Voice assistants including Apple’s Siri, Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa are more popular than ever – and are used for both on-the-go and at home users, using smart speakers like Google Home, Apple Homepod and Amazon’s Alexa devices. 

In fact, voice search-friendly devices are incredibly common to the point that even cars are utilizing this second nature convenience. About 40 million Americans own a smart speaker and as much as half of all searches could be voice-based by 2020.

Voice searches provide a big opportunity for advertisers, but many digital media professionals are still not sure what they should do when it comes to optimizing their content for voice search. Follow along with us below and we’ll give you a few tips on the subject.

1. Focus On Long-Tail Keywords In Your Content

Voice searches use natural language. When Googling using a keyboard, you may enter “best coffee Raleigh.” But if you’re asking a question to a voice assistant, you may ask “What’s the best coffee shop in Raleigh?”

When optimizing for voice search, you should make an effort to focus on these kinds of long-tail keywords and phrases, which your customers are more likely to use when searching. Think about how you would naturally ask questions about a business and build long-tail keywords around those questions.

2. Anticipate Questions Customers May Ask And Add FAQS

Customers usually use voice search to get an answer to a specific question – such as when a restaurant closes, for example. By anticipating the questions a customer may ask, you can add them to your FAQ page and use long-tail keywords to optimize your content for voice search.

When marketing for a restaurant, for example, you could build a FAQ page with topics like:

•     What time does the restaurant open and close?
•     Are there vegan, vegetarian or gluten-free options?
•     What is the usual wait time each day?
•     What awards has the restaurant won?

• Do I need reservations? 
• Is the restaurant kid friendly? 

3. Use Structured Data To Help Communicate What A Page Is About

This is one of Google’s most recommended best practices for voice content optimization. Structured data uses specific code techniques to help communicate what a web page is about – creating “Rich Snippets”  which help search engines categorize results properly.

Rich snippets can be used to define quite a few categories including the following:

•     Reviews
•     Profiles of staff or people
•     Product pages
•     Business contact information
•     Recipes
•     Video content

Utilizing structured data properly will make it easier for voice assistants and search engines to identify the proper content to serve up to a user when they ask a question.

4. Make Your Site Mobile-Friendly

The vast majority of voice searches happen on mobile devices. Not only is a fast, responsive mobile website an important factor in SEO rankings in search engines like Google, but an easy-to-use website is also important if you want customers to convert once they learn more about a business via a voice search.

Prepare For The Future Of Voice Searches

If you follow the above four tips, you’ll find that it’s easy to optimize your content for voice searches and take advantage of the growing market for voice assistants and smart home speakers. Think about how you can implement these tips on your own – or contact OnWired for help today!