How to optimize your content for voice search in 2023?

In today’s time for SEO and digital marketing, staying ahead is crucial for success. Don’t you agree? You just can’t afford to miss out on important technologies that are sure to influence the way people interact with a brand online.
One such example is the advent of Voice search technology, which has helped people to search more effectively as compared to typing. Virtual assistant such as Alexa, Siri or Google Assistant has made voice search technology more accessible to the masses.

Voice search optimization is also crucial for ecommerce websites. Optimize your website with top Ecommerce SEO services to have your products featured at the top for voice searches.

In this article, you will learn the trends, impacts and ways to modify your website for voice search in 2023.
Let’s begin,

What is the current state of Voice Search in 2023?

There is no doubt that voice search has come a long way to become one of the most preferred options for users to search online. At present, voice search technology is able to provide more accurate, fast and reliable answers to your queries.
You can use a simple voice search to find the places of your interest or any information. For example, you can access Google Assistant on your smartphone and ask queries such as “Best Korean Restaurants Near Me.” To this, Google will fetch you the best options around you to visit and satisfy your cravings for Thai cuisine.
The convenience and the accuracy that it has provided to its users have poised it to become the number one choice for online searches.

What are some benefits of being voice search-friendly?

Optimizing your website for voice search has many benefits, some of which are as follows.

Improved visibility:

Voice search can help your website become visible to your target audience. This increase in search presence can lead them to visit and explore your website.

Enhanced user experience:

Voice search optimization requires the creation of content that is natural and conversational. This, in turn, results in a better user experience as the target visitors would be more able to understand the content and engage with it.

Local SEO advantage:

People often use voice search to discover local places of interest to them. This user behaviour makes it critical for the local physical stores to optimize for this technology. It can help them to attract local consumers and bring foot traffic to their local stores.

Mobile optimization:

Today, people tend to use their mobile phones when they wish to search for anything online. Most of the traffic that comes to websites is from mobile devices, so it becomes essential to mobile optimize your website. This will ensure your website is user-friendly for small-screen mobile devices.

Competitive edge:

Optimizing for voice search early on can give you an advantage over your competitors. This is because voice search is growing at a rapid pace, and being prepared for the same can help you remain relevant in these competitive times.

Key strategies for modifying your website for voice search

Some key strategies you can consider for voice search optimization are as follows.

Structured data markup:

It is also known as schema.org and helps search engines better understand the meaning of your content. If Google understands the content of your website better, it will be better equipped to feature your piece of content for the related search queries.

Use schema markup to describe your content, products, or services.
Make sure the markup includes business information, reviews, prices and more.

This approach increases your chance to feature as a voice search result and also makes your target audience aware of the product you offer.

Natural language and conversational content:

Voice queries are generally in a more natural and conversational language. Consider the following points to optimize your content as per the users’ way.

Make sure the content you create is in a conversational tone.
Anticipate users’ queries and try to answer those in your content.
Use natural language and avoid unclear language.

By aligning your content with how people talk and ask questions, you can increase the possibility of ranking well in voice search results.

Local SEO for voice search:

Voice search is an excellent way to search locally. You will get results that are accurate and reliable for your search query. If you want your website’s content to feature as local voice search results, implement the following tips.

Create a GMB profile and public citation profiles for your local business.
Ensure the contact information you provide for your business is accurate.
Encourage your customers to leave user-generated content, as these influence their voice search ranking.

Mobile optimization:

Mobile responsiveness for your website is crucial as significant traffic tends to come from mobile devices. Consider the following points to make your website mobile-friendly.

Optimize your website for responsive design. It is a design that adjusts page layout and structure as per the mobile screen size of the users. Media queries and Fluid grids are some techniques used for the same.
Optimize images and other media components of your website.
Implement best SEO practices such as meta tags or headers optimization.

Featured snippet and position zero:

Featured snippets are the short text or summary that you might have noticed on the top of the search engine result page. They serve as a short and quick way of understanding the answers to your queries.
Voice search tends to pick a piece of content that features as featured content. Featured snippets occupy the topmost position before the organic results, so they are also known as zero-position results.

To optimize your content for a featured snippet, consider the points below.

Find out the questions related to your content that are commonly asked by your target audiences. After this, try to answer those questions in your content strategically.
For example, Suppose you are writing a blog on SEO. You have identified that the definition of SEO is a hot search among your target audience. Here, you can write a short paragraphed content that easily makes the reader understand its meaning, function and other aspects as well.
Make sure that the content you write is well structured with header tags and bullet points.

Final words!!

In the end, know that if your website is optimized for voice search, it will create awareness and bring traffic to your website. By implementing the above practices, you position your content for success in voice search results. Remember, those who adapt and optimize and adapt early will gain an edge and remain competitive.

About The Author: Amir Waheed, President and Founder of SEO Toronto Experts, heads a Toronto-based digital agency. With a decade in Digital Marketing, Amir specializes in eCommerce SEO elevating online business branding.