at the top of the SERPs. Google pulls the most relevant content and places it in a box.
3) Page Speed – is the time your page needs to load. Page speed also prompts whether or not your page will appear in voice search results. This tool notifies you whether your site’s current loading time is fast enough, and recommendations for how to make it faster.
4) Local SEO – Studies show that roughly 75% of voice search results will rank in the top 3 positions for a particular question on a desktop search. The report says that 20% of the global online population is already using voice search, and 58% of voice users employ it to run a local business search.
