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True, it was already talked about a few years ago and we all understood that the hype is greater than the sum of its parts, but that was before AI took over every good piece of advertising and became a main source of information for the common user, for whom the Google search had become cumbersome and if it still does, which is mainly due to habit.
Google's BERT update in 2019 significantly improved the understanding of natural language, making voice search more reliable.
Since then, it just keeps getting better and better and today, rumors are talking about another update to Google's search algorithm, and we can only guess that it will be much more user experience oriented than anything we've known so far.
The rise of voice search
The proliferation of smart speakers, smart watches, and mobile devices that support voice gestures has led to accelerated growth in the volume of voice searches that users perform in search engines.
According to a report by eMarketer, as of 2023, 40% of internet users in the United States will use voice search. Add that to the fact that 60% of Google searches come from mobile devices, and you'll understand why your SEO strategy can no longer rely solely on keywords In an age where "Ok Google" and "Hey Siri" have become the new magic words, voice search is gaining momentum and changing our interaction with the digital world. Think about it: when we are busy driving with our hands full, on
the
street with heavy shopping baskets or while cooking with our hands covered in flour. , we no longer have to drop everything to type a query and then go through dozens of results until we find what we were looking for. Instead, we can simply ask and get an answer on the spot. These scenarios are becoming the daily routine of more and more users.
Before we get into possible response strategies for web developers, Let's start with a disclaimer: if Google's classic search engine falls in favor of ChatGPT and its ilk, then no matter what you do, your SEO efforts will fall with it. However, the more likely scenario is that the chat engines will adopt some of Google's features to allow referrals for further handling by external sources and when that Dear, you will want them to know how to find you.
And now that we have put it on the table, what can be done to promote your site to the top of the voice search results?
Understanding SEO for voice search
First, let's establish some fundamental differences between the classic search and voice search.
Voice search queries tend to be longer, more conversational and often presented as questions.
It requires us to understand the nuances of human conversation.
When people use voice search, they're not just typing in keywords, they're having a conversation with their device.
They ask complete questions, use natural language and expect accurate answers.
It's a bit like switching from text messages to a phone call, or from a Zoom call to a face-to-face meeting.
As the gap between launch points narrows, our language becomes less formal and more everyday.
This means businesses need to rethink their keyword strategy.
If we used to fill the content with as many related keywords as possible, hoping that the users would know how to search for them, today there is much more emphasis on understanding the intention behind the questions the user asks and less on the words he chooses to use.
It should be remembered that, unlike the classic search on Google, voice search is powered by AI and natural language processing, technologies that become better at understanding human language, therefore, if they once used to say that "content is king", today the context is the one that controls matters and therefore we must know how to interpret Correct the clues that are planted in each and every question.
When it comes to voice search, the importance of keywords pales in comparison to the need to be able to participate in a meaningful conversation.
Here are some ways to get to the top of the voice search results:
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Frequently asked questions and conversational keywords
Imagine you are at a networking event where everyone who approaches you asks more or less the same questions: where are you from, where do you work, what do you do and what do you have to offer.
Those who are not interesting enough will find themselves standing alone at the snack table, while people who are fun to listen to will gather around them a circle of people who are all eager to close deals with them.
Why?
Because they came with conversational skills and the answer they give to the questions they are asked is exactly matched to the person standing in front of them.
Similarly, your FAQs are like an introduction to the conversation - the questions everyone is asking.
But if there are 100 competitors in your area answering the exact same questions, your way to stand out is through context - and for that you have to think of every possible variation of questions that could be asked, and then answer them all.
For example, a general question could be "how much does it cost to build a website", while more specific questions would be "how much does it cost to build a store website for a fashion business" or "how much does it cost to build an image website through outsourcing".
For this you will want to use what are called long tail phrases - phrases that reflect a very specific search intent so that whoever comes to you will find exactly what they were looking for.
Get to Google Snippet
Following the trend of recent years, many searches end without the user ever leaving Google.
This is especially true when it comes to voice searches, which often only return one answer, prominently displayed at the top of the search results.
Research by Backlinko found that 40.7% of voice search responses come from display text snippets.
This means that you need to provide an answer that will not only convince users but be more comprehensive than any other answer provided by your competitors.
In addition, if once in order to get a high rating we had to write at length, today Google also understands that users prefer to receive short and concise answers and therefore the wording should be very direct and purposeful, without overloading with unnecessary details.
Optimization for local searches
Local SEO and voice search go hand in hand.
A 2023 BrightLocal study found that 76% of smart speaker users regularly read reviews of local businesses.
Indeed, by nature, many of the voice searches are local, for example "What is the recommended mafia closest to me?"
To appear in the result, you need to optimize for local SEO.
This includes claiming your business listing on Google My Business, Google Maps or other local directories, accumulating positive reviews, and making sure your business name, address, and phone number appear consistently across the web.
The voice assistant may correctly interpret the query "find me a bakery near me" but the nearby mafia did not optimize for local search such as embedding Google maps and did not use phrases like "within walking distance from X".
As a result, it will not appear in the top search results despite its proximity to the user, and those bakeries that did will appear above it, even if they are not within walking distance.
Effective linking practices
Links are handshakes of the digital world.
External links to relevant and authoritative sites, and internal links that help users navigate your site, are critical.
They strengthen site credibility and user experience, both of which are key factors in voice search ranking.
Going back again to the networking event we mentioned earlier, it's like the difference between going to an event with a network of business contacts and going alone when you don't know anyone.
The more meaningful connections you have, and the more authoritative those connections are in your area of expertise, the greater your opportunity to make new connections that will benefit your business.
Exactly the same thing happens in the digital space as well.
A link from the website of "Itzik Cloud Services" is nice and better than nothing, but a link from the blog of a large company in the cloud field or from some news site is another matter, and the more of these you have, the more Google will understand that there is a source of authority that people respect and value, because at the end of the day, everything Back to the user experience.
Content hierarchy
This is where you show your organizational skills.
Using schemes such as FAQ will help organize the content in the form of questions and answers and grouping content of different types using taxonomies such as categories and tags will make it easier for search engines and users to find relevant information, when the goal is always to get from the general to the individual with a minimum of clicks.
For example, if the general topic is "how much does it cost to build a website", the sub-topics that will appear under it should be divided accordingly, for example an image website/ a store website/ a blog website or a Wix website/ a WordPress website/ a Shopify website and so on.
Looking ahead to 2024, several trends stand out:
Continued growth
: As voice search continues to evolve, accuracy and convenience will increase, leading to wider adoption.
Integration with emerging technologies
such as augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR), which provide more immersive search experiences.
Voice Commerce
: Voice search will play a more significant role in e-commerce as consumers use voice assistants to make purchases, further merging SEO with e-commerce strategies.
Privacy and security
: As voice search becomes more common, issues of privacy and data security will become more critical, potentially leading to new regulations and user-centric approaches.
conclusions
The key to mastering voice search SEO lies in the ability to predict the user's needs and preferences even when he is not using exact search phrases.
Additionally, to give users what they really want, we need to understand not only what they're looking for but how they're looking.
This means staying up-to-date on the advancements of voice recognition technology and understanding the changing patterns in user queries so that we can create a deeper and more intuitive connection with the audience.
In conclusion, voice search is not just a passing trend but a fundamental change in the way people interact with technology and search for information.
Businesses that adapt their SEO strategies to this new reality will gain a significant advantage in the competitive digital market.
All of this requires a deep understanding of how technology and human behavior fit together.
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artificial intelligence
Siri