Voice Search

What is Voice Search and how is it used?

Voice Search means entering a search query by voice. It is primarily used on mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets. Voice search is pre-installed on most devices and can be used immediately when the device is put into operation. In recent years, voice search has become increasingly important. In addition to the well-known Google Voice Search, voice assistants such as Siri and Alexa have also established themselves on the market.

Voice Search – What is its importance for search engine optimization?

Voice search is used differently by users than the normal Google search function, where the search intention is also typed in. Especially with typed queries, often only the keywords are entered as keywords of the search. With voice search, on the other hand, the user can receive answers to completely formulated (search) questions in just a few seconds.
In the area of search engine optimization, the so-called long-tail keywords are therefore gaining in importance. A long-tail keyword is a combination of search terms, which can even go as far as a complete sentence or a formulated question. The search volume is lower with this type of keywords for the time being. However, it allows you to be displayed in the SERPs with targeted answers to the user’s search query.

Another important point in voice search is certainly the location of the user. Here is an illustrative example for you:
The user asks Google: “Hey Google, where can I order pizza? “
Google will then show him all the pizzerias in the area where he can order a pizza. A pizzeria that is several hundred kilometers away is not interesting for the user in this case and is not displayed by Google in the search results.

It is very advantageous for you if you keep your Google My Business entry up to date in order to be listed in the SERPs for corresponding voice search queries.

How do you optimize your site for voice search?

Written and spoken texts are very often different. You should keep this in mind when optimizing your site for voice search. However, you can optimize your texts for voice SEO very easily with the following points:

1. Write short paragraphs: An answer to a question, especially if it is complex or very specific, often consists of more than just one sentence. Try to formulate your texts as compactly as possible in order to convey important content in just a few sentences. The old adage applies here: brevity is the spice of life.

2. The spoken language is simple: When you explain something to a colleague or customer, you usually do so in short sentences. In writing, we often tend to form subordinate clauses and to formulate ramblings. However, for Voice SEO you should use a simple sentence structure. This increases your chances that the voice assistant will output your text.

3. The important information first: Write the answer to the possible search query right in the first sentence. For example, if a user is looking for a specific flour for pizza, you don’t have to explain what flour is or what pizza is. You can start with the answer: “The most suitable flour for pizza is…”.

4. To the point: Stay away from content that you think could still be relevant for the user. This often has little to do with the actual search query and does not help the user. It is more likely that the search query will be aborted, which should of course be avoided.

What impact will voice search have in the next few years?

Our use of the Internet is shifting more and more to mobile devices, and voice assistants for SmartHomes are also becoming increasingly popular. This increases the importance of voice search. This is more practical and easier for many users. Tiresome typing with any typos in the search query can thus be bypassed. Thus, it cannot be assumed that voice search is a short-lived hype. Voice search offers many companies a new perspective and challenge in terms of search engine optimization. Instead of individual keywords, long-tail keywords and W-questions are increasingly coming into focus. To position yourself well for the field of voice search, you should find out which questions your target group might ask the search engine. This will allow you to include relevant content on these topics on your website.