6 Voice Search SEO Ranking Factors
VOICE SEARCH SEO
What a time to be alive. You want pizza? Speak to Siri. Need an Uber? Call out to Cortana. Need a new rain jacket? Alexa’s on to it.
Virtual assistants are rapidly changing the way we interact with brands and search for products and services.
When voice search first came on to the scene, it wasn’t really taken up by the masses for the fist few years.
It was cool to know that your iPhone had the function but let’s face it, we never really used it for its intended purpose. It was fun to hear a posh English butler voice reply to your rude question but that was about as far as we got with the technology.
However, that has recently changed.
Tech giants Google, Microsoft and Amazon released their virtual assistant products and they’re rapidly changing everything.
WHAT ARE THE VOICE SEARCH STATS?
- According to ComScore, 50% of all searches will be voice searches by 2020.
- At least once per month 35.8% of millennials use voice-enabled digital assistants according to eMarketer.
- The number of millennials who use voice-enabled digital assistants will climb to 39.3% in 2019.
So what makes your website appear in a voice search? How do you get one of these virtual assistants choosing your business over everyone else out there?
Here Are 6 Voice Search SEO Ranking Factors
1. PAGE SPEED
Page speed plays a major role in voice search SEO.
According to a Backlinko study, the average voice search result page loads in 4.6 seconds. This is 52% faster than the average standard search page.
Increase your website’s load speeds to increase your voice search SEO rankings. Optimising images is a quick and easy way to ensure your site loads faster.
2. HTTPS PROTOCOL
Yep. It’s this guy again. HTTPS websites dominate voice search results. Over 70% of voice search results are HTTPS. If your site is still using HTTP you need to change this ASAP.
To find out more about HTTPS and why it is so important, read our blog “Google is Making the Internet a Safer Place“.
3. SOCIAL BUZZ
According to the Backlinko study the average voice search result had 1,199 Facebook shares and 44 Tweets. Content with high levels of social engagement performs well in voice search. It tells the virtual assistant that people are enjoying and interacting with the brand and therefore, could interest you too.
The power of social media should not be underestimated. Read our blog “How to Harness the Power of Social Media” for tips and more information.
4. GET LOCAL
It may come as no surprise that a big chunk of voice searches go along the lines of “pizza shop near me” or “best café in Tauranga”.
As this is the case it is essential to claim your Google My Business spot and ensure that your website features appropriate local keywords.
Include a simple line of text that has your business’s address and other contact details on your site’s contact page and include an interactive Google map link too.
5. OPTIMISE FOR MOBILE
Search Engine Watch found that mobile voice-related searches are 3 x more likely to be local-based than text-related searches. If your website isn’t optimised for mobile devices you’re missing out on a truly significant amount of traffic.
As we stated in our previous blog “6 Ways to Rank Your Website Higher on Google” 80% of internet users own a smartphone and, in 2016, mobile traffic outpaced desktop.
452m users purchased goods and services on mobile devices in 2014, this figure is set to reach a staggering 2.07 billion users in 2019. Yep, in just one year nearly 1/4 of the world’s population will make turn to their mobile devices to make purchases.
6. HIGHLY RANKED
This one kind of goes without saying. If a website ranks highly in desktop search results then it will very likely rank highly in voice search results.
The Backlinko study found that around 75% of voice search results ranked in the top 3 for that query on desktop.
Quentosity Can Increase Your Business Success Online
Want to get your website ranking highly on desktop and ready for the voice search revolution? Read our blog “6 Ways to Rank Higher on Google” blog and take into consideration these 6 handy-dandy pointers.
Alternatively, why not talk to us here at Quentosity? As a full-service digital marketing consultancy in Auckland and Tauranga we look at the bigger picture. We help our clients across New Zealand take their businesses to the next level by increasing their online profitability via our effective digital marketing solutions.
Give us a call on 0800 467 8932 today or send us en email to arrange a casual chat over a coffee at our beachside Papamoa HQ and see what we can do for you!