You are asking yourself how to optimize your website for voice search. You have come to the right place. At home, you probably use voice search with your smart speaker or use your voice to set a timer on your smartphone. But as a business owner, you may wonder if it’s necessary to implement optimization techniques for voice search on your website as well. So, let’s get started.
The Relevance of Voice Search Optimization
There is an ongoing seismic shift in how people conduct online queries using search engines. In 2021, one out of three Google search engine queries is voice-based. On China’s Baidu and its local rival Sogou it is currently only around 10%, but growing rapidly. Since the end of last year, the number of voice queries on Baidu has surpassed 5 billion per month.
With a change in search patterns comes a change in SEO strategy. If you own an online presence, it is in your best interest to know how to optimize it for voice search.
With users increasingly switching to voice search to gain information, it is only logical to optimize your website for it. But first of all, what is voice search and how can you adjust your website for it? This article is going to give a brief guide to voice search and digital marketing strategies. Website owners and businesses can utilize them for voice search optimization to build a stronger online presence.
What is Voice Search?
In the simplest sense, a voice search is a tool that enables internet users to access search engines via spoken voice commands as opposed to typing out the intended search query. This function is available on nearly every recent internet-accessible device, whether on mobile devices or desktop computers.
With the advent of virtual assistants, from Apple’s Siri to Microsoft’s Cortana to Amazon’s Alexa and of course Google Assistant, using voice search is not just easier, it is more convenient. Baidu, the biggest Chinese search engine, predicts that smart speakers will soon move from niche gadgets to a central hub and an integral part of our everyday lives.
One of the advantages is that you don’t have to be a tech-savvy Generation Z or Millennial to know how to use it. Users just need to activate the voice command system and speak their queries to the device. The search engine will then return with the relevant search results. Beyond the method of search input, there is little to no difference between the search results of a voice-based search query and a text-based one.
Baidu’s Voice Search in 2022
Since we are talking about voice search optimization in the Chinese market, it’s impossible to get around Baidu. Besides text inputs, users can conduct AI-powered voice searches, visual searches, and even augmented reality searches on the Baidu apps, including maps. The focus lies on enhanced user experiences.
Although Baidu has a market share of over 75% in China, its closest rival Sogou (market share of 11%) has an ace up its sleeve. Sogou is fighting Baidu for the lead in the growing voice search market. It remains exciting to see how this battle will continue.
So, How Do I Optimize My Website for Voice Search?
Considering the rapid change in modern technology, website owners will have to implement new tactics and advance with technology if they want to remain relevant in the online space. With that said, let’s look at the measures you can take to ensure that you optimize your Chinese website for voice search.
1. Use Long-tail Keywords in Your Content
The main difference between voice and text-based queries lies in the manner users input their queries. Normally, people tend to be more conversational when they talk as opposed to when they are typing on a device. This pattern is similar to how people frame their queries.
When typing, users tend to use shorter and more specific keywords. Conversely, voice queries are often more conversational and in natural language. For instance, let’s say a user wants to find a Chinese restaurant in Manhattan. A text query would look like this:
“Chinese restaurants in Manhattan”
In a natural setting, no one talks like this. A voice search query, on the other hand, will be more like this – closer to natural speech:
“Where can I eat Chinese tonight?”
Thus, website owners need to optimize their web content by implementing longer SEO keywords to make it more suitable for voice searches. It is pertinent to note that keywords are often phrased as questions in voice searches. What does this mean for you? It means you can try to incorporate trigger words like who, when, what, top, best, etc. in your content.
2. Optimize Your Website for Localized Queries
It is also important to optimize your website for your local area as people generally tend to use voice search to find information within a localized area. For example, a user may say:
“What is the best restaurant near me?”
In this case, Google will automatically track the user’s location and return with relevant search results for nearby places. Optimizing your website for such localized queries gives you an edge over your competition in the quest for more visibility on search engines. As part of optimizing your website for localized queries, it is recommended that you share contact information about your business.
This information includes a phone number or physical address on the website. A map displaying the location of your business can be very useful too. Whenever Google recognizes “near me” in search queries, Google instantly goes to its Google business listings to review suggestions. Developing a “Google My Business” and updating your local listing can also help with ranking your site with Google in the local search world.
3. Develop a Responsive Website with a Mobile-Friendly Design
In today’s world, smartphones, tablets, and other mobile devices are used on the go. As such, it means that a lot of these voice search queries are generated from such devices. Thus it is pertinent that your website is compatible with modern mobile technologies.
In optimizing your website design for a mobile interface, improving page speed is one of the ways you can create a responsive website. On average, a voice search result page loads in 4.6 seconds. Websites with faster page speeds are more likely to top search results than slower ones.
Design-wise, the content on your website must incorporate simpler words in shorter sentences with bold subheadings. This improves “scanability” as a lot of users tend to scan through websites to find relevant information. Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test Tool can help you assess how responsive your website is by generating a detailed report demonstrating the specific areas that require improvement.
Consider Google AMP (Accelerated Mobile Pages), a website publishing technology, to create web pages that load almost instantly on mobile phones. The Baidu equivalent is Baidu MIP (Mobile Instant Page), which was launched
4. Create an FAQ Page for Your Website
An FAQ page will help you identify more long-tail keywords about your content. This is because frequently asked questions can offer meaningful content to users visiting your website.
To create an FAQ page, you need to first determine the common questions regarding your area of interest. For example, if you are a skincare expert and your business/website is focused on health and beauty products, frequently asked questions may include;
- “How do I get rid of pimples?’
- “What type of moisturizer is suitable for dry skin?”
These questions can help you find new long-tail keywords that you can optimize to create valuable content for your website. This will, in turn, improve your search engine rankings. When creating the FAQ page, consider doing a couple of important things. First, you should rephrase the questions in the first person. Then write short and comprehensive answers making them as conversational as you can.
The Takeaway
The question “how to optimize my website for voice search” is answered. Voice search and virtual assistants are well on the way to changing the traditional digital marketing strategy. As a website owner, it is important to know how to optimize your website for voice search and lift the potential of this new tool.
Optimizing your website for voice search is an integral part of search engine optimization (Google and Baidu SEO) – something you should always do for your whole online presence. Understanding the concept of voice search will help drive you toward meeting your marketing goals in a digital landscape defined by voice-initiated queries.
