Voice search is quickly becoming the new mobile search. Users are increasingly looking for websites through the voice search of their phone, rather than through traditional means. Voice search is different from desktop and mobile searches in a few critical ways, and if you're developing a website, you need to know about it.
The Difference Between Voice Search and Traditional Search
A voice search is any search that's conducted vocally, whether it's on a tablet, smartphone, or desktop PC. Even smart home devices are frequently used for voice searches. Though these voice searches are run through major search engines such as Google and Bing, there is a certain amount of pre-processing done
In order to make voice search more useful, there are things that are added to the voice search based on context. Most notably, most voice searches are done from a mobile device (such as a phone), so voice searches are generally geo-targeted. That means that if a user in Los Angeles says "search for shoes" the voice search will "search for shoes in Los Angeles, CA."
Tailoring Your Website Development for Voice Search
If your business wants to maximize its rankings on voice search, there are a few specific techniques you need to use:
- Write for a local audience. As nearly every voice search is related to a geographic place, voice search optimization is most useful for brick-and-mortar businesses. Cover local events and local features, providing content that those in your area might be looking for.
- Update your social media profiles. Many voice searches pull data off of social media profiles to find out things such as store hours, store location, and even store inventory. The more information you have available, the better.
- Try to answer questions. People frequently use voice search to ask whole questions, such as "Where can I get an HVAC cleaning in Minnesota?" By using questions in your text, you can optimize your content towards those questions.
- Make sure you're mobile. Most voice searches are done on mobile devices, so you need to make sure your website is fully mobile and responsive. You may also want to test your site on a screen reader, as smart devices will attempt to "read" the site for the user.
Optimizing for voice search is likely to become the new "optimizing for mobile," so you can stay ahead of the competition by optimizing your site now. If you need to learn more, a website development company like Webganic can help.
