Voice search has been rapidly growing in popularity over the past few years, and it’s expected to continue to do so in 2023 and beyond. As a result, businesses need to understand the impact of voice search on SEO and adjust their strategies accordingly. In this blog, we’ll explore the impact of voice search on SEO and provide tips on how to optimize for voice search.
Understanding Voice Search
Voice search allows users to speak into a device and receive spoken responses rather than typing in a search query. Voice search technology has improved dramatically over the past few years, and it’s now more accurate and faster than ever before. According to a study by PwC, 71% of people would instead use their voice to search than type on their phone or computer.
Impact on SEO
Voice search is changing how people search for information online, and as a result, it’s significantly impacting SEO. Here are some of the ways that voice search is changing SEO:
- Focus on Conversational Keywords
When people use voice search, they tend to use more natural, conversational language. As a result, businesses need to focus on optimizing their content for long-tail keywords and phrases that are more conversational in nature.
- Structured Data
Structured data is becoming more important in voice search. Structured data helps search engines better understand the content of a page, which can help improve its visibility in search results. By adding structured data to their website, businesses can help search engines better understand the content of their pages and improve their chances of appearing in voice search results.
- Local SEO
Voice search is particularly popular for local searches. Businesses that rely on local traffic need to ensure that their website is optimized for local SEO. This includes optimizing for local keywords, creating local business listings, and optimizing Google My Business profiles.
- Featured Snippets
Featured snippets are becoming more important in voice search. A featured snippet is a summary of an answer to a user’s search query, which is displayed at the top of search results. By optimizing their content for featured snippets, businesses can increase their chances of appearing in voice search results.
Optimizing for Voice Search
Here are some tips on how businesses can optimize their website for voice search:
- Use Conversational Keywords
Businesses should focus on using long-tail, conversational keywords in their content. This will help ensure that their content is optimized for voice search queries.
- Use Structured Data
Adding structured data to a website can help improve its visibility in voice search results. Businesses should consider adding structured data to their website to help search engines better understand their content.
- Optimize for Local SEO
Businesses that rely on local traffic should ensure that their website is optimized for local SEO. This includes optimizing for local keywords, creating local business listings, and optimizing Google My Business profiles.
- Optimize for Featured Snippets
Businesses should optimize their content for featured snippets to increase their chances of appearing in voice search results.
In conclusion, voice search is changing the way people search for information online, and as a result, it’s having a significant impact on SEO. By understanding the impact of voice search on SEO and optimizing their website accordingly, businesses can improve their chances of appearing in voice search results and driving more organic traffic to their website.
