Doing Voice Search SEO in 2018 the Right Way

Thanks to the advent of voice command devices like Alexa or Siri, voice search is getting bigger and bigger. This type of queries are predicted to reach up to 50 percent of all searches in the next two years. So Starting to understand voice search SEO in 2018 is an optimal way to get ahead of the game.

Understanding VEO

VEO is, of course, the acronym for Voice Engine Optimization. It involves content, company’s information, location to improve the probabilities to get your business listed through voice search. This type of query had an impressive increase in 2017, especially for people trying to find products and services on-the-go.  

Each voice command device connects to a different source when it comes to VEO. Amazon’s Alexa is partnered up with Yelp when it comes to local searches. Google uses, naturally, Google maps; Siri sources from Apple maps and Microsoft’s Cortana is powered by Bing.

Voice Search SEO in 2018: Why Should you Care?

Your traditional Search Engine Optimization strategy might be quite different from voice search SEO. This new type of optimization requires keyword phrases that relate more with the way people talk. Most of the voice queries are questions instead of phrases, starting with ‘where’ or ‘what’. They also include the ‘near me’ more often, which makes sense if we consider that most of the queries are made through mobile devices.

Aside to that, we need to understand that the first organic results on SERPs receive around 35.35% of all clicks in traditional SEO. Voice search has a reduced number at the moment, with only top three results for mobile and only one for voice devices. If by 2020 we are expecting to have 50% of all queries made through voice, we can also expect that the competition will be harsh. Focusing in voice Search SEO in 2018 is an excellent opportunity to start receiving voice search traffic and be prepared for the next two years.

VEO Strategy Basic

As we already mentioned, most of the voice search devices are powered by a review site or mapping service. So keeping your business listing optimized with your company’s name, address and contact information is crucial. You need to think that these queries are made on the go, so if people can’t find a quick way to contact you or visit your store, they will very likely choose the next option.

Such instantaneity makes a good site speed more important than ever. This, and the fact that Google considers speed as a ranking factor (even for traditional SEO) basically forces your site to load in less than 3 seconds. If your mobile rankings are not good due to poor speed load, hire an expert web development service to revise your overall site functionality.

We already acknowledged that voice search needs to emulate the way people talk more than ever. So using conversational, long-tail keyword phrases is essential. This goes hand-with-hand with the need to provide answers to those questions. The classic FAQs section becomes a very useful tool for that. Questions in this section should be marked up in <h2> headers and emulate client’s questions and drive conversions. You should also answer all questions on your Google My Business Questions and Answers section.

Would you like to know more about Voice Engine Optimization? Do you need help on your SEO or overall Digital Marketing strategy? Have a consultation with Website Depot experts by calling (888) 477-9540.