Voice Search: An Essential Part of Your SEO Strategy

Algorithm updates, SEO keyword research, seasonality, the list of things to consider when you’re creating blog content is seemingly endless.

And if you found this blog by asking your smart device “Hey Google, is Mediavine about to tell me something else I should optimize for in my content?” The answer is yes. We are.  

Welcome to everything you didn’t know you needed to know about voice search.

Due to increased AI voice recognition patterns and increased accessibility to smart home devices, voice search is becoming an increasingly popular way for audiences to find the information they need without taking up too much time or exerting too much energy. According to Insider Intelligence, 44% of the internet is already using voice search on a monthly basis.

With so many people speaking into their smart devices instead of typing into a search bar, it’s time to consider optimizing for voice search as a part of your SEO strategy.

What is Voice Search?

Voice search is the ability to speak into your smart device and have your spoken language translated into text via an automatic speech recognition (ASR) system.

This means that while your search is an audio-only search, it hits your search engine, like Google Chrome or Safari, as text — exactly like a traditional text inquiry. And while voice search may ultimately function like a traditional search, voice inquiries are very different from text.

Queries we speak directly into our devices often match how we speak in real life, so voice searches are often longer than text searches.

Instead of typing “lunch near me” you might say “what are the best casual lunch spots in West Town, Chicago?”

While both searches will help you find a lunch spot in your area, one resembles a real conversation rather than a short and convenient search query. 

How Does Voice Search Impact my SEO Strategy?

While ranking for voice search is not easy — only the top 1 to 3 results get shared with the user — optimizing for it can still improve your overall SEO strategy. When you target voice search, you’re not only tapping into a new way to reach your audience, but we also know that search engines like when you create content for humans. Targeting voice search as a part of your SEO strategy can mean not only the opportunity to rank in one of those top 3 spots but the opportunity to increase your page authority as well.

Additionally, targeting for voice search allows you to remain at the forefront of digital trends. With ever-changing algorithm updates and a shift towards voice-friendly content, implementing this change in your content now could impact you positively in the long run. 

How Do I Target Voice Search in My SEO Strategy?

When creating content, think “natural.” Your content should sound like a normal conversation between real life humans rather than an AI-written, over-optimized SEO think piece. How would you ask this question?

Your goal should be to address typical verbal queries within your content. 

Writing for voice search does not not mean abandoning SEO research and optimization;, it means researching long tail keywords and seeing what questions people are searching for already.

An easy way to answer common voice searches is to include FAQ sections in your content. This will allow you to answer some of those tougher questions in a more natural way.

Who Would Benefit Most from Optimizing for Voice Search?

While the current prevalence of local searches via voice search may make it seem like travel and hyperlocal bloggers would benefit the most from optimizing for voice searches, as voice search becomes more and more popular and robust, other niches will benefit as well.

It’s a good idea to start optimizing your content for voice search now so you are prepared for the inevitable growing popularity of the feature. 

We know that it seems like there is a new way to increase your traffic or your SEO authority every day, but we feel strongly that this latest trend is not going anywhere. Voice search audiences are only going to grow as Gen Alpha continues to define the future of the internet, so getting a jump on this new way to reach your audience is a relatively low lift method to increase your traffic and “future proof” your site. 

Voice search is only going to continue to rise in popularity as smart devices get smarter.  Soon everyone will be asking “hey Siri, how do i optimize my blog content for voice search?” 

Making small changes to your SEO strategy now can greatly impact how well your site evolves with the mercurial internet.