With the increasing popularity of voice assistants such as Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant, voice search is becoming more common. In fact, it is estimated that by 2023, there will be 8 billion digital voice assistants in use worldwide. This has significant implications for search engine optimization (SEO). In this article, we’ll discuss the future of voice search and its implications for SEO.
- Natural Language Queries: Voice search queries tend to be longer and more conversational than text-based queries. People are more likely to ask questions using natural language, such as “What’s the best pizza place near me?” rather than using short, specific keywords. This means that websites optimized for voice search will need to focus on long-tail keywords and natural language queries.
- Featured Snippets: With voice search, people typically want quick answers to their questions. Google often provides featured snippets, which are brief summaries of the answer to a user’s question. Websites that rank for featured snippets have a higher chance of being selected by voice assistants to provide answers to users’ queries.
- Local SEO: Voice search is often used for local searches, such as finding a nearby restaurant or store. This means that local SEO will become increasingly important for businesses looking to optimize for voice search. This includes optimizing for local keywords, claiming and optimizing Google My Business listings, and building local citations.
- Structured Data: Structured data helps search engines understand the content of a website. This is important for voice search because voice assistants rely on structured data to provide answers to users’ queries. Websites that use structured data, such as schema markup, will have a better chance of being featured in voice search results.
- Mobile Optimization: Voice search is heavily reliant on mobile devices, so mobile optimization is crucial for voice search SEO. Websites that are not optimized for mobile devices are less likely to rank in voice search results.
In conclusion, voice search is the future of search, and its implications for SEO are significant. Websites that want to stay ahead of the curve will need to focus on optimizing for natural language queries, featured snippets, local SEO, structured data, and mobile optimization. By doing so, businesses can ensure that they remain visible and competitive in the era of voice search.
