SEO in 2018: Optimize for Voice Search

In December of 2011, I wrote an article on how Apple dispositioned the marketplace by introducing a voice activated search platform called Siri. Since then, many hyperscalers such as Google, Microsoft and Amazon have introduced their own versions. Voice search has exploded in the past decade and continues to be a better part of life moving the mass majority away from touchscreens and consoles.

According to Northstar Research, more than 40 percent of adults and 50 percent of teens use voice search daily. These voice searches tend to be action queries, executed on a mobile device, and users are usually looking for something local, such as “Where is the nearest café?”

Twenty to thirty-year old’s and generation Z’s use Google voice, Cortana and Siri to ask away. More Google searches happen on cell phones than on PCs in 10 nations including the US and Japan.” With 87 percent of the total population owning an advanced mobile phone, 2015 was the time of portable as more individuals utilized their PDAs and tablets rather than the customary work area or PC phone.

With rise of of digital assistants, optimizing for voice search is critical to SEO. In 2013, Google launched the hummingbird update which relies on recognizing voice texture, interest and behavior.

Let’s begin by understanding how it ties back to Google’s algorithm.

SEO for voice search differs from text search mainly due to ‘long tail keywords’ and natural language use over exact keyword matches.
Voice searches tend to be action queries, executed on a mobile device, and users are usually looking for something local to them
Most highly searched: brick and mortar businesses, e-commerce retailers, media websites
SEO for voice search differs from text search mainly due to ‘long tail keywords’ and natural language use over exact keyword matches.
Voice searches tend to be action queries, executed on a mobile device, and users are usually looking for something local to them
Most highly searched: brick and mortar businesses, e-commerce retailers, media websites

Strategies for SEO Optimization:

Short page load speed (website optimized for mobile); avg. 4.6 seconds
HTTPS over HTTP: 70.4% Google Home searches are secured with HTTPS
High Domain Authority
High Local SEO
Understanding of user natural language use (e.g. documented from customer service/sales interactions. What do customers typically ask about? How do they ask?
Short page load speed (website optimized for mobile); avg. 4.6 seconds
HTTPS over HTTP: 70.4% Google Home searches are secured with HTTPS
High Domain Authority: Ahrefs Domain Rating average of 76.8
High Local SEO
Concise answers: avg. 29 words
Understanding of user natural language use (e.g. documented from customer service/sales interactions. What do customers typically ask about? How do they ask?)