Mobile SEO and voice search: adapting your strategy for voice assistants
There’s no doubt that as technology advances, so do the ways in which users interact with search engines. Voice-activated devices, fuelled by AI, have seen a substantial surge in popularity, altering how people seek information.
Here at Embryo, we take mobile SEO seriously. One of the most important pillars of your overarching SEO strategy is your mobile SEO strategy, as that is what’s going to get your brand seen by an ever-growing majority of online users.
With the ever-rising popularity of voice assistants, you might be looking to adapt your mobile SEO strategy. If this is the case, then you’re on the right path. This article will tell you all you need to know about adapting your strategy for voice assistants.
Let’s get into it!
Understanding voice assistants
Before we get into the nitty-gritty, having a basic understanding of voice assistants and how they are used is essential. Voice assistants use natural language processing algorithms to interpret user queries and provide relevant results.
Voice assistants can understand context, intent, and even nuances in language. This means that optimising for voice search requires a different approach compared to traditional SEO.
Here are some key characteristics of voice search assistants:
- Conversational queries – voice searches are inclined to be more conversational and use natural language.
- Local intent – a large portion of voice searches revolve around geographical proximity, with users seeking information about nearby businesses or services.
- Immediate responses – voice users want prompt and succinct responses to their queries.
- Mobile-first voice searches are frequently executed on mobile devices, underscoring the significance of mobile optimisation in SEO strategies.
Optimising for voice search improves user experience by making information easier to find. It increases mobile traffic and overall SEO, as search engines favour websites optimised for voice searches.
This can lead to higher visibility in featured snippets, often used in voice search results, driving more traffic to your website.
Has voice search influenced consumer behaviour?
In short, yes it has. But how?
Well, first of all, it’s opened a whole new door to a hands-free experience. So a user now expects an easy, smooth searching process with a response to match that.
The demand has increased for immediate access to answers. In the same way that they can search immediately by speaking the first syllable, consumers want responses that match this kind of immediacy and ease. This affects local businesses, as without the proper voice search optimisation, you’re business won’t be listed as an option for the customer and they’ve already made their decision by the time they would’ve even scrolled down to your page.
The increase of voice assistants in people’s homes is enough to show an influence on consumer behaviour. These devices can control several aspects of the consumer’s lives- no screen needed, just your voice. How easy is that?
And this goes to show how much of an impact voice search has had if people are implementing these devices into their humble homes. It must be convenient, and you must optimise for this popular method of search.
Overall, it’s a search method that seems to be preferred by lots of consumers, some of these reasons being:
- Allowing for multitasking- make a search even when your hands are tied!
- Convenience- you can ask long-tail questions without having to type them, just say what burning question is on your mind.
- Humanisation- it’s our natural instinct to ask questions, which we do every day mostly with our voices. It’s possible that asking our digital assistants feels more natural and human than typing out a long-winded question.
- Speed- speaking a long-tail query is much faster than typing it out, and you often get a fast answer provided back to you.
How to adapt your SEO strategy for voice search
Now that you have a bit more of an understanding of what voice search assistants are and how they work, let’s see what strategies you can implement to help your SEO campaign.
Keyword research for voice search
Traditional keyword research methods may not be as effective when it comes to voice search. Voice search queries tend to be longer and more conversational to reflect how people naturally speak.
To identify the right keywords for voice search optimisation, consider:
- Focus on long-tail keywords – long-tailed keywords are more specific and tend to align with voice search queries. Focus on phrases such as ‘best Italian restaurants in my area’.
- Use natural language phrases – optimise your content to match the way that people speak. Incorporate natural phrases and questions that users are likely to ask their voice assistants.
- Consider user intent – voice searches often have a clear intent behind them. Understand the intent behind different voice search queries and create content that directly addresses those intents.
Create content for voice search
When creating content on mobile for voice search assistants, keep the following things in mind:
- Provide concise and direct answers – voice assistants are designed to provide quick and concise answers, so structure your content to provide clear and direct answers to common questions.
- Implement structured data – structured data helps search engines understand the content better on your website. By implementing structured data, you can increase the chances of your content being featured as a snippet in voice search results.
- Optimise for local search – we know that voice searches are often locally based. Make sure your website is optimised for local search by including location-specific keywords and creating location-specific landing pages.
Voice Search SEO Statistics
Here are some eye-opening statistics to help you understand the impact of voice search assistants:
- Over 40% of adults use voice search at least once a day
- Voice searches are 3 times more likely to be local-based
- 70% of voice assistant users have searched for products or services in the past month
- Voice search queries tend to be longer and more conversational
- Voice search queries often result in featured snippets being read aloud as the answer
Need help strategising your SEO? Get in touch with the experts!
As we’ve discussed, voice search is transforming how users find information online, making it essential for businesses to adapt their SEO strategies.
Hopefully, we have taught you the importance of voice search assistants, and the impact they have on mobile SEO strategies.
If you still require more information, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with our expert team today!
