We’ve seen a rising trend in voice search in the recent couple of years. There is no doubt that the advent of Google Home and Amazon Echo and the wide usage of voice assistants like Siri and Alexa have accelerated its growth. This has resulted in a change in the way people search on the internet and it has also had an impact on Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) strategies for companies. Let’s explore the rise of voice search and its impact on SEO in 2023.
The rise in the trend of voice search
Voice search has become a popular way for people to search on the internet today. As per Demand Sage, “It is estimated that by 2024, the global voice recognition market will reach $26.8 billion, and the number of voice-enabled digital assistants will reach 8 billion”. This astonishing number indicates how the increase in voice assistance usage is changing the digital environment so rapidly. This has a direct impact on Search Engine Optimisation (voice search SEO) too.
Changing the way people search for queries
One of the main ways that voice search is impacting SEO is by changing the way people phrase their search queries. People tend to use conversational language while using voice search by adding queries or questions like how they speak in their day to day lives. This is having a huge impact in the way SEO works. For example, instead of typing “best places to eat in Chennai”, one may ask the search engine using voice search “what are the best restaurants in Chennai?”. These are called long tail keywords. SEO strategies must adapt to include long tail and conversational keywords that are most likely to match the queries used in the voice searches by various users.
How voice search is impacting Search Engine Optimisation
Another major way voice search is impacting Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) is the way it’s presenting search results. The results are very specific and you need to have a strong SEO game or else your website isn’t likely to receive the intended traffic for that particular question asked. This puts even more pressure on companies to have strong SEO strategies in place and also ensure that websites are optimised to provide the best possible results and answers to the queries or questions people are asking. How recently have you optimised SEO for your website?
Voice search’s impact on local SEO
The increasing trend of voice search also means that local SEO is more important than ever. When people are searching via voice search, they’re usually looking for a business locally or a service they can opt for. “Where’s the nearest coffee shop?, What are the best restaurants near me?, When does the museum open?, What’s the phone number of the laundry service near me?” These are some examples of how some of these voice searches are made. This means that businesses must take note and make sure their websites are optimised for local search queries and they have updated and the correct information listed on their directories like Google My Business. This also helps them show up at the top of search results.
Challenges of optimising for voice search
A challenge for optimising for voice search is that it’s hard to know exactly how and what people are searching for. Traditional search queries make use of specific keywords or phrases but voice searches tend to be more conversational and be constantly changing. SEO strategy must focus on providing answers to a range of different questions that they think people might be asking rather than only targeting certain keywords.
Structured content is key
To optimise and provide the right results for voice search, it’s important to focus on high quality and very informative content. When people have queries and use voice search, they are typically looking for specific and easy, to-the-point answers to their questions. It is important that the content on the websites be well structured, easy to read and give the right and relevant information to appear on top of the search results. It should also be mobile friendly as most of the voice searches happen on mobile devices.
To put it together, voice search is having a significant impact on SEO or Search Engine Optimisation in 2023. SEO strategies need to adapt to the changing climate and use more conversational, long tail keywords and focus on providing quick, informative and easy answers to user queries. Local SEO is more important than ever and people are using voice search to look for local businesses and services. Focus on high quality content that is mobile friendly for successful website optimisation.
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