Google Voice Search SEO + Tips, Techniques, and Strategies for Voice SEO in 2023
Voice search is a technology that allows users to conduct online searches using natural language voice commands, rather than typing them into a search bar. This type of search has become increasingly popular in recent years, particularly with the rise of virtual assistants like Amazon’s Alexa and Google Assistant.
Voice search can be done on a variety of devices, including smartphones, smart speakers, and even some home appliances. It’s a convenient way for users to quickly and easily find information or perform tasks online, without having to type out their search queries.
If you’re a website owner or content creator, it’s important to follow best practices and optimize your regularly created, helpful content in order to rank well in voice search results. Google, which is the most popular search engine for voice searches, uses a variety of factors to determine the ranking of websites in search results. You want your content to be informative, unique, and interesting, but also concise.
It’s essential to optimize the content of your website, and continuously test, experiment, learn, and optimize regularly. You also have a responsibility to Google and your shared users to continue your SEO education. This will help you rank high in voice search results and ultimately, earn the coveted “Position Zero“.
Google is the most used voice search engine as of January 2023, and the Google ranking algorithm uses many factors and makes tweaks and tests almost daily. They do it because Google wants the end user to have the best experience possible, and to be the best at something so difficult for decades they must always serve up the most trusted, authoritative websites in each SERP.
How to optimize content for voice search, while following Google’s Best Practices:
- Use long-tail keywords
In voice search, users tend to use longer and more specific phrases, rather than short and general keywords. For example, rather than searching for “pizza,” a user might say “Where can I find the best pizza near me?”
To optimize your content for voice search, it’s important to include long-tail keywords in your content. This means including phrases that are more specific and relevant to your business or industry, rather than just general keywords.
For example, if you own a pizzeria, you might include phrases like “best pizza near me,” “authentic Italian pizza,” or “pizza delivery in [city].” These phrases are more likely to be used in voice searches and will help your website rank higher in search results.
- Use structured data
Structured data is a way to mark up your website’s content in a way that makes it easier for search engines to understand. By using structured data, you can help search engines understand the context and meaning of your content, which can improve your ranking in search results.
To use structured data, you’ll need to use a specific markup language, such as Schema.org or JSON-LD. You can then add this markup to your website’s HTML code to give search engines more information about your content.
For example, if you own a restaurant, you might use structured data to mark up your menu items, prices, and hours of operation. This will help search engines understand the context of your content and make it more likely to appear in voice search results.
- Optimize your website’s loading speed
One of the key factors that Google uses to determine the ranking of websites in search results is the website’s loading speed. If your website takes a long time to load, it’s likely to rank lower in search results.
To optimize your website’s loading speed, you can use a variety of techniques, such as optimizing images, using a content delivery network (CDN), and minifying your website’s code.
- Use natural language in your content
In voice search, users tend to use natural language, rather than specific keywords. This means that it’s important to use natural language in your content, rather than just stuffing it full of keywords.
For example, rather than saying “best pizza near me,” you might say “Where can I find the best pizza in my area?” This will help your content sound more natural and be more likely to rank well in voice search results.
- Create a FAQ page
A FAQ (frequently asked questions) page can be a useful tool for optimizing your website’s content for voice search. By answering common questions that users might ask in a voice search, you can help your website rank higher amongst the SERPs of Google, YouTube, Bing, TikTok, Baidu, and other popular search engines.
As the use of voice assistants like Amazon Echo and Google Home becomes more prevalent, it’s important for businesses and websites to optimize their content and website architecture for voice search SEO. But what exactly does a “voice search SEO” artist do, and how can you ensure that your website’s content ranks at the top of Google’s search engine results pages (SERPs) for voice search queries?
First, let’s define what voice search SEO is. Essentially, it’s the process of optimizing your website and content for the specific language and queries that people use when searching for information via voice assistants. This can include long-tail keywords, natural language phrases, and even full questions.
The role of a voice search SEO artist is to understand how people use voice search and to optimize content and website architecture accordingly. This may include researching popular voice search queries in your industry, revising website content to include more natural language and long-tail keywords, and optimizing website structure and navigation to make it easier for voice assistants to understand and crawl your content.
How to optimize your content and site architecture for Google Voice Search SEO?
Here are some final organic SEO tips, essential for all keyword queries in Google, Bing, YouTube, TikTok, Baidu, etc.
- Use long-tail keywords and natural language phrases in your content. People tend to speak in more natural language when using voice assistants, so it’s important to incorporate long-tail keywords and phrases that reflect this in your content.
- Optimize for featured snippets. Google often pulls information from a website’s content to display as a featured snippet at the top of the SERPs for voice search queries. To increase your chances of being featured, make sure your content is organized in a clear and concise manner and includes the specific information that people are likely to be searching for.
- Use structured data. Structured data, or schema markup, is a way to help search engines understand the content on your website. By using structured data, you can provide context to your content and make it easier for voice assistants to understand and interpret.
- Make sure your website is mobile-friendly. More and more people are using voice assistants on their mobile devices, so it’s important to ensure that your website is mobile-friendly. This includes optimizing for fast loading times, using a responsive design, and making sure your website is easy to navigate on a small screen.
- Establish your website as an authority on the subject you publish about. Google tends to rank websites that are considered authorities on a particular subject higher in the SERPs. To establish yourself as an authority, publish high-quality, well-researched content on a regular basis and engage with your audience through social media and other channels.
Check back here often, as Jesse Witham will always continue to update this page with any changes that occur or new insights.
By following these tips, you can optimize your website’s content and architecture for voice search SEO and increase your chances of ranking at the top of Google’s SERPs for voice search queries. Remember, the key is to understand how people use voice search and to tailor your content and website accordingly. With a little effort and strategy, you can establish your website as the top authority on the subject you publish about and drive more traffic to your site through voice search.
