How to Optimize for Voice Search [Workbook]
Half of all internet searches will be voice searches by 2020.
Let that sink in for a moment, because voice search changes everything.
- Voice search implies non-traditional devices, with small or no screens.
- Voice search uses language differently, which means keywords.
- Voice search, in many cases, means you might as well be on page nine if you’re not in position zero.
And, as with every SEO update, B2B industries are not exempt or immune. As voice search becomes a major player in search, the easiest applications are within B2C markets, but there is one primary reason why voice search won’t stay there.
When you’re ready to get to work and start optimizing your SEO content strategy for voice search, fill out the form to download our free workbook, The Marketer’s Guide to Optimizing for Voice Search.
Optimizing for Voice Search: The Workbook
This simple workbook will guide you through three basic steps of optimizing content for voice search:
1. Optimize for Mobile
Voice search most often happens on mobile devices, so optimizing for voice search starts by making sure your site and content perform well on mobile. Get links to online tools that will test your company’s site, and make notes about any problem pages or features.
2. Optimize for Long Tail Keywords
People use voice search differently than traditional search: they talk to it. Voice searches use natural, conversational language, which means long tail keywords for SEOs. Make sure you know how to find, organize, and prioritize a list of long tail keywords, and then use the workbook to apply those insights to existing or new content.
3. Optimize for Featured Snippets
Screen-less devices like Google Home and Amazon Echo read featured snippet answers to voice queries, citing the publisher. Where voice queries are served spoken answers, ranking on page one is irrelevant unless your content captures the featured snippet spot. Learn how to discover and prioritize featured snippet opportunities, and create the kind of content Google wants to use.
https://youtube.com/watch?v=DtQvMilwujM
An example of Google Home reading a featured snippet and citing its source.
Is Voice Search Really Important for SEO?
Voice search is crucial for modern SEO because adoption of the technology is increasing rapidly. Personal assistant technology is available by default on modern smartphones, and 2017 sales of Amazon Echo and Google Home are expected to exceed 24 million.
And people are using it. Most often, voice technology is used when someone’s hands or vision is occupied, but that’s not the only reason:
- 30% of people use voice search to get results faster.
- 24% use it to avoid having to type on small mobile devices.
- 12% use it to avoid confusing website menus.
In short: voice search provides a better user experience.
A better user experience is Google’s constant pursuit, so you can bet that if users love it, Google will make the most of it.
Is Voice Search SEO Relevant for B2B Brands?
Because voice search is often promoted as a way to get directions or find nearby businesses while driving, it’s easy to make the mistake of assuming the SEO implications are solely for B2Cs and local businesses.
But voice search SEO is important for B2B companies as well, because, again, it’s about customer experience. Consider:
- When considering business purchases, 90% of executives conduct research on mobile devices. If voice search offers a better experience, it will inevitably be adopted by the C-suite.
- Even as far back as 2014, 55% of teenagers were already using voice search daily. Today’s teenagers are growing up with the technology and will continue using it as they enter the workforce and move into leadership positions.
Companies of all types and within all industries should start thinking about voice search optimization now to attract early adopters, get ahead of competitors, and improve SEO overall.
The Marketer’s Guide to Optimizing for Voice Search
The Marketer’s Guide to Optimizing for Voice Search will help you form a voice search strategy that drives traffic increases, delights users, and overtakes competitors who aren’t aware of the trend. To get started, fill out the form on the right, and download your free copy of this exclusive workbook.