It was inevitable that voice search would become such an integral part of people’s daily lives online that search engine optimisation (SEO) strategists would pay close attention.
According to Google, 55% of teenagers and 41% of adults used voice search on a daily basis in through virtual assistants such as Siri and Alexa. This could be searching for everything from local restuarnats through to Cheltenham Boiler Installation companies such as http://www.hprservicesltd.com/cheltenham-boilers/boiler-installation-cheltenham/
How does it work?
Voice search works by using natural language processing (NLP) and text-to-speech (TTS) to forward the search request to a database, which then matches the question with a suitable answer. The more voice search is used, the more powerful NLP will become in returning relevant responses. It works by decoding the intent behind the search query and also takes into account the user’s search history to compile results.
A competitive driving force
Using voice search as an SEO tool is becoming more commonplace and there are several ways in which you can adapt your strategy. The key is enabling Google’s voice search database to extract answers from your content to match to search queries.
Using Schema is a solid way to start taking advantage of voice search. Schema is an add-on to HTML coding that provides search engines with more in-depth information from the page – the more comprehensive it is, the more likely it is that Google will successfully extract information. Next, it is vital to include any location-specific data and ensure that your XML Sitemap is up to date. If you outsource this, be sure to speak to your website design company about the inclusion of this information.
Your content is also an important asset here. It should be as human-friendly as possible, paying attention to conversational tone. Using natural sentence structure means you are more likely to match a voice query. A frequently asked questions (FAQ) page is also highly recommended.
While there is not a lot of scope for monetising voice search at this stage, a huge range of big name businesses are invested in the technology. This can only mean more growth, more advances in sophistication, and more ways to use it as a digital marketing tool. Be a part of this exciting future.
