How can I make sure that my website is optimised for voice search? - voice search

How can I make sure that my website is optimised for voice search?

How can I make sure that my website is optimised for voice search? - voice search
How can I make sure that my website is optimised for voice search? - voice search

How can I make sure that my website is optimised for voice search?

As a business owner in Newcastle, Australia, it’s important to stay up to date on the latest trends in search engine optimisation (SEO). One area that is gaining increasing attention is voice search optimisation.

Voice search, which allows users to search the internet using spoken queries instead of typing, has seen tremendous growth in recent years. In fact, it is estimated that by 2022, voice search will make up nearly half of all searches. This presents a significant opportunity for businesses to reach their target audience through this channel.

But how can you make sure that your website is optimised for voice search? That’s where the experienced SEO strategists at Jezweb SEO Newcastle can help. In this guide, we will provide an overview of how voice search works and discuss the key considerations for optimising your website for this important trend.

Here’s what we’ll cover:

  • The importance of voice search optimisation for local businesses
  • How voice search works
  • Keyword research and optimisation
  • Local SEO
  • Structured data and schema markup
  • Mobile optimisation
  • Natural language and conversation optimisation
  • Tracking and testing

By the end of this guide, you’ll have a solid understanding of how to optimise your website for voice search and be well on your way to reaching a wider audience through this channel. Let’s get started!

How can I make sure that my website is optimised for voice search? - voice search

Keyword Research and Optimisation

Keyword research is a crucial aspect of SEO, and it’s no different when it comes to optimising for voice search. However, there are a few key differences to keep in mind.

Understanding How Voice Search Queries Differ from Typed Queries

One of the main differences between typed and voice search queries is the length and structure of the search terms. Voice search queries tend to be longer and more conversational, while typed queries are often shorter and more specific. For example, a typed query might be "best pizza Newcastle," while a voice search query might be "Where can I find the best pizza in Newcastle?" This means that businesses need to focus on long-tail keywords and phrases that are more likely to be used in voice search queries. It's also important to optimise for natural language and consider the context in which the search is being made (e.g., "near me" or "open now").

Identifying and Targeting Long-Tail Keywords

To identify the long-tail keywords and phrases that are most relevant to your business, you can use a variety of tools such as Google's Keyword Planner or Answer the Public. These tools can help you understand the types of questions and searches that people are making in your industry. Once you have a list of potential keywords, you can use them to optimise your website content and metadata. This includes the page titles, headings, and body content of your website, as well as the meta descriptions and image alt tags.

Optimising Website Content and Metadata for Voice Search Keywords

To optimise your website content and metadata for voice search, you'll want to make sure that the relevant keywords and phrases are used in a natural way throughout your website. This will help search engines understand the context and content of your pages and make it more likely that they will be shown as a result for relevant voice search queries. It's also important to ensure that your website is well-organised and easy to navigate. This will make it easier for both users and search engines to find the information they are looking for. In summary, keyword research and optimisation is an essential part of voice search optimisation. By understanding the differences between typed and voice search queries and targeting long-tail keywords, you can improve the visibility of your website in voice search results.

Local SEO

For local businesses, it’s important to optimise for voice search not just on your own website, but also on online directories and review sites. This will help ensure that your business is easily found when people search for businesses like yours in your area.

Ensuring Accurate and Consistent Business Listings on Online Directories and Review Sites

One of the first steps in local SEO is to make sure that your business is listed on online directories and review sites such as Google My Business, Yelp, and TripAdvisor. It’s important to keep your business information (e.g., name, address, phone number) accurate and consistent across all these sites.

In addition to basic information, you’ll also want to include details such as business hours, categories, and photos to help your business stand out. Encouraging customers to leave reviews can also help improve your visibility and credibility in local search results.

How can I make sure that my website is optimised for voice search? - voice search

Optimising Website Content and Metadata for Local Search

In addition to optimising your listings on online directories and review sites, you’ll also want to optimise your website for local search. This includes including your business name, address, and phone number (NAP) on your website, as well as including local keywords and phrases in your content and metadata.

For example, if you own a restaurant in Newcastle, you might include terms like “Newcastle restaurant,” “dine in Newcastle,” or “best Newcastle cafes” in your page titles, headings, and body content.

Another important aspect of local SEO is having a mobile-friendly website. With the increasing popularity of voice search on mobile devices, it’s important that your website is easy to use and navigate on a small screen.

In summary, local SEO is an important part of voice search optimisation for businesses in Newcastle, Australia. By ensuring accurate and consistent business listings on online directories and review sites, and optimising your website for local search, you can improve your visibility and reach in local voice search results.

Structured Data and Schema Markup

Structured data and schema markup are techniques that can help search engines better understand the content and context of your website. By adding this type of information to your website, you can improve the visibility and relevance of your pages in search results, including voice search results.

Adding Structured Data to Your Website

Structured data is a standardised format for providing information about a webpage and the content it contains. By adding structured data to your website, you can help search engines understand the context and meaning of your content. This can improve the visibility and relevance of your pages in search results, including voice search results.

There are a variety of types of structured data that you can use, depending on the type of content on your website. Some common examples include:

  • Product information (e.g., price, availability)
  • Event information (e.g., dates, location)
  • Recipe information (e.g., ingredients, cooking time)

To add structured data to your website, you can use a variety of techniques such as JSON-LD (JavaScript Object Notation for Linked Data) or microdata. It’s important to follow the guidelines provided by the search engines and use a validator tool to ensure that your structured data is correctly implemented.

Examples of Relevant Schema Markup for Local Businesses

For local businesses, there are a few types of schema markup that can be particularly useful for voice search optimisation. These include:

  • LocalBusiness schema: This type of schema provides information about your business such as the name, address, phone number, and categories. It can also include details such as business hours, payment methods, and accepted currencies.
  • GeoCoordinates schema: This type of schema provides information about the location of your business, including the latitude and longitude coordinates.
  • Review schema: This type of schema allows you to markup customer reviews of your business, including the rating and review text.

In summary, structured data and schema markup can help improve the visibility and relevance of your website in search results, including voice search results. By adding this information to your website, you can provide context and meaning to your content and make it more likely to be shown as a result for relevant queries.

How can I make sure that my website is optimised for voice search? - voice search

Mobile Optimisation

With the increasing popularity of voice search on mobile devices, it’s important to make sure that your website is optimised for mobile. This includes both the design and functionality of your website, as well as the performance and speed.

Importance of Having a Mobile-Friendly Website for Voice Search

A mobile-friendly website is one that is easy to use and navigate on a small screen, such as a smartphone or tablet. This includes features such as a responsive design that adjusts to the size of the screen, easy-to-click buttons and links, and clear and readable text.

Having a mobile-friendly website is important for a few reasons when it comes to voice search optimisation. First, a large percentage of voice search queries are made on mobile devices, so it’s important that your website is easy to use and navigate on these devices. Second, search engines like Google may give a ranking boost to websites that are mobile-friendly, which can help improve your visibility in search results.

How can I make sure that my website is optimised for voice search? - voice search

Tips for Improving Mobile Usability and Speed

Here are a few tips for improving the mobile usability and speed of your website:

 

  • Use a responsive design: A responsive design adjusts the layout and content of your website to fit the size of the screen. This makes it easier for users to use your website on different devices.
  • Use a mobile-friendly theme: Many content management systems (CMS) offer mobile-friendly themes that are designed to work well on small screens.
  • Optimise images: Large images can slow down the loading time of your website, particularly on mobile devices. Make sure to optimise your images for the web by using a tool such as TinyPNG to reduce the file size.
  • Minimise the use of large files: In addition to images, large files such as videos and PDFs can also slow down your website. Consider using alternatives such as streaming video or HTML5 versions of documents.

 

In summary, mobile optimisation is an important aspect of voice search optimisation. By making sure that your website is mobile-friendly and fast-loading, you can improve the user experience and increase the chances that your website will be shown as a result for relevant voice search queries.

Natural Language and Conversation Optimisation

One of the key differences between typed and voice search is the way that the queries are formulated. While typed queries are often shorter and more specific, voice search queries tend to be longer and more conversational. This means that it’s important to optimise your website for natural language and conversation.

Writing Content That is Natural and Easy to Read Aloud

One way to optimise your website for natural language is to write content that is easy to read aloud. This includes using clear and concise language, avoiding jargon or technical terms, and using headings and subheadings to break up the content. In addition to the content itself, you'll also want to pay attention to the way that the content is structured. For example, you might want to use bullet points or numbered lists to make the content easier to scan and understand.

Optimising Website Navigation and Menus for Voice Search

Another important aspect of natural language and conversation optimisation is making sure that your website navigation and menus are easy to use with voice search. This includes using clear and concise labels for menu items and organising the content in a logical and intuitive way. For example, you might want to consider using drop-down menus or sidebars to organise your content rather than having everything on a single page. This can make it easier for users to find the information they are looking for and can also help search engines understand the context and content of your pages. In summary, natural language and conversation optimisation is an important part of voice search optimisation. By writing content that is natural and easy to read aloud and organising your website navigation and menus in a logical and intuitive way, you can improve the user experience and increase the chances that your website will be shown as a result for relevant voice search queries.

Tracking and Testing

Once you have implemented voice search optimisation techniques on your website, it’s important to track your progress and test different strategies to see what works best. There are a variety of tools and techniques that you can use to do this.

Tools for Tracking Voice Search Traffic and Performance

One of the first steps in tracking and testing your voice search optimisation efforts is to set up tracking in Google Analytics. This will allow you to see how much traffic you are getting from voice search, as well as how users are interacting with your website.

In addition to Google Analytics, you can also use other tools to track your voice search performance. For example, you can use the Google Search Console to see which of your pages are appearing in voice search results, and which keywords and queries are driving traffic to your website.

How can I make sure that my website is optimised for voice search? - voice search

Tips for Testing and Improving Voice Search Optimisation Efforts

Once you have a sense of how your website is performing in voice search, you can start testing different strategies to see what works best. Some suggestions for testing and improving your voice search optimisation efforts include:

  • Experiment with different keywords and phrases: Try using different long-tail keywords and phrases in your content and metadata to see which ones drive the most traffic from voice search.
  • Optimise for local search: If you are a local business, make sure to optimise your website for local search by including your business name, address, and phone number (NAP) on your website, and using local keywords and phrases in your content and metadata.
  • Test different structured data and schema markup: Experiment with different types of structured data and schema markup to see which ones provide the most value for your website.
  • Monitor and respond to customer reviews: Encourage customers to leave reviews of your business on online directories and review sites, and make sure to monitor and respond to these reviews. This can help improve your credibility and visibility in local search results.

In summary, tracking and testing is an important part of voice search optimisation. By using tools such as Google Analytics and the Google Search Console, and experimenting with different strategies, you can improve your performance in voice search and reach a wider audience.

As a business owner in Newcastle, Australia, it’s important to stay up to date on the latest trends in search engine optimisation (SEO). One area that is gaining increasing attention is voice search optimisation.

By following the tips and best practices outlined in this guide, you can optimise your website for voice search and reach a wider audience through this growing channel. Key considerations include keyword research and optimisation, local SEO, structured data and schema markup, mobile optimisation, and natural language and conversation optimisation.

Don’t forget to track and test your voice search optimisation efforts to see what works best for your business. By using tools such as Google Analytics and the Google Search Console, and experimenting with different strategies, you can continually improve your performance in voice search and reach more potential customers.

We hope that this guide has been helpful and that you now have a better understanding of how to optimise your website for voice search. If you have any additional questions or need further guidance, the experienced SEO strategists at Jezweb SEO Newcastle are here to help. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help your business succeed online.

Frequently Asked Questions

Voice search queries tend to be longer and more conversational, while typed queries are often shorter and more specific. This means that it’s important to optimise for long-tail keywords and phrases that are more likely to be used in voice search queries, and to consider the context in which the search is being made (e.g., “near me” or “open now”).

There are several steps you can take to optimise your website for voice search, including:

  • Conducting keyword research and targeting long-tail keywords
  • Optimising your website content and metadata for voice search keywords
  • Ensuring accurate and consistent business listings on online directories and review sites
  • Adding structured data and schema markup to your website
  • Making sure your website is mobile-friendly and easy to navigate
  • Writing content that is natural and easy to read aloud, and organising your website navigation and menus in a logical and intuitive way

To track your voice search performance, you can use tools such as Google Analytics and the Google Search Console. These tools can help you see how much traffic you are getting from voice search, as well as which keywords and queries are driving traffic to your website.

To improve your local SEO for voice search, you can:

  • Ensure that your business is listed on online directories and review sites such as Google My Business, Yelp, and TripAdvisor
  • Include your business name, address, and phone number (NAP) on your website, and use local keywords and phrases in your content and metadata
  • Encourage customers to leave reviews of your business on online directories and review sites
  • Make sure that your website is mobile-friendly and easy to use on

Structured data and schema markup can help search engines better understand the context and meaning of your content. By adding this information to your website, you can improve the visibility and relevance of your pages in search results, including voice search results.

Some best practices for writing content that is natural and easy to read aloud include:

  • Using clear and concise language
  • Avoiding jargon or technical terms
  • Using headings and subheadings to break up the content
  • Using bullet points or numbered lists to make the content easier to scan and understand
  • Structuring the content in a logical and intuitive way, such as using drop-down menus or sidebars to organise your content