How to Rank Higher on Voice Searches

Nov 02 / 2020

Voice search may have started slow, but with the Voice Search Assistant’s increasing efficiency, it has blown up. Voice search is so comfortable now. It is faster, easier, and more convenient. It may have started as a fad, but now it looks like it’s here to stay. It has been welcomed by all age groups and is only becoming better and more commonly used. With the forecast for a marked rise in voice search usage shortly, it is a phenomenon that can’t be ignored. So, the question is – How do I develop the website for voice search and improve my Voice search ranking?

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1. Long, conversational keywords

Voice search users typically ask a question – like talking to another person. Instead of “Bollywood Dance Tutorial”, a person might say, “Show me a Bollywood Dance video”. The typical keyword length for text searches is 3, while it is 7 for voice searches. Make sure to keep these in mind while doing keyword research – Maximise the use of question words (When, why, what, where), long-tail keywords, and filler words (Words we usually skip in a text search – I, the, to, for).

2. Optimize for Rich Answers

Have you ever done a Voice Google search, and then a grey box appears in the Search Engine Results Page (SERP) with an accurate answer that you can read without having to even click on it? That grey box is a Rich answer. If you can phrase your content so that it answers a commonly googled question in your field and end up in the rich answers box, you can add a considerable amount of traffic to your site. The first organic result on the SERP has typically about a 30% click-rate. However, the rich answers link has a 40-50% click rate!

3. Restructure your content

Voice search is more conversational than text search, so the content’s flow needs to reflect that. Google prefers short Q and A formats to use that content to create Rich Snippets easily. Maximize your FAQs and try to restructure your whole web content strategy to align with this. To make your content land in that Rich Snippets box, be direct and concise. Ensure that you avoid overly technical jargon and a formal way of writing. Try to keep your content flowing naturally.

4. Work on that loading time

The page-load speed is a significant factor in voice SEO rankings. Websites that take longer to load statistically get abandoned sooner. You need to keep your bounce rate low! According to Google, a 3-second page load speed is considered acceptable. To get your page load speed as low as you can, try compressing the images and videos on your site, minimizing your Http requests, choosing a good hosting plan, and getting a fast DNS provider!

5. Optimize for Mobile

Most voice searches are done on smartphones, so your website needs to be designed for that. Make sure your mobile interface is reliable and has useful functionality. Run it through some mobile testing and optimize accordingly. Don’t forget, and your website needs to be crawlable so Google and other search engines can index it.

6. Use Google My Business Listing

A Google My Business Listing is an excellent way to get local leads. Most Voice searches are of the “near me” typology, and the top 3 search results for this are from Google My Business. All you have to do is sign up with your current name, phone number, and address. Improving your local SEO will have a marked impact on your voice SEO.

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Using these simple strategies, you can re-vamp your website for voice search and make sure you get organic results. Try experimenting with your voice search – When you ask a question, what kind of results show up? Try the near me type, the question type – what varies in the results? Voice search is intended to be more intuitive, so a thorough analysis of how your target audience talks and what they might search for is key to cracking Voice SEO.