{"id":3461,"date":"2018-06-18T08:05:44","date_gmt":"2018-06-18T08:05:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/alphametic.com\/?p=3461"},"modified":"2021-06-15T16:33:21","modified_gmt":"2021-06-15T16:33:21","slug":"voice-search-seo-2018-playbook","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alphametic.com\/voice-search-seo-2018-playbook","title":{"rendered":"Voice Search SEO Playbook: How to Optimize for Siri, Alexa and Cortana"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2><a href=\"https:\/\/alphametic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/VOICE-SEARCH-STATISTICS.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-3474\" src=\"https:\/\/alphametic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/VOICE-SEARCH-STATISTICS-1030x1030.jpg\" alt=\"voice search seo playbook featured image\" width=\"1030\" height=\"1030\" srcset=\"https:\/\/alphametic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/VOICE-SEARCH-STATISTICS-1030x1030.jpg 1030w, https:\/\/alphametic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/VOICE-SEARCH-STATISTICS-80x80.jpg 80w, https:\/\/alphametic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/VOICE-SEARCH-STATISTICS-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/alphametic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/VOICE-SEARCH-STATISTICS-768x768.jpg 768w, https:\/\/alphametic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/VOICE-SEARCH-STATISTICS-36x36.jpg 36w, https:\/\/alphametic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/VOICE-SEARCH-STATISTICS-180x180.jpg 180w, https:\/\/alphametic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/VOICE-SEARCH-STATISTICS-1500x1500.jpg 1500w, https:\/\/alphametic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/VOICE-SEARCH-STATISTICS-705x705.jpg 705w, https:\/\/alphametic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/VOICE-SEARCH-STATISTICS-120x120.jpg 120w, https:\/\/alphametic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/VOICE-SEARCH-STATISTICS-450x450.jpg 450w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1030px) 100vw, 1030px\" \/><\/a><\/h2>\n<p><em>( February 2019 Update ): Since publishing this post back in June, we&#8217;ve added a few updates and made it relevant to 2019. Newest sections are Voice Commerce Optimization and Google&#8217;s &#8220;Speakable&#8221; Schema.org Markup. Use our table of contents below to navigate.<\/em><\/p>\n<h2><\/h2>\n<p><strong>Table of Contents:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"#header1\">What is Voice Search and Why Should you Care in 2019?<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#header2\">Voice Search Statistics<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#header3\">How Does Voice Search affect SEO?<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#header4\">Update for 2019: Voice Search Optimization for eCommerce and \u201cSpeakable\u201d Schema<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#header5\">What SEO Strategies Can You Use to Rank on Voice Search?<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><b><a id=\"header1\"><\/a>What is Voice Search and Why Should you Care in 2019?<\/b><\/h2>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It seems a bit silly to define voice search, but we practice what we preach here at Alphametic, so we\u2019re going to optimize for voice search here and now:<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><\/h3>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cVoice search is a speech recognition technology that allows a user to speak a search query into a device.\u201d<\/span><\/h3>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">On the off chance Google rewards us an answer box snippet for that definition (we can hope, right?), this brings us to the WHY. Why do marketers, especially SEO\u2019s, need to pay attention to when it comes to this here-to-stay trend? Is there anything we CAN do? Let&#8217;s dig into this.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><b><a id=\"header2\"><\/a>Voice Search Statistics<\/b><\/h2>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Here are some voice search statistics to visualize the current state of affairs:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">1 in 6 Americans now own a Smart Speaker<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (Source: <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/2018\/01\/12\/39-million-americans-now-own-a-smart-speaker-report-claims\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">TechCrunch<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">) <\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">40% of adults now use voice search once per day <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0(Source:<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.branded3.com\/blog\/locationworld-2016\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Branded3<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">) <\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">By 2020, 50 percent of all searches will be voice searches\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">(Source: <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.campaignlive.co.uk\/article\/just-say-it-future-search-voice-personal-digital-assistants\/1392459\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">ComScore<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">) <\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Google\u2019s AI read over 2,865 romance novels in order to improve its conversational search abilities<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (Source: <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.buzzfeed.com\/alexkantrowitz\/googles-artificial-intelligence-engine-reads-romance-novels?utm_term=.kbAGn9GPP#.nyLzrkzZZ\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">BuzzFeed News<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">) <\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Voice commerce was a $1.8 billion retail segment in the U.S. in 2017 and $200 million in the U.K. \u00a0(Source: <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/voicebot.ai\/2018\/03\/05\/voice-shopping-reach-40-billion-u-s-5-billion-uk-2022\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Voicebot.ai<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">) <\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">20 percent of mobile queries are voice searches<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (Source: <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/google-reveals-20-percent-queries-voice-queries-249917\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Google<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">) <\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Mobile voice-related searches are 3X more likely to be local-based than text (Source: <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/sew\/opinion\/2296905\/how-will-voice-search-change-seo-for-local-stores-global-enterprises\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Search Engine Watch<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">) <\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">72% of people who own a voice-activated speaker say their devices are often used as part of their daily routine. (Source:<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thinkwithgoogle.com\/consumer-insights\/voice-assistance-consumer-experience\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Think With Google<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">)<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/alphametic.com\/8-voice-search-statistics-that-are-too-crazy-to-ignore\">For graphics of each statistic visit this post<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The world is undoubtedly adapting to voice search. It\u2019s not a matter of whether you SHOULD \u00a0adapt your SEO strategy to voice search, it\u2019s HOW. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8230;but hold on, is adapting necessary? According to this <a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/pulse\/beware-voice-search-isnt-exciting-ian-lurie\/\">article by Ian Lurie<\/a>, it seems to suggest that voice search isn&#8217;t as large of a disruption as we may be making it out to be. And the fact that Google and Amazon have not given companies the option to advertise using these platforms suggests that voice search is more about the user experience more than anything else versus brands trying to get out a message to consumers. <\/span><\/p>\n<p>In my opinion, SEO optimization is not mutually exclusive to optimal user experience. There are a few SEO strategies that lend themselves to voice search which we can leverage.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">And the best part, it\u2019s mostly things we already SHOULD be doing.\u00a0 First, let&#8217;s take a look at how voice search is different than traditional search and then we can look at some tactics. Here we go:<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><b><a id=\"header3\"><\/a>How Does Voice Search affect SEO?<\/b><\/h2>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3><b>People Speak Differently Than They Type<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">According to <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/neilpatel.com\/blog\/type-no-more-how-voice-search-is-going-to-impact-the-seo-landscape\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Neil Patel <\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">in reference to voice search:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cNo longer do you need to solely rely on <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/neilpatel.com\/blog\/5-ways-keyword-research-can-mess-up-your-seo\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">using keywords<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> inside your content a certain number of times. It\u2019s all about natural language and the <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.slideshare.net\/TomAnthony\/intelligent-personal-assistants-search-seo\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">intended<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> meaning<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> behind the searcher\u2019s query, rather than the query itself.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Every since Googles Hummingbird update, semantic search has been an integral part of our search engine experience and is what made voice search possible. Whereas once we would\u2019ve had to type in more exact phrases, such as \u201cSouth America news 2017\u201d to get this:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/alphametic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/google-voice-search-example-1.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-3467\" src=\"https:\/\/alphametic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/google-voice-search-example-1.jpg\" alt=\"google voice search example 1\" width=\"789\" height=\"466\" srcset=\"https:\/\/alphametic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/google-voice-search-example-1.jpg 789w, https:\/\/alphametic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/google-voice-search-example-1-300x177.jpg 300w, https:\/\/alphametic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/google-voice-search-example-1-768x454.jpg 768w, https:\/\/alphametic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/google-voice-search-example-1-705x416.jpg 705w, https:\/\/alphametic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/google-voice-search-example-1-450x266.jpg 450w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 789px) 100vw, 789px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We can now type in the search query \u201cWhat happened in South America in 2017\u201d and it understands the inference &#8211; that we want to look at news coverage of important events, without having to type in the words, \u201cnews\u201d, or \u201cnews sites\u201d, or \u201cnewspaper\u201d into the search box.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/alphametic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/google-voice-search-example-2.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-3472\" src=\"https:\/\/alphametic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/google-voice-search-example-2.jpg\" alt=\"google voice search query example 2\" width=\"802\" height=\"469\" srcset=\"https:\/\/alphametic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/google-voice-search-example-2.jpg 802w, https:\/\/alphametic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/google-voice-search-example-2-300x175.jpg 300w, https:\/\/alphametic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/google-voice-search-example-2-768x449.jpg 768w, https:\/\/alphametic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/google-voice-search-example-2-705x412.jpg 705w, https:\/\/alphametic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/google-voice-search-example-2-450x263.jpg 450w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 802px) 100vw, 802px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For a search engine, this once might have been a directionless query, but it now understands my intention of wanting to look at important news coverage it and so served me results of major news sites with articles specific to that region<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Because of this more natural, conversational tone, it\u2019s to the benefit of webmasters and SEO\u2019s everywhere to take a look at the language on their sites and see if their main pages fulfill their user\u2019s intent by communicating in easy to understand, natural language.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3><b>Voice Search Will Give You One Answer, as Opposed to 8-10 Blue Links<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Here\u2019s the clincher. If you\u2019re using a Google Home, or an Alexa echo, you\u2019re only going to get one search result read back to you. There\u2019s no ranking 2nd, 3rd or 4th. You must be the BEST result for that user\u2019s command.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The interesting thing here is that according to a study done by Brian Dean from <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/voice-search-seo-study\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Backlinko<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201c<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Content that ranks highly in desktop search is also very likely to appear as a voice search answer. In fact, <\/span><b>approximately 75% of voice search results rank in the top 3 for that query.\u201d<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">So, although screenless voice search only gives you 1 result, when it comes to the Google Home, it can potentially choose between the first 3 top results, not always THE top result.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This is important to understand since it paints a more realistic picture of what\u2019s happening. Although there is an objective winner when it comes to Googles algorithm when not taking into account personalization, the reality is, Google ALWAYS takes into account location, past search history and other factors when serving you a result. So, although you may not be number 1 for a search query, you might still make it into an individual\u2019s top results.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3><b>There are 4 Main Intents With Voice Search (and Search in General)<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Back in 2015, Google gave us some great insights into rising consumer search behaviors and coined them \u201c<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thinkwithgoogle.com\/marketing-resources\/micro-moments\/4-new-moments-every-marketer-should-know\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">micro-moments<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201d in the online customer journey.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Essentially, these are 4 main intentions individuals have when searching online: when they want to know something, when they want to go somewhere, when they want to do something or when they want to <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">buy<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> something.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As a business, you should be particularly interested in the \u201cI-want-to-buy-moments\u201d, but all of these moments are opportunities to lead a user through the customer journey. In fact, searches on mobile with the word \u201cbest\u201d have <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thinkwithgoogle.com\/data-collections\/micro-moments-consumer-behavior-immediate-expectations\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">grown over 80%<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> between 2015 and 2017. In other words, people searching \u201cbest restaurants in X city\u201d or \u201cbest moisturizer for dry skin\u201d for example, increased dramatically once users understood that Google had the capability to serve them accurate results.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">With the rise of voice search, your SEO efforts should focus on these search behaviors and \u201cmicro-moments\u201d that are deeply entrenched in consumer\u2019s minds. And with that in mind, let\u2019s dig a little deeper.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Next, we\u2019ll discuss some practical SEO strategies to position yourself to be discovered through voice search where it makes sense for your business.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><a id=\"header4\"><\/a>Update for 2019: Voice Search Optimization for eCommerce and \u201cSpeakable\u201d Schema<\/h2>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Since publishing this article last year, we wanted to explore voice search optimization updates as it pertains to two areas: voice commerce and schema. Here, we explore voice search updates for smart speaker devices and schema\u2019s \u201cSpeakable\u201d markup, to show how marketers can optimize their content for voice search. <\/span><\/p>\n<h3><\/h3>\n<h3><strong>Voice Commerce Optimization<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">According to a survey by <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/report-57-smart-speaker-owners-bought-something-voice-283279\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">NPR and Edison Research<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, 57 percent of smart speaker owners have ordered something using the device, with the majority of these orders being first-time purchases. Voice search presents a big opportunity for ecommerce businesses, as it adds to the number of ways for their products to be found. \u00a0But just how is voice search optimized for products? <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We found that for the most part, optimizing your ecommerce business for voice search is similar to optimizing for voice search in general: reflect the natural tone of search queries in your copy, optimize for question-based searches, and include direct answers in separate formatting in your content. However, there are some key aspects to voice search optimization for ecommerce that stand out. Here, we\u2019ll focus on voice commerce optimization for the two main voice search devices: Amazon Echo and Google Home.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><strong>Optimizing for Alexa<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Let\u2019s start with Amazon Alexa. When processing a voice search query, Amazon will prioritize whichever product is Amazon\u2019s Choice. These products are selected based on <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.businessinsider.com\/what-is-amazons-choice-2018-5\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">several criteria<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, including popularity, competitive pricing, low return rate, and availability to ship quickly through Prime. If your product isn\u2019t selected for Amazon\u2019s Choice, it\u2019s unlikely that Alexa will suggest your product to the user. However, there are still ways for your product to be found with Alexa voice search queries. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you can\u2019t rank for the transactional intent, then you still have hope for optimizing your product for the research stage of the buyer journey. While the knowledge stage of the consumer journey may not lead to immediate transactions, it still works to increase awareness for your brand and lead to more sales down the line. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Voice search results for product queries often turn up video results, therefore excluding Amazon\u2019s product pages. To be featured in the YouTube carousel results on the SERP, identify brand-product voice queries (e.g. \u201cwhich Fitbit bottle should I buy\u201d), then create a YouTube video answering that question.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Another way to out-rank Amazon is to try to be featured in a snippet, since search engines rarely include Amazon product page content in featured snippets. If you\u2019re local, optimizing your local search features will also help you out-rank Amazon products.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To shop using voice search on Alexa, users need an Alexa-enable device, an Amazon Prime membership, and the desire to shop from a limited selection of items. <\/span><\/p>\n<h3><strong>Optimizing for Google Home<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/express.google.com\/u\/0\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Google Express<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> removes these barriers, teaming up with retailers around the globe to offer users selection from thousands of products, without a subscription. When a user asks a product-based voice query to Google Assistant, Google Express presents its recommended products based on the query using the Shopping Actions platform. Through Shopping Actions, retailers can feature their products with 1-click re-ordering, a universal shopping cart, and saved payment credentials across these platforms, creating a seamless shopping experience. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Google Express lists vague <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/support.google.com\/merchants\/answer\/3092435\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">participation criteria<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> for retailers, such as offering a \u201cpositive user experience\u201d and safety and security. At the moment, the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.jumpshot.com\/the-growth-of-google-express\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">top retailers on Google Express<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> are big players such as Walmart and Costco, but smaller retailers such as The Mine have made it to the list. This means that for smaller retailers, attracting shoppers through Google Express is a viable option. In order to be considered as a Google Express merchant, Google instructs retailers to simply fill out an <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/retail\/shoppingactions\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">interest form<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Google\u2019s \u201cSpeakable\u201d Schema.org Markup<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Google recently announced a new Schema.org specification called \u201cSpeakable.\u201d The markup will help Google Assistant and Google Home choose which content to read aloud. For now, this specification is limited to news content. For valid news websites, including this schema markup can help articles be read aloud in snippets as a voice search result. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Google specifies several criteria when implementing speakable markup for Google Assistant. This includes breaking up the content into bullet points with roughly two to three sentences, with concise headlines and content. A full list of guidelines can be found on <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/developers.google.com\/search\/docs\/data-types\/speakable#technical-guidelines\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Google\u2019s Speakable (beta) page<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If Google expands this structured data to website types beyond news, this markup could mean more traffic and visibility for voice search results across the web. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><b><a id=\"header5\"><\/a>What SEO Strategies Can You Use to Rank on Voice Search?<\/b><\/h2>\n<h3><\/h3>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3><b>Find Opportunities to Rank for an Answer Box Snippet<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This is something that most SEO\u2019s are already doing, but it takes on a new dimension in voice search SEO. According to this study by <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/voice-search-seo-study\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Backlinko<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, 40.7% of voice search responses came from a Featured Snippet.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">That feature typically gives a user a quick and simple answer to any query, so it makes sense that Google Home would be populating its answers from the algorithm for Featured Snippets. If you see an opportunity to become <a href=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/rank-position-0-3-simple-steps-featured-snippets-primer-275941\">Position 0<\/a>, it&#8217;s likely that you can also be a voice search query answer for that topic.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3><b>Tighten Up Your Local SEO<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Google My Business is a huge source of information for people searching for local businesses. If you have your Google My Business listing fully optimized and up to date with current information, you\u2019re giving it every chance to be an option on someone&#8217;s voice search results. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/alphametic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/google-local-search-query.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-3469\" src=\"https:\/\/alphametic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/google-local-search-query.jpg\" alt=\"google local search query voice search\" width=\"818\" height=\"810\" srcset=\"https:\/\/alphametic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/google-local-search-query.jpg 818w, https:\/\/alphametic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/google-local-search-query-80x80.jpg 80w, https:\/\/alphametic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/google-local-search-query-300x297.jpg 300w, https:\/\/alphametic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/google-local-search-query-768x760.jpg 768w, https:\/\/alphametic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/google-local-search-query-36x36.jpg 36w, https:\/\/alphametic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/google-local-search-query-705x698.jpg 705w, https:\/\/alphametic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/google-local-search-query-120x120.jpg 120w, https:\/\/alphametic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/google-local-search-query-450x446.jpg 450w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 818px) 100vw, 818px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<h3><b>Place Schema on Your Top Pages<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Although schema <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/voice-search-seo-study\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">doesn\u2019t seem to have a large correlation <\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">between its use and being the answer to a Google voice search, the purpose of on-page schema is to give Google a better picture of what your page is supposed to represent. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This is especially crucial in the ecommerce space when Google search results can expose your brand to a new customer. It doesn\u2019t hurt to help Google understand the purpose of your page more clearly.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>And with Google&#8217;s new &#8220;Speakable&#8221; markup, they may expand to ecommerce platforms and allow businesses to choose which information smart devices read aloud.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3><b>Optimize for the Long-Tail<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As mentioned a bit earlier, individuals are using <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/moz.com\/blog\/how-voice-search-will-change-digital-marketing-for-the-better\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">more natural language<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in their voice queries. This is a ripe opportunity for long-tail keywords with high search intent (and high commercial intent). <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Let\u2019s say you\u2019re a company that sells French Press coffee machines. You have a great post on your blog that goes through the brewing times and temperatures for different coffee types that can be utilized for a great cup of Joe in your French Press. Someone interested in the French Press method of brewing is possibly searching for different brewing methods. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In the Google search bar you might type in \u201cHow to Brew French Press\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But on a voice search, you might say \u201cHow to Correctly Brew Coffee in a French Press\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This an opportunity for you to not only appear on results but if the user if using a Google Home or Alexa and they\u2019re not in front of a screen, you can optimize headlines for short answers to common questions that may be asked in a voice search. <\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3><b>If You Haven\u2019t Already, Optimize for Mobile<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Not to beat a dead horse, but mobile optimization is key to everything. 20% of people conduct voice searches on mobile, so the more mobile-friendly your business is, the more opportunity to land on a voice search answer.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This means fast page speeds, responsive web designs, easy and simple UX, AMP pages, and of course, great content.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3><b>DON\u2019T FORGET BING<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Yes, Bing. Many search marketers utilize PPC on Bing since it is the search engine with the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/alphametic.com\/global-search-engine-market-share\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">2nd largest market share<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in the U.S. But, the most relevant reason why Bing is important for Voice search SEO? &#8211; Alexa uses bing as her search engine. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The current top players in the world in the voice search market are Google Home and Amazon\u2019s Alexa, with Alexa taking the<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/analyst-firm-google-home-gains-ground-amazon-echo-44-million-total-units-sold-290544\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> lead by a landslide<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Alexa has over 39 million units in circulation or 69% of the market. Google Home currently has 14 million units at 31% of the market.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This is one of the few areas where Bing has managed to one-up Google for years, so optimize for Bing and don\u2019t forget it under the shadow of the Google behemoth.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>And Finally, Relax.<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">At the end of the day the concept is the same, ranking for targeted keywords and getting to the top of SERP\u2019s. A lot of these strategies are already well-established best practices in SEO, so keep following best practices and make a few tweaks if it makes sense for your business. The landscape is competitive, but not impossible. Set your goals, track your progress and keep up the good work. I\u2019ll leave with this great quote by <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/seoexpertbrad.com\/voice-search-optimization\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Bradley Shaw<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cPeople are not afraid of the machine anymore, they have gone beyond a period of discomfort and hesitance and into a place of comfort and instantaneous gratification. When we consider the full scope of voice search, we eventually break it down to a consumer being able to gratify a search need without ever having to pull away from decorating the Christmas tree.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The question for online marketers has now become, \u201cwill my goods or services fill the need?\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><em><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For more SEO news check out <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/alphametic.com\/recent-google-updates-seo-trends-2018\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Recent Google Updates and SEO Trends for 2018 <\/span><\/a><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>( February 2019 Update ): Since publishing this post back in June, we&#8217;ve added a few updates and made it relevant to 2019. Newest sections are Voice Commerce Optimization and Google&#8217;s &#8220;Speakable&#8221; Schema.org Markup. Use our table of contents below to navigate. Table of Contents: What is Voice Search and Why Should you Care in [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":3474,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[31],"tags":[],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/alphametic.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3461"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/alphametic.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/alphametic.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alphametic.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alphametic.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3461"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/alphametic.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3461\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7266,"href":"https:\/\/alphametic.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3461\/revisions\/7266"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alphametic.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3474"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/alphametic.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3461"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alphametic.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3461"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alphametic.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3461"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}