<\/span>1. Create content that focuses on user intent<\/span><\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Think about the last time you used voice search to answer queries. You probably just asked a simple question. You were also probably just looking for a specific type of answer. Maybe you asked about the time or the price of a specific product, among other things.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
That in itself shows you the types of content you should have to rank well in voice searches. You need content that answers specific questions people usually ask about your business.<\/strong> <\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
What are those questions? You could ask your customer support for a list. Offhand, though, the questions don\u2019t usually require complicated answers. Voice search users typically ask for information as simple as your operating hours. They might ask about your unique selling proposition or about what your product does.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
To rank in voice search results, make sure you don\u2019t hide that critical information. If we\u2019re talking about Google voice search, that information should be available in HTML, which you can get a handle on easily<\/a>. That way Google\u2019s spiders can easily see them and serve up the content when somebody asks.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

<\/span>2. Use schema<\/span><\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Use schema or structured data to increase your chances of ranking in voice search results. Schema markup is a form of microdata that allows search engines to understand what the information on your website means. <\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
$\"Screenshot$ <\/a><\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
The example above shows schema from a job posting.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
<\/span>Why is schema so important?<\/span><\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
The better the search engine understands what your information is about, the more likely it\u2019ll pull your website from a pile of others to answer a specific search query. That applies to voice searches as well.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Also, according to Backlinko, 40.7% of voice search results come from featured snippets<\/strong>. <\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
$\"Featured$ <\/a><\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
A featured snippet is the short excerpt from a site that Google displays to answer specific questions. They\u2019re created automatically through schema analysis.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\n
\n\n $\"Read$ <\/a>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
<\/span>3. Employ long-tail keywords<\/span><\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Read your content out loud. To compete for the top voice search positions, your content should sound like a person communicating with voice assistant. That is, they should use \u201cnatural language\u201d. <\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
According to Google<\/a>, on Google Assistant, in particular, 70% of searches use \u201cnatural language.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
What does that mean? Let me illustrate with an example. Let\u2019s say you\u2019re searching Google for a definition of email marketing<\/a>. <\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
You\u2019d probably type \u201cemail marketing\u201d to get the results you need. On Google Assistant, however, you\u2019d use an entire sentence to find your information: \u201cWhat is email marketing?\u201d or \u201cbad things about keto diet\u201d.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Whether you\u2019re doing B2B marketing<\/a> or B2C marketing, long-tail keywords are a big ranking factor in natural language<\/strong>.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Long-tail keywords that are not <\/em>in question form are easy to use in your content. However, it can be tougher to use long-tail keywords in question form without sounding unnatural. <\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
The easiest way to solve this problem is to create a FAQ (frequently asked questions) section on your site.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Here\u2019s an example from Twitter:<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
$\"FAQ$ <\/a><\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
You can also use questions as your headings<\/strong>, just like Neil Patel does in the example below. <\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
$\"Neil$ <\/a><\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Additionally, when you write your content this way, you increase the chances your page will be shown in Instant Answers <\/a>or featured snippets. As we said, almost half of voice search results are derived from these two places \u2013 so it\u2019s pretty important.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
<\/span>4. Focus on site speed<\/span><\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Having a quick and responsive site<\/a> is one of the most crucial factors in a positive user experience. And search engines put a premium on user experience \u2013 high-ranking sites always have user-friendly content. That\u2019s true whether the query is a text or a voice search.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Therefore, page speed \u2013 a user experience factor \u2013 can significantly impact your voice search ranking as well.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
$\"Google$ <\/a><\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
To ensure that your website loads quickly, go to Google PageSpeed Insights<\/a>. Then run a quick test. The results will let you know if your site has speed issues.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
In general, these are the four easiest ways to speed up your site:<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
\r\n
Reduce the number of redirects <\/li>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Optimize your images for size<\/li>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Minify CSS, JavaScript, and HTML, etc.<\/li>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Choose your site plugins wisely (don\u2019t add plugins you don\u2019t need)<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Also, keep in mind you can always hire a web designer<\/a> to help you increase your website speed.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
<\/span>5. Improve your Google My Business page<\/span><\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
If you\u2019re running a site for a brick-and-mortar business, you should already be optimizing your website for local SEO. After all, that\u2019s one of the most effective ways to get people to your business.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
What\u2019s the relevance of all this to voice search? Well, Brightlocal has reported that 58%<\/a> of customers use voice search for \u201cnear me\u201d searches. Think about it. When you\u2019re walking along, looking for a place to eat, it\u2019s easier to ask your phone where the nearest restaurant is, than to type in the search.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
So, to help you show up in \u201cnear me\u201d voice searches, which are probably pulled from the local search pack, too, improve your local SEO<\/a>.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
That means you should claim your Google My Business page, and improve it if need be. Also be sure to include your business name, address, and phone number on your website.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\n
\n\t TIP \ud83d\udc49 How to claim my Google My Business listing<\/a>\n<\/div>\n\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
$\"Hair$ <\/a><\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
In your listing, use words that people use to describe your neighborhood. Include landmarks, too. The better your local SEO, the more likely you\u2019ll rank in voice search results, too.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
<\/span>In Closing<\/span><\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
In our fast-paced world, voice search is the future. That\u2019s why it\u2019s important that you focus on your regular SEO and <\/em>voice search optimization.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
We\u2019ve given you five tips to do just that. <\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
\r\n
Create content that focuses on user intent<\/li>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Use schema<\/li>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Use long-tail keywords<\/li>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Keep your site running fast<\/li>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
If your business is B&M, don\u2019t neglect local SEO<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Do all this, and you\u2019ll increase your chances of ranking high in voice search results. And you\u2019ll be way ahead of your competition.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Do you have any questions about how to optimize your site for voice search? Let us know in the comments!<\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
If you liked this article, be sure to subscribe in the box<\/a> up to your right!<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Voice searches are on the rise in our fast-paced world. More people are using their voices to make queries because, well, it\u2019s just easier and faster. As a business, then, gone are the days you should only focus on regular SEO. If you want to get ahead of your competition, you must focus on voice [\u2026]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":62032,"featured_media":33689,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_strive_editorial_status":"not-started","_strive_copy_of":0,"inline_featured_image":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","_FSMCFIC_featured_image_caption":"","_FSMCFIC_featured_image_nocaption":"","_FSMCFIC_featured_image_hide":"","_strive_checklists":"\"\"","_strive_active_checklist":"62291e2bb2422","_strive_post_notes":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[144,134],"tags":[70,322],"class_list":{"0":"post-33684","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-business","8":"category-how-to-2","9":"tag-membership-site","10":"tag-online-business","11":"entry"},"acf":{"plans":["scale"],"is_featured":false,"download_source":"none","mothership_slug":"","download_url":""},"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t