May 28, 2018
Optimising Traffic through Google Voice Search
Up until not very long ago, internet search was limited to typed inputs by a user. Google, had rolled out its very first version of the Voice Search way back in 2002. However, voice search did not instantly serve as a replacement for the traditional search methods. This was because neither was the Voice Search’s grasp of natural voice strong enough nor was it ready for widespread commercial use. Today, with marked improvements, ‘20% of search queries on Google’s mobile app and Android devices are voice search queries.’
2012 saw the introduction of Google Now on the Android Jelly Bean platform. Google Now provided a realistic experience of voice control and this stirred a global turn of events after people actually saw the utilitarian side of voice control.
It was not perfect, it still isn’t; but it was enough evidence for envisioning search engine optimisation through Voice Search.
Google has, for long, banked mainly on how its Search performs. Traffic to any link depends on multiple factors.
The ‘Page Rank’ algorithm is getting more important over time due to the increased amount of content being uploaded on the internet. Using this algorithm, Google decides which link will show up and how easily that link will show up in search results.
As Voice Search dependency grows, it has become important for digital marketers to be aware of the opportunities that voice search provides. For example, voice search records phrases which are more personal and localised in nature. Optimisation will lead to showing users even more relevant links and faster conversions.
Since traffic is ultimately obtained on the basis of the keywords entered, matched content phrases through Voice Search could be used for long term planning.
Can you turn Voice Search to your current biggest advantage?
Yes, in the following ways:
1. Content quality
Content should be written in simple, conversational language in order to match searched phrases through voice search. Google matches the entered phrases with the content containing the most similar amount of phrases.2. Going old school with SEO
Search Engine Optimisation is the groundwork of any website. The quality and quantity of traffic depends on how well the website content matches the available keywords. SEO optimisation takes time. One should be prepared to not get instant results since pages take time to position themselves. Once the SEO is in place, it makes the process of understanding voice search phrases simple and fast.3. Dictation snippets
Every webpage that shows up after a voice search is introduced by Google in a very simple manner. The shorter the introductory line, the faster and more effective the introduction. Snippets can contain a little above 10 words. The reason for this is that the easier the dictation, the more likely it is for the particular page to be positioned higher than other pages. Google itself advises on not creating snippets with more than 10 words. In case it exceeds the word count, Google’s algorithm automatically pushes the particular page lower.To summarise,
- Link all your content pages to Social Media Channels.
- Use conversational keywords. These help in redirecting voice search traffic to your webpage.
- Create simple, easy content to be easily processed by the voice search mechanism.