Why You Should Optimize for Voice Search
Posted on: December 7th, 2020
There are endless possibilities for the future of voice technology and one thing is clear – the popularity of voice search is rapidly rising, and it will significantly change the way SEO is done.
The way people search for information online has changed significantly in recent years. Voice search is quickly going from a rare act to something that people do all the time. In 2020, voice search statistics show that 30% of internet searches are activated through voice. According to the latest voice search trends, this number is set to climb fast. Smartphone evolution and smart speaker devices lead to more and more people searching by voice instead of typing.
Here are some stats pointing to the rapid emergence of voice search –
- More than 66 million Americans now own a smart speaker
- 65% of users aged 25-49 speak to their voice-enabled devices at least once a day
- 72% of people who own a voice search device say it has become a part of their daily routine
- 52% of US smartphone owners report using voice assistants on their mobile devices
- 55% of households are expected to own smart speaker devices by 2022
- 20% of the total number of google searches on mobile are by voice
Digital marketers at Merit Mile recognize voice search will only keep getting bigger, and as it does it will change the way online brands conduct SEO. Over time, the shift to voice search will profoundly change SEO strategy, tactics, and the skills necessary to implement them. And because Google controls more than 90% of both paid and organic search, understanding the updates to its search algorithm is critical to staying highly ranked and relevant. It is crucial to learn the impact of Google’s search algorithm that now aligns with the modern trend toward voice search and uses a website’s mobile page first (as opposed to a desktop version of a page) for indexing and ranking.
Beyond learning Google’s search algorithm, it is also important to understand how prospects use voice search and how different it is from traditional text search. Voice search is more natural and conversational in tone. People use more “natural” language when using voice search, so targeting long-tail keywords is a must. To do this, you must “think how people speak.” Be intentional on identifying how users would ask questions or what kind of spoken questions might bring them to your site.
It is also important to note that an analysis of Google voice search answers reveals that over 20% of featured snippets are triggered by a set of only 25 words. The most frequently occurring terms are “how”, “what”, and “best”, showing that you should focus on content that answers queries with informational intent.
As voice technology continues to grow and become more popular among consumer and B2B audiences, Merit Mile is confident this trend will become increasingly important for businesses to include a voice search strategy in their overall digital marketing plan. Along with already changing the way businesses approach SEO, voice search also provides an opportunity to create an enhanced customer experience, and brands that want to stay competitive and relevant will have to get on board.
Contact Merit Mile today to learn how we can help you create a digital marketing plan that incorporates voice search strategies and tactics that capture highly qualified website visitors.