We all know that Google is King and whilst most business owners know they need to maximise their presence it can be a confusing arena. Google simply does not supply a guide and as a result the sector is full of misleading facts and figures. Smoke and mirrors abound, just what is fact and what is fiction?
The primary element to understand is that the digital marketing arena is fast paced. What worked last year will very definitely be outdated now. Staying up to date is critical and this is particularly relevant in the area of Google voice search.
So what is Google Voice Search and what do you need to know?
Facts and figures
Google have invested a massive amount of money into voice search seeing it as yet another channel where they can easily outpace their lowly competitors. They have announced that 20% of all searches have voice intent currently and they are achieving an accuracy of 95%. It is also estimated that around 60% of individuals use voice search because their hands or vision are occupied.
ComScore have supported the Google strategy by predicting that 50% of all searches made on the Google search engine by 2020 will be voice activated. A relatively short period of time and businesses need to be ready.
Make sure it’s mobile
It is critical that your site is mobile responsive or it may not be delivered to the search results for users on a mobile device. It is surprisingly how many websites remain non responsive in the UK, given that the majority of searches are now made on a phone or a tablet this is short sighted indeed.
Make it local
Local SEO is even more important for voice search because users are more likely to use a location in their search. Make sure you have a verified Google Places account for each of your locations and keep it up to date with information, pictures and reviews.
Optimise for the long tail
A long tail keyword is a multi-word keyword term. So ‘FMC SEO Company in Cambridge’ rather than ‘SEO Cambridge’.
Longer keyword terms are less competitive and therefore easier to achieve providing you have identified and optimised for the term in question.
The research shows that voice users are more likely to use a long tail and descriptive search term. It is therefore important that you identify what those long tail keywords are for your business and include them in your copy and Meta Data.
A good way to identify them is to listen to client phone calls and meetings, what are the most commonly used phrases and questions?
Directly answer common questions in content
An easy way to ensure that you provide answers to common, directly asked questions is to have a frequently asked questions (FAQ) section on your website.
This type of format allows you display the answers to really basic terms like ‘what does SEO stand for?’
I recommend that companies hold a brain storming meeting with all the team, listing down all long tail phrases that you think users may use for your product or service. Start with the very basic and build up to the more technical full responses. Young or new members to the team often provide you with useful insights as they are looking at your business with fresh eyes and zero indoctrination.
Where relevant also use the answers to these questions within individual page copy.
Google’s overall and constant objective is to provide the searcher with the best, most specific result against the search made. Voice is no different, if your site is optimised for the specific search term your site will come up over others. It is as simple as that!