Voice search used to be an interesting additional function to the services of Amazon (Alexa) and Apple(Siri). But one day, it may become a service that we cannot live without. According to a PwC report, 71% of users in America prefer to use voice search than type the text manually into a search engine. Voice recognition gets better with the development of artificial intelligence. More and more people have started to use them.
How to write texts for voice search – a guide for the copywriter
This means that copywriters can prepare for a new trend: forming and optimizing content for websites so that it is also available for voice search. When it comes to content. How is the text that is written taking voice search into consideration different from the content that we were writing so far? Below are 6 points that you must know if you want your texts to also work with voice search.
Why is voice search important? According to Google, 27% of people are using voice search on mobile. Moreover, 20% of search queries in the Google App are now done by voice! Voice search is also used during shopping! Voice-based shopping is expected to grow to $40 billion in 2022. If you want to grow your online business, you should optimize your text for voice search results.
One of the most important differences that you need to remember is the difference between how we write and how we talk when creating the content. Copywriters have tried to balance the golden rule “writing as if you were speaking” and the requirement to maintain a professional tone. Voice search does not bring a great evolution, but this trend pushes copywriters to bring the “spoken language: into the texts. For example, when you search for a Japanese restaurant near you, you may google “Japanese restaurant” and the city name. But when you ask a search engine the same question, you will probably ask, “Where is the Japanese restaurant near me?” You should pay attention to some differences between the ways when we ask questions when optimizing texts. Insert long-tail keywords, texts around the questions, and clear location indications. Those things will be the basis of your actions.
Optimizing for voice search: Target the featured snippet
A featured snippet is more than a frame with an article and a link that appears at the top of the Google search results. The position will bring more traffic. Voice search provides a very limited number of results. So the higher your content rank, the more chance your content will appear when people use a voice search.
To be in a snippet, make sure to:
- Choose the right keywords: Those keywords that your potential customers ask about
- Question with Answers: Content that contains the accurate answers to the search engine is more likely to be chosen for the snippet
- Optimize your content: Bullet points and headlines with keywords are easier for Google robots to read and have chance to appear in snippets
- Optimize your website: The text itself can be flawless, but the competition may be higher
Optimization for voice search: long-tail keywords
When you ask a question in a voice search, you are not limited to one word. Therefore, voice search-friendly content should include part of long-tail keywords. With it, you increase the chance that your contents are more likely to rank higher in search results. Take the Japanese restaurant as an example. You know that the popular search results also include the terms “the best/ cheapest”, the name of the city, or specific dishes. Do not be hesitant to build content around those keywords on your site.
Voice search SEO: take care of local SEO
Local SEO and voice search go hand in hand. The most common questions are about services or products that can be checked and bought in the local area. So adjust your SEO with those details and your site will rank higher on search engines. Make sure that the following data is visible on the website in addition to the google my business listing.
- Exact address
- Phone number
- Working area
- If this applies to you, also include the local institutions you work with
Voice Search Optimization: The answer to questions
Given that the voice search users tend to ask several questions rather than using multiple keywords. Create content that only answers questions but also includes them in your content. For example, subheadings or rhetorical questions. You can start it with a simple FAQ page. The page can become a treasure and even recommend by Google. Use the common ask question about your products, service, the scope of activities, location, and team. Then use those questions to create content that brings traffic. They can be:
- The blog post that answers specific questions from users
- Product video with optimized description and answer user concerns
- Individual FAQ pages for different products and services that provides under the same brand
- Experiment with different forms with a solution, and do not forget to add long-tail keywords
Optimization for voice search: focus on the tone
According to Google, 41% of voice-activated speakers say that it feels like talking to a friend or another person when they use the voice-search assistant. Therefore, it is worth working on the text to have a friendly, natural, and simple tone. Try to work on the quality of the keywords rather than their quantity. Keyword stuffing will not bring good results.
Where should you add keywords to optimize the text for voice search?
- Page title
- Title of the article
- URL address
- Sub-headlines
- The first paragraph of the text
Also, make the content easy to read on a mobile device. Since most people use voice search on their mobile devices.
Use the following point to design your content:
- Shorter headers
- Shorter paragraph:1 to 3 sentences
- Friendly formatting, containing enumerations, lists, quotes that divide the text into smaller parts
Optimization for voice search: complete Google My Business
Voice search tends to show “local” results. So if you are creating content for your business to attract new customers, you should complete your business page on Google. If some information is missing, your page may be rejected by the voice search device. Similarly, if the data is incorrect or out of, date-you do not want to disappoint your audience. You must include the address, phone number, working hours, and local keywords that interest your audiences.
Voice search for copywriters – summary
Voice search slow has become the trend for a copywriter. Even though it does not become a top priority when you optimize content. It is worth keeping them in mind and taking them into consideration when creating content for the website, especially for local companies.
Maybe optimizing the text will become your new niches? Different treatment of keywords, text organization, and tone close to spoken tone will compose different text than the traditional content.