Anything that changes the way someone searches on a search engine is going to affect your business strategy, so it's always best to stay on top of the latest trends right as they happen. Although voice search hasn't gained much publicity since its launch nearly two years ago, it's starting to grab users attention and earn a little bit more visibility on some of the most authoritative blogs. This sudden surge of attention, therefore, brings up the question that is always asked when something new emerges: How does my company need to adapt to this new feature in order to remain successful in SEO?
What Is Voice Search?
For those who are unfamiliar, voice search means exactly what you would expect it to mean-people can now say what they want to search for instead of having to type it. Sure it might not seem necessary at first (and in fact, it really isn't necessary), but it can be beneficial for more reasons than you might realize:
- It's great for those who speak faster than they type.
- It's great if you don't know how to spell your search term.
- It's great if you hate typing on small IPhone buttons or reading the tiny screen.
- Maybe you're just lazy that day?
- It's great if you don't speak the language and need something translated. In a foreign language, it typically helps to hear how something is said.
If you're using the latest version of Chrome and have a working microphone, you can use voice search for any search query. You can visit this page to learn how to setup voice search (just a minute or two) as well as the differences between Windows and Mac.
Voice Search and SEO Considerations
When it comes to voice search, there are several things that will change about search and therefore things that companies should consider when it comes to SEO strategy.
- Natural Language. As you might assume, people are going to speak naturally and not think about what they need to do in order to get better Google results. It's a habit to speak the way you would if you were asking someone a question. This is considered natural language (obviously).
- Longer Queries. Natural language is typically longer than what search engines are used to, so Google is going to need to start accounting for longer queries. How they will make this happen and how it will affect companies is unknown, but change is surely coming.
- Less Use of Keywords. This goes right along with point #1. Because people are using more natural language, they will be using less keywords. Companies need to take this into consideration and start preparing for more natural-type queries (in fact, Google will probably have to do the same when it comes to altering their algorithms).
It's certainly worth mentioning that your current SEO efforts should remain in place. Voice search is still not as popular as traditional search (not even close), but it's interesting to think about the future so you're prepared if this new feature continues to grow.
image: voice search/shutterstock