How to Optimise your Website for Voice Search

It is no secret that voice search is on the rise.

With the release of Amazon’s Echo and Google’s Home, virtual assistants are becoming more commonplace in households around the world. And as these devices get smarter, so does voice search.

But what does this mean for your website?

If you want to stay ahead of the curve, you need to optimise your website for voice search. And in this latest Knowledge Base post, we’re going to show you how to do just that.

What is Voice Search?

Voice search is a type of search that allows users to search the internet using their voice. This is opposed to traditional search methods that require users to type their query into a search engine.

With voice search, all you need to do is speak your question or request into a device like Amazon’s Echo or Google’s Home and it’ll search the internet for you.

Why Optimise for Voice Search?

If you’re not convinced that you need to optimise your website for voice search, consider this:

According to a report from Comscore, 50% of all searches will be voice searches by 2020.

Another study from Google found that 41% of adults use voice search on a daily basis.

And lastly, a study from BrightLocal found that 58% of consumers have used voice search to find local business information in the last 12 months.

As you can see, voice search is only going to become more popular in the coming years. So, if you want your website to be found by people who are using voice search, you need to optimise for it.

How to Optimise Your Website for Voice Search

Now that we’ve established the need to optimise your website for voice search, let’s take a look at how to do it.

1. Use Natural Language

One of the key things to remember when optimising your website for voice search is to use natural language. This means using the same language that you would use if you were speaking to a friend.

For example, if you’re a plumber, someone might search for “find a plumber near me”. Or, if you’re a restaurant, someone might search for “best Italian restaurant in town”.

2. Optimise for Local Search

If you want your website to be found by people who are using voice search, you need to optimise for local search. This means including your business name, address, and phone number (NAP) on your website.

You should also make sure that your NAP is consistent across all of your online listings. This will help your website rank higher in local search results.

3. Use Long-Tail Keywords

When it comes to voice search, longer keywords are better. That’s because people tend to speak in full sentences when they’re using voice search.

For example, someone might search for “What is the best Italian restaurant in town?”. Or, “Where can I find a plumber near me?”.

If you want your website to be found by people who are using voice search, you need to include long-tail keywords on your website.

4. Include a FAQ Page

Another great way to optimise your website for voice search is to include a FAQ page. This is a page on your website that answers common questions that people have about your business.

Not only will this help your website rank higher in voice search results, but it’ll also provide valuable information to your website visitors.

5. Optimise Your Title Tags and Meta Descriptions

When it comes to ranking higher in voice search results, your title tags and meta descriptions are just as important as your website content.

Your title tags should include your target keyword and be no longer than 60 characters. And your meta descriptions should be no longer than 155 characters.

6. Use Schema Markup

Schema markup is a type of code that you can add to your website to help search engines understand your content. This is important for voice search because it can help your website rank higher in results.

If you’re not sure how to add schema markup to your website, you can use a tool like Google’s Structured Data Markup Helper.

7. Optimise Your Images

If you want your website to be found by people who are using voice search, you need to optimise your images. This means including keywords in your image file names and alt text.