Smartphones have made the world easily accessible. People frequently have questions that require answers and services or products they need.
All these resources are now accessible via a simple search, and there has been a significant shift towards voice search.
Statistically, voice search is something enterprise marketers cannot overlook because:
- 33% of people in the U.S. use voice search.
- 71% of consumers prefer voice search.
Voice optimization at scale is essential for every business. For enterprises, the challenge lies in managing the vast amount of content assets they control.
In this discussion, we’ll explore specific tactics and strategies to support your voice strategy, including schema markup, keyword research, site speed, FAQs, Google Actions, and more.
Here’s how to start optimizing for voice searches, especially focusing on enterprises.
Voice Optimization 101
Create Content And Voice Search Guidelines
Marketing teams should coordinate with the content team or distribute guidelines emphasizing the importance of voice search optimization, incorporating relevant keywords, and following protocols to ensure effectiveness.
Enterprises should have established SEO governance. However, you’ll need to update your existing protocols for voice search by adding sections focused on voice optimization.
Why?
Content creators and teams can make mistakes. Your protocols should detect issues through thorough content checks.
Analyzing content before publishing should already be part of your processes. If it’s not, consider adding:
- Thorough content review before posting.
- Optimization analysis.
- Comparing content to researched keywords and questions.
Guidelines are crucial in all aspects of enterprise marketing because team members frequently change.
Redefine Your Keyword Research To Incorporate Long-tail Keywords
Long-tail keywords often have lower search volumes and are less prioritized by enterprises targeting high-value keywords. However, voice search tends to be natural and longer than one- or two-word phrases.
Your pages should answer questions (similar to featured snippets) and include:
- How do I use XYZ product?
- How much do XYZ products cost?
- How do I fix XYZ problem?
- Where.
- Who.
- What.
People use search to ask questions, and you need to provide answers. Redefine your keyword research process to include more long-tail and question keywords.
Create processes and procedures for SEO teams–both internal and external–to incorporate questions into your current content creation process.
Optimize For Site Speed And Mobile Experience
Voice searches primarily come from mobile and assistant devices. Every enterprise must heavily optimize for mobile with:
- Responsive designs.
- Fast site speeds.
Regularly, your team should run tools like Google PageSpeed Insights to identify issues slowing down your site and improve loading times.
Optimize For Local Search To Boost Business
Local and regional optimizations are crucial for businesses operating locally. Over 50% of people use voice search for local businesses.
For example:
- Where is the nearest Subway near me?
- What grocery stores are open nearby?
- Where is the closest pharmacy?
You should review the enterprise’s listings on Google and other local platforms. Listings should always include the company’s operating hours, brief descriptions, and photos. Complete listings make it easier for searchers to contact or visit your business.
Terms may include “near me” phrases or specific searches, such as car manufacturers in Detroit. One vital tip for an enterprise’s success in local optimization is to consider regional or area slang.
Your research teams should understand local slang and dialects used in searches. For instance, a search for the best soda in Boston might be expressed as the best pop in Ohio due to regional slang. Internal teams should help create these distinctions before entering new markets to help content creation and search engine optimization teams maximize local voice search potential.
Master Schema Markup To Add Content Context
Using schema is essential to help search engines understand an enterprise’s site content. Review and incorporate schema markup guidelines to enhance voice search. Tips for mastering schema include:
- Start using Google’s Speakable Schema (beta) for sections of your text best suited for Google Assistant and voice search.
- Use analytics to understand the keywords and phrases customers use.
- Find speakable snippets in both new and existing content to add schema.
- Think of your content conversationally to enhance context.
When properly employed, schema markup can help add context to the content on each site, enhancing voice search potential.
Add FAQ Sections Into Key Pages
Remember, you need to add questions to your keyword research. It can be challenging to integrate questions into pages without disrupting the content flow. A solution is frequently asked questions (FAQs).
FAQs can add significant value to your pages and help improve voice search optimization. To incorporate this, you could:
- Perform a complete content audit on the site(s).
- Identify pages and blogs where questions can be answered.
- Begin adding FAQs to the most critical and high-potential pages.
As you’re optimizing for voice search, answering questions in conversational tones is essential.
Begin The Transition To Conversational Language
Content creators have focused on tone and consistency for years. "Speak the customer’s language" is a common industry maxim. However, with voice search, shifting towards a conversational tone is necessary.
The formal "business tone" doesn’t align with how most people use their Google Assistant or Amazon Echo. Ensure content teams embrace these changes. A quick meeting to reiterate the importance of conversational tones and possibly updating writer briefs can be impactful.
An effective way to adjust content for a conversational tone includes having:
- Editors review all content.
- Reading content aloud.
Small changes, including integrating spoken words and slang, can significantly enhance the conversational quality of your content.
Use Google Actions
Google Actions can benefit anyone optimizing for Android devices. When building actions for web content, use structured data. Google offers various tutorials on using actions for creating:
- FAQs.
- How-to guides.
- Media.
- News.
- Podcasts.
- Recipes.
Depending on the content type, Google suggests using a theme or plugin to add schema. Teams should learn to use Google Actions to properly optimize their content. Actions will ensure that users of Android devices or Google Assistant can easily find your content.
Voice search is quickly becoming a preferred search method. While traditional typed searches will persist, enterprises and marketers should explore the opportunities voice search offers.
More resources:
Featured Image: Prostock-studio/Shutterstock
