In today’s world, voice search is the evolving trend. It is something you should, without a doubt, keep a close eye on. Google algorithms see ranking fluctuations happening around twice a day with SEO best practices updating frequently. So, how will voice search impact SEO, and why should you pay attention to the trend?

SEO remains a significant factor in the world of search engines. You need to be aware of the voice searches people are using as well as the traditional typed searches. When searches are giving just one answer, optimisation is critical to your business.

As voice search becomes more widely used, it will start to influence SEO. When a person asks a question or searches for something online, the search engine will fetch the most fitting link, which is why having a strong SEO strategy is more likely to get your site to the top of the search. There are now numerous ways to use voice search to find information online, including Alexa, Siri and even the voice button on the Google search bar. Users will notice two clear changes in the links or answers they receive. Firstly, the voice assist will answer with a shorter, more precise answer, and secondly, there won’t be an array of choices to select from.

Meeting the question and answer pattern of voice search is imperative for marketers. You need to guarantee that all the content on your website is conversational and natural, as well as having an effective blog strategy to provide relevant and fresh content that answer key questions you want to rank for.

There are lots of ways to make sure Google has all the details of your business, meaning searches are more likely to be answered by or directed to your site. Running a website that is mobile friendly is vital with voice search being the equivalent of mobile search.

Statistics of voice search

If you’re not convinced voice search will impact SEO, take a look at these statistics:

• The voice recognition market will hit $601 million industry by 2019
• 46% of voice search users think of a local business daily
• 58% of the consumers used voice search to find local business information during last year
• 27% visit a local business website through voice search
• 76% of smart home speaker users search for local businesses once in a week with around 53% performing daily searches

Voice recognition systems are accessible to all, with particular benefits to those who are visually impaired. Not optimising your website for voice search could mean that you are missing out on a wide collection of people. Using speech to search is always going to be faster than writing words and, therefore, it will increase the user’s productivity.

Today, a greater amount of people are using voice search than ever before. It will more than likely become the biggest search method in the future. All organisations need to be optimising their website correctly and efficiently to make sure they don’t get left behind. Voice searches are rapidly becoming the most common way of searching and by not optimising, it could mean you been buried by the companies that do.

Each search engine will have different optimisation strategies. It doesn’t matter which search engine you give value to, you need to pay attention to two key areas: local listings and featured snippets.

Despite new strategies, the original on-page SEO techniques are still dominant. You need to interpret page content, make users understand your webpage, answer related queries and make sure your page is well optimised to position well on the search engine. Page authority continues to play a huge role in getting the featured snippets.

You need to adapt your business to meet the changes in the way people are beginning to search. As voice UX is at its pinnacle point, it is the right time to make the move and stand out against your competitors. Voice search will impact SEO, so now is the time to put a strategy in place.

We can help get you off to the right start by carrying out an initial SEO audit on your website. We will then do the necessary work to improve your search visibility to future-proof your business. Take a look at our great value monthly plans for more information.