Hello there! 👋 I’m your friendly neighborhood SEO expert here to help you navigate the ever-changing world of search engine optimization. Today, let’s talk about something that’s been gaining momentum in recent years: voice search. If you’re not already incorporating voice search into your social media strategy, you’re missing out on a huge opportunity to reach your audience in a new and innovative way. So, let’s dive in!

What is Voice Search? 🤔

Voice search refers to using your voice to interact with a search engine, as opposed to typing in a query. With the rise of virtual assistants like Siri, Google Assistant, and Alexa, voice search has become increasingly popular. In fact, it’s estimated that by 2022, 55% of households will have a smart speaker. That’s a lot of people using voice search to find information!

Why is Voice Search Important for SEO? 🔍

When someone uses voice search, they tend to use more conversational, long-tail queries. For example, if someone were typing a query, they might type “best pizza restaurants near me.” But if they were using voice search, they might say “Hey Siri, what’s the best pizza place near me?” These longer queries provide more context and give you a better understanding of what the user is looking for. Therefore, it’s important to optimize your content for these types of queries in order to appear in voice search results.

Tips for Optimizing for Voice Search 🎙️

Now that you know why voice search is important, let’s talk about how to optimize for it.

1. Use Natural Language 🗣️

As we mentioned earlier, voice search queries tend to be more conversational in nature. Therefore, it’s important to use natural language in your content. Don’t be afraid to use longer, more detailed sentences that provide context about the topic you’re writing about.

A person talking into a microphone

2. Focus on Question Phrases ❓

When people use voice search, they often begin with a question phrase, such as “who,” “what,” “where,” “when,” “why,” or “how.” Therefore, it’s a good idea to incorporate these question phrases into your content. For example, instead of just writing a blog post about the best pizza places in town, you could write a post titled “Who Makes the Best Pizza in Town? Our Top Picks.”

A person holding a magnifying glass searching for something

3. Optimize for Local Searches 🗺️

Voice search is often used for local queries, such as “what’s the best pizza place near me.” Therefore, it’s important to optimize your content for local searches. Make sure your website includes your location and contact information, and consider creating content that’s specific to your local area.

A map with pins marking locations

4. Use Structured Data 📊

Structured data is a way of providing additional information about your content to search engines. By using structured data, you can help search engines better understand the context of your content and improve your chances of appearing in voice search results. Consider using schema markup to provide additional information about your content, such as its author, date of publication, and more.

A person holding a document with a magnifying glass

Final Thoughts 💭

Voice search is only going to become more important in the world of SEO. By optimizing your content for voice search, you can improve your chances of appearing in voice search results and reaching a wider audience. So, start thinking about how you can incorporate voice search into your social media strategy today!

A person standing in front of a chalkboard with SEO written on it

That’s it for today’s blog post. I hope you found it helpful! If you have any additional tips or thoughts on optimizing for voice search, feel free to leave a comment below. Until next time! 👋