According to Google statistics, today 55% of teenagers and 41% of adults use the voice search feature. Voice search accounts for 21% of mobile queries. Voice interaction with computers has become so popular that today 25% of users give voice commands to Windows 10. Experts predict that by 2020, half of all online queries will be voice-based. There are several reasons for this:
- Voice search is 3.7 times faster than text search.
- Voice search on mobile is much more convenient than typing.
- Not everyone likes typing text. The results of Voice usage trends 2019 confirm that some users find it much easier to dictate a query than to write it.
How does Google voice typing affect SEO?
Today, most business owners are starting to realize how important it is to optimize websites for voice search. So, how is audio search different from text queries?
- It’s longer. Statistics show that the average text query consists of 3 words, such as “buy mattress discount”. However, if a user needs to speak this phrase instead of typing, they are more likely to say “where can I buy a discounted mattress?”
- It’s conversational phrases, not computer language. If we type something like “roses dn order,” a voice search query would sound like “where can I order roses for a birthday?”
Google voice search results not only provide links to websites but also short text responses. For example, if you want to know how much a ticket to Varna costs, Google will give not only links to websites but also a ready text answer in the search results (featured snippet). Due to this “feature,” the number of clicks on websites has already decreased by 37%.
How to set up voice search?
The main task for a business owner online today is to answer the user’s query. Here’s what a good voice search should look like:
- “Simple human language.” Don’t forget that when selecting keywords, it’s not only about seasonality, search volumes, and CPC, but also “human” phrasing. In the past, a key query could be a set of two or three words that didn’t match each other (like “thermo suit climber”), but today search phrases are more like “what thermo suit to choose for a climber.”
- Long-tail keywords. SEO specialists don’t like long keyword phrases because they are low-frequency. But the frequency of such phrases will increase, so it’s better to start using them in texts now.
- Google voice search – questions. Earlier, users would type a set of words like “SEO” into the search, but now, using a smartphone, people are more likely to say something like “how to rank first on Google search.” To find question-based keywords for your site, use resources like BuzzSumo’s Question Analyzer and Answer the Public.
- Backlinko determined that a typical Google response rarely consists of more than 30 words. Of course, this doesn’t mean you should publish blog posts with only 30 words, as this would confuse the audience. To get into the “answers” section, create FAQ pages specifically for voice search! Search engines are almost twice as likely to generate answers for voice search from FAQ pages, which can be found using various key phrases.
- Google voice search: the era of long texts. The search engine is more likely to find answers for voice queries in articles with 2,300 words (not characters, but actual words). The longer the article, the more organically inserted keyword phrases it contains (as we remember, you can’t overstuff short articles with too many keywords, or it will be considered spam).
- Optimize for snippets. Answers in voice search are often generated from an expanded information block under the search link, i.e., from the snippet. This happens in 40% of cases.
- Embed long-tail low-frequency phrases in long-reads. Only 2% of the voice search results were formed from keywords in the title. The system looks for information to create a short answer throughout the entire text and provides the user with what it deems most useful.
- Speed up your site. Results for voice search load 3.8 times faster.
- Sites that publish more links are more visible to the search engine looking for answers to voice queries. The average domain rating in this case is 77, and the site’s authority does not play a role at all.
- “Near me” queries. Today, people are searching for places not by cities, but by neighborhoods! If your business is local, it’s time to optimize for Google voice search! According to statistics, since the beginning of 2017, the query “near me” has been entered 150% more often. Moreover, in 2018, people were much more likely to use voice search not only at home or at work but also in cafes, sports centers, etc.
Don’t spend too much time wondering how to set up voice search for your business. Start optimizing now. While some business owners are still unaware of voice search, users are already actively talking to Google, not typing it.
