How to Master Voice Search: 7 Steps to Success

“Hey, Google.”

This is one of the most useful phrases you’ll encounter in your lifetime.Like Microsoft’s Cortana, Apple’s Siri, and Amazon’s Alexa, the Google voice assistant offers users a way to get answers to their queries quickly. As such, it has become an essential element in search engine optimization (SEO).For websites, ranking for voice search means gaining authority. In many cases, it also helps increase the likelihood of websites appearing in “position zero,” a position reserved for featured snippets in the search engine results pages (SERPs).If you want to get the most out of voice search and all its perks, the first thing you must do is learn how it fits into SEO and the steps you need to take to master it.

What is Voice Search?

Voice search requires more conversational language than text-based search. It uses digital voice assistants designed to understand and respond to natural language, which usually entails longer key phrases.For example, you’re looking for a local salon. In a text-based search, you need to type a short keyword, like “salons in Dubai,” on the Google search bar.But with voice search, you use a more conversational tone as if you’re talking directly to the voice assistant. This could be something like, “Hey, Google. Where can I find salons in Dubai?”With the ever-growing demand for zero-click searches, Google is evolving from a search engine to an “answer machine.”

Your 7-Step Guide to Mastering Voice Search

With voice search growing at a rate of 35 percent since 2008, it’s not surprising that more than 50 percent of mobile search users are asking – rather than typing – questions on their smartphones.The members of the population who frequently activate speech-based internet searches are millennials and Gen Z – the younger generations and search users of the future. This may be why Dubai SEO experts consider voice search as the future of SEO.Want to get ahead in the game? Master voice search with this seven-step guide:

Step #1: Modify your keyword research for voice search.

Keyword research for voice follows the same initial process as the traditional technique for SEO:

• Brainstorm seed keywords.Perform competitor analysis.Analyze keywords based on user intent, web analytics, and business potential.

However, this is where their similarities end.After completing those steps, you need to adjust your strategy to focus more on the following types of keywords:

• Question keywordsNatural language keywordsLong-tail keywords

As shown in the example earlier, voice search doesn’t work with short, choppy search phrases. Instead, it answers queries made using more natural and conversational language.Moreover, most voice search queries begin with question modifiers, such as “what,” “who,” “could,” “should,” and more, followed by long-tail keyword variations.To make sure you hit the target, assess your keywords according to their voice search relevance. The following listening tools should be able to help:

• Answer the PublicBuzzSumo Content Discovery

Remember: Don’t ditch fillers. “I,” “and,” “on,” “the,” “to,” and others that text-based search considers “stop” words are crucial in making voice search keywords sound more natural.

Step #2: Create FAQ pages and sections.

Voice search answers a question. This is why frequently asked questions or FAQs are the most appropriate form of content you must create to rank for it.With the help of your keyword research, anticipate specific yet conversational questions users will most likely ask digital assistants. Then, create a detailed FAQ page for those queries that contain the long-tail keywords you want to rank for.Aside from creating full pages, you can also incorporate FAQs as short-form content on your product pages, blogs, and location pages to boost their chances of showing up on Google’s voice search results.

Step #3: Incorporate structured content for featured snippets.

The featured snippet – a.k.a. “position zero” – is a highly coveted spot in the SERPs. Aside from serving as proof of authority in the niche, it also helps websites rank better for voice search.Featured snippets are highlighted search results on Google that appear in four different forms:

• ParagraphsListsTablesVideos

Of these four, paragraphs have the highest appearance rate and are most suitable for voice search.Since digital assistants read search results verbatim, tables and lists are the least likely to appear in the voice search results. After all, they won’t sound like they make sense when read aloud.When aiming for voice search, make sure you write paragraphs in your content that answer questions with naturally flowing sentences. Doing this will also help you get into position zero in the SERPs.Below are other tips you can follow to earn a featured snippet and appear in the voice search results:

• Provide a relevant answer to the query with 40 to 55 words.Use header tags to format your questions and paragraph tags for your answers.

Step #4: Make it conversational.

Voice search uses natural language. This means the sentences must flow and sound like they would in a typical conversation.To make your content more conversational, write simple and easy-to-read sentences.Even if you’re penning content for advanced-level topics, aim to create copy with a 9th-grade reading level. This will help you rank for both voice and text-based queries.To check if your content fits the bill, plug it into a writing tool with a readability assessment feature, like the Hemingway App. You can also use the WebFX Readability Tool for copies already published on your website.

Step #5: Target long-tail keywords.

Google loves long-form content and even prefers to use them to answer voice search queries. This is mainly because these types of search listings can provide the search engine with more content to pull answers from.If you already have long-form content on your website, optimize them with long-tail keywords. Use multiple keywords and variations, but remember to incorporate them using natural language.

Step #6: Boost your site speed.

Did you know? Improving your site speed also affects your chances of ranking for voice search.Google pulls answers for speech-based searches 52 percent faster than the average text-based result. This means the quicker your page can load, the more likely it will get into the voice search results.

Step #7: Develop your domain authority.

Digital assistants can only provide one result for every voice search query. That means they pull the answers they feature from the most trusted and authoritative source available.To take advantage of this, you need to develop your site’s domain authority (DA) and become a source that digital assistants can rely on.You can boost your site’s DA by getting more authority links. Also, aim for a better E-A-T (expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness) score, as it is one of the factors Google considers when deciding whether to promote a page for voice search.

Prepare for the Future

Voice search is the future of SEO. To get ahead in the game, heed the advice of the leading SEO company in Dubai and take the initial steps in optimizing your website for voice search with this article as a guide.AUTHOR BIOErika Miranda is a seasoned web writer with over 12 years of writing experience. Before working with SEO Sherpa, she had been composing guest posts, blogs, web copy, news articles, and more for various companies and websites. In more than a decade of writing, she considers her job at the UAE-based digital marketing agency her most successful yet, as it gives her plenty of opportunities to write a wide variety of content and hone her SEO knowledge.