Google Voice Search is making search easier and more accessible. And it presents big opportunities for businesses to reach more people.<\/p>\n
In this article, you\u2019ll learn how to use Google Voice Search to improve SEO and increase your visibility.<\/p>\n
Google Voice Search (also called Search by Voice) is a virtual search assistant that lets you use Google Search by speaking rather than typing.<\/p>\n
You can use Google Voice Search on the Google website or app by clicking on the microphone icon in the search field.<\/p>\n
You can also access it via\u00a0Google Assistant<\/a>\u00a0on Android smartphones, Google smart speakers, and Apple devices if you\u2019ve downloaded the Google Assistant app.<\/p>\n On these devices, you wake the feature by saying \u201cOK Google\u201d or \u201cHey Google.\u201d<\/p>\n For example, here is the results page for the query, \u201cHey Google, how do I cook an egg?\u201d on a smartphone.<\/p>\n When you say your command or question, Google uses\u00a0natural language processing<\/a>\u00a0(NLP) and speech recognition to read and interpret your request as a human would.<\/p>\n That means Google can understand\u00a0search intent<\/a>\u00a0and deliver the most relevant results in the same way it does when you type a query.<\/p>\n Generally, Google will turn to\u00a0organic content<\/a>\u00a0and return similar\u2014or identical\u2014results for the query.<\/p>\n For some queries, though, Voice Search will pick the most relevant result and read it back to you. Giving you a truly hands-free experience<\/p>\n Voice search isn\u2019t a fad.<\/p>\n And the voice assistant of choice for most people?<\/p>\n Google devices<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Almost one-quarter<\/a>\u00a0of the US population used Google Assistant in 2022. And Google also powers Siri.<\/p>\n In addition to that, more than\u00a080% of results<\/a>\u00a0returned by Google Assistant are from the top three organic search results on a search engine results page (SERP<\/a>).<\/p>\n Because Google perceives these results as the ones that best meet search intent.<\/p>\n That means whatever content is at the top of traditional search results is seen as the most relevant and authoritative answer to a user\u2019s query.<\/p>\n The goal of search engine optimization (SEO) for Google Voice Search is the same as\u00a0traditional SEO<\/a>: to appear at the top of search results so more people find you.<\/p>\n And a good traditional\u00a0SEO strategy<\/a>\u00a0will give you solid foundations for voice search success.<\/p>\n So you can\u2019t be\u00a0one of<\/strong>\u00a0the most relevant results for a search query and expect to drive traffic to your website. You have to be\u00a0the<\/strong>\u00a0most relevant result.<\/p>\n Here are five ways to elevate your website above the competition in voice search results.<\/p>\n Conversational keywords are\u00a0long-tail keywords<\/a>\u00a0and natural-sounding phrases that humans use in conversation.<\/p>\n Since voice search replicates human interaction, targeting the words people use in conversation gives you a better chance of matching search intent.<\/p>\n For example, if you\u2019re performing a text search for a pizza place you might write something like \u201cpizza places near me.\u201d<\/p>\n But that\u2019s not how you\u2019d say it if you were asking someone on the street.<\/p>\n You\u2019d most likely ask: \u201cWhat are some good pizza places near me?\u201d Which is also how you\u2019d perform a voice search.<\/p>\n To optimize your website for voice search, think about how your keywords fit with real-life dialogue.<\/p>\n An easy way to do this is to focus on relevant \u201cwho<\/strong>,\u201d \u201cwhat<\/strong>,\u201d \u201cwhen<\/strong>,\u201d \u201cwhere<\/strong>,\u201d \u201cwhy<\/strong>,\u201d and \u201chow<\/strong>\u201d questions and include them in your content.<\/p>\n That will help you address what people want directly. And help Google\u2019s\u00a0search algorithm<\/a>\u00a0serve them the best result.<\/p>\n Semrush\u2019s\u00a0Keyword Magic Tool<\/a>\u00a0can help you find the phrases and questions people are searching for.<\/p>\n To get started, enter a keyword related to your product or service. Then click \u201c\u041f\u043e\u0438\u0441\u043a<\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>\n The Keyword Magic tool will generate a complete list of related terms. Click the \u201cQuestions<\/strong>\u201d tab to find the most popular questions users are asking.<\/p>\n The tool\u00a0sorts results<\/a>\u00a0by volume. The higher the number, the more people are searching for it.<\/p>\n It also displays:<\/p>\n Look for keywords with high volume and interest and a low\u00a0keyword difficulty<\/a>.<\/p>\n Another quick way to find conversational phrases is to use Google\u2019s \u201cPeople also ask\u201d feature.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s how you do it.<\/p>\n Let\u2019s say you run a pizza place. Type \u201cpizza place [your location]<\/strong>\u201d into the search bar.<\/p>\n And then scroll down to \u201cPeople also ask\u201d to find commonly asked questions and queries.<\/p>\n Click on one of the questions to see how other brands are answering these queries. And get a list of even more questions.<\/p>\n Make a list of all the relevant keywords you find.<\/p>\n Optimize your content by including each conversational keyword from your list and answering questions directly.<\/p>\n Say you want to answer: \u201cHow can I feed my dog a pill?\u201d<\/p>\n First, make the search query or something similar the title of your blog post. For example, \u201cX Ways to Get Your Dog to Take Pills.\u201d<\/p>\n Or, \u201cGiving Pills to Dogs,\u201d as the VCA Animal Hospital does in the results below.<\/p>\n Then, optimize your page headers.<\/p>\n Google uses\u00a0page titles<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0headers<\/a>\u00a0(H1, H2, H3, etc.) to learn about your content. The more descriptive they are, the easier it is for the search engine to understand and rank content.<\/p>\n If your title or header matches the query, Google recognizes your page is relevant to the searcher.<\/p>\n Related to the example above, VCA Canada uses the header: \u201cHow do I give a pill directly into my dog\u2019s mouth?\u201d<\/p>\n And Google readers out the second bullet point for people doing a voice search.<\/p>\n Take note, though, that Google Assistant users will\u00a0hear<\/strong>\u00a0search results, not read them\u00a0 And the average voice search answer is\u00a029 words<\/a>. So use that as a benchmark.<\/p>\n Your answer can be longer or shorter, but don\u2019t make it unnecessarily wordy. Remember Google is reading the response to the searcher. It aims to do this as efficiently as possible.<\/p>\n Another great example is the results for the question, \u201cHow to get my dog to drink water?\u201d<\/p>\n Google Voice Search reads the below answer by the\u00a0Veterinary Emergency Group<\/a>:<\/p>\n The header relates directly to the question. And the answer is a single paragraph.<\/p>\n The directness of the content helps the Veterinary Emergency Group rank as the\u00a0featured snippet<\/a>\u00a0on the traditional SERP.<\/p>\n Google Voice also reads it on desktop and mobile:<\/p>\n While relevant headers and concise answers don’t guarantee you a spot at the top of search results, using them is a great start and increases your chances for ranking.<\/p>\n Pro Tip:<\/strong>\u00a0Use\u00a0traditional SEO best practices<\/a>\u00a0and learn about Google\u2019s\u00a0E-E-A-T\u00a0<\/a>(Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness) metric to discover more ways you can help your pages rank.<\/p>\n Including a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) section on your website is another way to directly answer what your audience wants to know.<\/p>\n FAQs allow you to satisfy audiences by catering to search queries with varied intent. Creating FAQs about your products and services can also help you eliminate confusion.<\/p>\n Because when people look up your product, your FAQ answer might just be the one that Google reads. After all, you’re the most reliable authority on your own product.<\/p>\n For example, an answer from\u00a0Headspace\u2019s FAQ<\/a>\u00a0page shows up in the top three search results for the question: \u201cHow long will it take to experience the benefits of meditation?\u201d<\/p>\n Your conversational keyword research will give an initial list of questions to answer. To expand that list, look through your customer service inbox and social media messages for common customer queries.<\/p>\n Make your list as comprehensive as possible. There are no dumb questions. If someone asked it, chances are others will want to know the answer too.<\/p>\n If you want more ideas, you can use Semrush\u2019s\u00a0Topic Research<\/a>\u00a0tool to uncover questions that users ask about certain subjects.<\/p>\n Enter a keyword related to your business and click \u201cGet content ideas<\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>\n Click on any card to find the top related questions. If they fit with your brand, include them on your list.<\/p>\n Group your questions under common themes so users (and Google) can navigate content easily. Common categories include:<\/p>\n Write frequently asked questions from your customer\u2019s perspective. And answers from your business\u2019 perspective.<\/p>\n Make answers detailed, but keep them concise.<\/p>\n Pet brand\u00a0Chewy<\/a>, for example, answers questions in one or two sentences.<\/p>\n Remember Google Voice Search answers tend to be on the shorter side. If your answer to a general question is more succinct than a competitor\u2019s, Google is more likely to choose it.<\/p>\n When Google crawls your website, it uses the\u00a0mobile version<\/a>\u00a0for indexing and ranking.<\/p>\n Most people using voice search are probably using it on mobile. So your site must be mobile-friendly to perform well in Google Voice Search results.<\/p>\n What\u2019s more, when Google crawls your website, it uses the\u00a0mobile version<\/a>\u00a0for indexing and ranking.<\/p>\n As a result, mobile-friendliness is something you should monitor regularly.<\/p>\n Google has free tools to help you do that.<\/p>\n If you have\u00a0Google Search Console<\/a>\u00a0(GSC) set up for your website, log in to your account and click \u201cMobile<\/strong>\u00a0Usability<\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>\n The report flags any mobile issues. Including for voice search queries.<\/p>\n Use these insights to fix problems and improve performance.<\/p>\n Our guide to\u00a0mobile SEO<\/a>\u00a0has tips to optimize your mobile website. One smart approach is to target voice search-friendly keywords. As we\u2019ve discussed, question-based long-tail keywords are your best bet.<\/p>\n A free Google Business Profile (GBP) is the most important ranking factor for\u00a0local SEO<\/a>. Google uses it to deliver local results to potential customers in Search and Maps.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s what a profile looks like:<\/p>\n Say you run a pizza place and a voice search user asks the Google Assistant: \u201cWhat are the best pizza places near me?\u201d or \u201cWhat pizza restaurants are open now?\u201d<\/p>\n Google pulls the most relevant answer from the local pack, which is populated based on GBP data.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s what the local pack looks like:<\/p>\n So a GBP is something to prioritize if you want to be featured in voice search results.<\/p>\n You can claim yours for free by following the steps on the\u00a0Google Business Profile<\/a>\u00a0website.<\/p>\n Our guide to\u00a0Google My Business<\/a>\u00a0shows you how to set up and optimize your profile for local SEO:<\/p>\n When optimizing your GBP, it\u2019s also worth evaluating your presence in local directories like Yelp, Bing, or Facebook Business Pages.<\/p>\n Google uses these additional sources to confirm your business information is accurate. So details must be consistent across every listing.<\/p>\n An easy way to do this is to enter your business name into Semrush\u2019s\u00a0Listing Management\u00a0<\/a>tool.<\/p>\n After you perform an initial scan, the tool shows your current online presence, total listings, listings to fix, and average star rating.<\/p>\n Then, you\u2019ll see what you need to fix to improve existing listings. The tool also shows you new directories to target:<\/p>\n Create new profiles for these platforms to expand your coverage and boost local visibility.<\/p>\n Multilingual SEO<\/a>\u00a0is the practice of converting your website content into multiple languages so voice (and traditional) users can find you in search results.<\/p>\n Google Voice Search supports 119 languages. So it\u2019s a powerful tool to grow your audience if you operate in (or want to expand to) non-English speaking markets.<\/p>\n The best markets to target for multilingual SEO are the ones with high search demand for your products or services.<\/p>\nWhy Should You Optimize Your Website for Google Voice Search?<\/h2>\n
5 Ways to Optimize Your Website for Voice Search<\/h2>\n
1. Use Conversational Keywords<\/h3>\n
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2. Optimize Your Content<\/h3>\n
3. Create an FAQ Section<\/h3>\n
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4. Make Your Website Mobile-Friendly<\/h3>\n
5. Claim Your Google Business Profile<\/h3>\n
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BONUS: Optimize Content for Different Languages<\/h3>\n