SEO and voice search: how do you capitalise on it?

One of the most important developments in the field of search engines, is voice search. Voice search is a new way of searching where you use voice assistants such as Siri, Google Assistant or Alexa. Let's take a closer look at how you can capitalise on voice search with SEO.

What exactly is voice search?

As named, voice search is a way of searching where you use voice assistants. Instead of typing a query into the search bar, you literally speak your query. For example, "Hey Siri, what's the weather like today?" or "Alexa, where is the nearest pizzeria?". Then, the voice assistant will answer your question or show you a list of search results relevant to your query.

How can you capitalise on voice search with SEO?

If you want to ensure that your website is found through voice search, it is important to include the following tips in your SEO strategy:

• Focus a little more on long search terms and phrases: When people type in their search query, they often do so in long search terms and phrases. For example, this could be "What are the best restaurants in Amsterdam?", rather than just "best restaurants amsterdam

• Anticipate questions being asked in a conversation: People often ask questions when using voice search. It is therefore important to write your content in such a way that it answers these questions. Ask yourself the question: what questions would someone ask me when looking for my products or services?

• Optimise your website for local SEO: People often use voice search to find local information, such as "Where is the nearest snack bar?". Therefore, make sure your website is optimised for local searches.

• Make sure your website is ready for voice search: Of course, your website may not be technically ready for voice search. Make sure your website is, by using structured data, for example.

Is your website optimised for voice search?

If your website is not optimised for voice search, it could affect your ranking in the SERP. According to some SEO experts, voice SEO is even necessary to be found effectively in search results via voice assistants. Optimising your content for voice search can offer benefits such as improving user experience, increasing mobile traffic, reaching a wider audience, improving local seo and improving your brand visibility.

It is important to remember that optimising your content for voice search does not mean changing your entire seo strategy. It is just an addition to your existing strategy. It's about making sure your website is easy to find via voice search and that your content is written in a natural and conversion-oriented way. 

Make sure you can be heard

If you make podcasts, it's also important to optimise them for SEO! With Google actively scanning audio content for context, SEO for podcasts best practices have become a key growth strategy. It is then important to remember that voice recognition software can have trouble transcribing words from people who speak quickly, string words together or have a strong accent. Therefore, it is important to make sure your content is as clear and natural as possible.

Getting started!

Voice search is therefore an important development, which may affect SEO. Do you have any questions about voice search? At Onder we would love to help you! We offer various SEO services to contribute to the optimisation of your website. Curious about what our team has to offer? Then feel free to take contact up with our SEO specialists.