Based on Statistica, more than 3.25 billion individuals opt for voice assistants to conduct their searches, with projections suggesting this figure could reach 8.3 billion by 2023. It is noteworthy that voice searches account for over 20% of all Google searches, further emphasizing the convenience and simplicity of this method for potential customers across various age demographics.
If your business is focused on gaining new customers, you need to strengthen your online optimization methods by incorporating both traditional typed searches and contemporary voice searches, which are currently in high demand.
Sectors where voice search is utilized by consumers.
Previously, voice searches were primarily focused on the food-related sector, but now consumers across all industries increasingly rely on voice search to aid their purchasing decisions. If you belong to the home service industry, it is crucial to optimize your business to avoid missing out on the advantages of voice search in 2021 and the future.
Consumers have the ability to utilize voice search for multiple purposes, including making general inquiries, checking inventory, scheduling appointments, verifying business operating hours, and occasionally finalizing a purchase transaction.
- 46% use voice search to make price inquiries of local business’s products or services
- 40% of voice searchers ask about product availability
- 32% make direct purchase decisions from a business
Voice Search Platforms and Trends
The most commonly used device in voice searches is smartphones, whereas smart speakers have the fewest number of users. This can be accounted for by the high smartphone ownership among adults (and even some minors) compared to the lower prevalence of smart speakers.
To understand the optimization of voice searches, it is important to compare it with traditional typed searches. Initially, a majority of users perform voice searches across multiple devices.
Additionally, according to Bing, customers have the ability to initiate a voice search at a speed that is 3.7 times faster than a typed search. On average, individuals can type approximately 40 words per minute, while they can speak around 150 words per minute. The swiftness of the search positively impacts the speed at which answers are obtained. As a result, customers are satisfied with swiftly acquiring desired information and efficiently finalizing transactions.
In addition, it is common for voice assistants like Alexa, Cortana, and Siri to provide answers that appear at the top of search results, also known as ‘position zero’ or top snippet. Thus, it is important for your business optimization strategy to aim for achieving position zero.
Understanding the key characteristics of voice search is important in order to get prepared for the future, as being in position zero is crucial for your business due to the increasing number of people utilizing the voice search feature.
1. Voice searches are usually long and natural
In the conventional setup, individuals typically enter a couple of words or commonly used phrases to locate desired information. However, with voice search, consumers ask questions instead of making statements, resulting in a more conversational approach to conducting searches.
When utilizing voice search, it is more probable that you will inquire “who are the top-rated Remodeling Contractors near me?” rather than what you would type on your computer, which is “top-rated Remodeling Contractors in LA.”
To increase your chances of being in position zero in search results, it is important to include the 5 Ws (what, where, when, why, and how) in your SEO keywords. Voice searches typically have a longer format, consisting of small statements and questions with over seven words.
2. Local information
Voice searches account for more than 22% of the total searches made to locate local businesses or products. In comparison to typed searches, individuals searching for local products are three times more inclined to use voice search. It is worth mentioning that the majority of consumers tend to employ the phrase ‘near me’ more frequently when utilizing voice search, whereas typed search inquiries usually include the specific location provided by consumers.
To maximize the benefits of localized voice searches, your business should ensure it is at the forefront of local digital marketing and online presence by utilizing this data.
- Include “Near you” or “near me” phrases as keywords, anchor text, hashtags, and meta descriptions
- Optimize all locations and areas that your business serve
- Include major landmarks and famous institutions that are close to your business.
3. Consumers look for instant results
When individuals search for information on a general subject or company, it is possible that they will not click on the highest-ranking links or access the links provided on the initial page. The majority of people who search for information about local businesses often have a specific intention behind their search. This may include obtaining contact details, discovering business hours, or reading customer reviews.
If a consumer is interested in hiring a roofer in their area, they can use voice search to find nearby roofers. The results will display important information such as contact details, working hours, and addresses. In cases where the consumer only needs the contact information, they are likely to extract it from the Google page and not visit the roofer’s website.
To ensure that your business ranks high and remains visible to customers, it is important to request your customers to leave reviews, specifically for informational voice search as consumers seek immediate results.
In order to maintain the same meaning while thinking step by step, the rephrased text would be: In addition, it is important to ensure that your contact information is up-to-date. Make sure to upload high-quality photos of your business on your website or Google My Business account, and ensure that your business is listed under the correct category. Furthermore, responding to your customers’ feedback in a polite and objective manner can aid in enhancing your ranking.
Voice Search Tips for Small Business: Strategies to Get Started
1. Aim for the featured snippet
By optimizing your highest-performing pages for position zero or the featured snippet, you can gain dominance in your niche and surpass your competitors.
In the end, when voice commands are used for searches, the majority of voice assistants will only verbalize the highest-ranking result. As a result, it is important to ensure that the information on your web pages effectively addresses the frequently asked search questions related to your business and specific field.
In order to rephrase the text while maintaining the same meaning, the following steps should be followed: 1. Collect a variety of search terms and inquiries related to your business to aid in the process. 2. Utilize keyword research tools, such as Moz, to compile a comprehensive list of topics pertaining to your specific field. 3. Refer to the “People also ask” section on the Google search results page to discover more broad-based questions and additional search terms.
One effective strategy for obtaining position zero involves the creation of an FAQ page. By identifying the most frequently asked questions regarding your business or industry and providing their respective answers on your FAQ page, you can enhance your chances of achieving position zero. To facilitate the crawling process for Google, it is advisable to utilize bulleted lists, tables, subheadings, product and competition comparisons, and price breakdowns.
2. Implement structured data
Structured data, also known as schema markup, plays a vital role in the organization and categorization of your content by search engines. In simple terms, this data enhances search engines’ comprehension of the information available on your website. While it does not directly impact your rankings, incorporating structured data provides an advantageous opportunity to be featured in snippets and voice search outcomes.
In order for local businesses to effectively reach their target audience, it is crucial to utilize structured data. This is because individuals frequently search for various contact details, such as phone numbers, addresses, and office hours. By ensuring that all significant information about your company is listed, you are able to increase conversions, achieve higher rankings, and enhance your online presence.
You can use SchemaApp.com as a means to implement your structured data. After accessing it, you can begin including appropriate types of structured data related to your business. Google’s Structured Data Testing Tool can be utilized to analyze the schema markup of your webpages and provide you with comprehensible and effective outcomes.
3. Claim your Google My Business listing
To ensure that your business is maximizing its potential for local search, it is important to claim or update your listing on Google My Business. Make sure to provide precise contact details, including your business name and the appropriate area code for your phone number.
When creating a description for your business, it is advisable to follow a step-by-step approach. It is important to include a brief overview of your business and the products or services you provide, but ensure that if you have used the same description in other directories, the message and information are coherent throughout. Lastly, select a category that accurately represents your business.
While it is not mandatory, it is strongly advised to incorporate high-quality pictures that showcase your business’ activities and the identity of you and your staff.
Including your business contact information in the footer or header of your website can make it easier for customers to find your business and optimize your Google My Business listing, ultimately helping to build trust among the audience searching for your business.
Increase the speed of your website.
People who use voice search are usually in a rush because voice search is faster than typing a query. In order to satisfy your audience’s need for speed, ensure that your website loads quickly. The speed of your page is a significant factor that affects your search ranking.
PageSpeed Insights is a beneficial tool that assists in evaluating the speed of your website and provides guidance on enhancing your page speed. Moreover, it showcases speed measurements for both desktop and mobile platforms.
When structuring your optimization strategy, it is important to keep in mind that mobile site load speed is of greater significance for voice search. According to Google, if a website takes longer than 3 seconds to load, 53% of mobile users will abandon it.
5. Be mobile friendly
When it comes to directing your efforts towards the speed of your mobile site, it is crucial to prioritize the creation of an overall mobile-friendly experience. This is because the majority of voice search takes place on mobile devices. Therefore, when optimizing your site for mobile, remember to consider the following points:
- Tap into the accelerated mobile pages resources.
- Use mobile-responsive design with resolutions that enhance your page speed and accessibility to create an unparalleled customer experience on multiple devices.
- Don’t use Flash. If you want to add special effects or media, use HTML5.
- Make your site easy for people to navigate with their thumbs. Make sure your links and buttons are big enough to read and click.
6. Increase your relevance
It is important for your business to differentiate itself from other local businesses in your industry because people tend to conduct more searches when using voice search.
You can ensure search engine optimization by creating website content that is relevant to the search queries you wish to rank for. However, it is important to prioritize informing your audience rather than solely focusing on increasing traffic. Incorporating more long-tail keywords in your content can be beneficial. Additionally, optimizing your content to address “near me” search terms is a recommended strategy.
If an individual searches for “barber shop near me,” Google will utilize their location to better comprehend the barber shops that are nearest to their current location. Assuming your website and Google My Business profile are current, Google will guide potential customers to your business in its search results.
7. Improve your online reputation
It is likely that you are aware of the negative impact that a poor online reputation can have on your voice search rankings. Google displays a business’s ratings on a scale of stars, with a rating of 1 star or lower being the worst and a rating of 4-5 stars being the best. To improve your visibility on search result pages, it is essential to ensure that your customers speak positively about your business.
Customer testimonials and positive reviews on platforms such as social media, Yelp, and others are effective means to enhance both your ranking and credibility.
Side notes
Gartner states that the fastest-growing type of mobile search is voice search. In order to be prepared for voice search, it is important to ensure that your website is mobile-friendly and responsive. Additionally, you should make it a habit to analyze the overall user experience. It is essential to understand the preferences of your website visitors, such as their preferred products or services, shopping preferences, and other relevant information.
