As a blogger, you always try to step your game up by investing a massive amount of work and time that goes into your writing, and on the other end, you consistently try to find new methods to spread the word about your awesome content. You’ve probably heard and/or used the proven methods of Social Media sharing, SEO optimization, paid promotion, etc. But as the years’ pass and new trends emerge, it’s our duty to bring you the best available tools that will always keep you one step ahead of your competition.
Have you heard about the #voice search #WordPress optimizing? If your answer is „no,“ buckle up and listen carefully because the voice of the future is about to speak! Click To TweetAs you probably know, voice search allows users to find results by „speaking“ to their smartphone, desktop, or voice assistants, such as Google Voice Search, Siri, Amazon Echo, or Cortana, simply by asking a question and getting an immediate response. You might ask yourself if this is really worth your while.
Let me hit you with some stats that will give you the true perspective of the voice search market:
- a) In 2016., 20 percent of all Google searches were performed by voice
- b) By 2024, the estimated worth of the global voice-based smart speaker market could reach up to $30 billion.
- c) 50 percent of all web searches will be performed using a voice search by the end of this year.
- d) 55 percent of households are expected to own smart speaker devices by 2022.
There are many facts regarding the evergrowing voice search market, but no need to point them all out because you get the idea – it’s the next big thing, and you need to be a part of it. Now that you know that we are dead serious let’s get to business.
The first thing that you need to understand is that people will no longer type the words using their keyboard, but rather ask for what they want, which means that the rules of the game have changed. SEO is getting a new shape and angle, considering that speaking is much easier than typing. If you were researching this topic, you would probably go to your search engine and type something like: „voice search SEO,“ which is what we are used to.
On the other hand, by using voice search, you would ask a question like: „how do I optimize voice search?“ or something similar. That gives it a whole new different concept because of the question’s context and complexity. The results that will pop up may be considerably different and give you quite a headache. But instead, you can turn it around and use it to your advantage if you set the conservative aside and log into the new era.
Operation zero
Voice search uses the so-called „position zero“ to get its top result (position zero is the answer that Google prioritizes above the first ranking search result, and it occurs when you ask a direct question). Because of that, it’s extremely important to optimize for your website to be the one that’s offering the answer. You can do that by:
- predicting the question that will be behind the keyword
- adjust the titles to be the direct answer to the hypothetical question
- make the answers easily approachable and visible
Need for speed
According to detailed research conducted by Brian Dean, page speed is one of the key factors in voice search optimization. The average voice search result page loads 52 percent faster than the average page.
The instructions are clear; if you want your website to be the boss of search results, it needs to be smooth and swift.
Achieving a fast loading page is a result depending on the plugins and themes that you are using. Our recommendation for the fastest loading plugin is Perfmatters if you are willing to spend a few bucks for top-notch value, or WP Fastest Cache and Cache enabler as the free alternatives with amazing features as well. These plugins will optimize the database, clean and manage the cache, and disable all of the options that are slowing your site down.
When it comes to themes, GeneratePress, OceanWP, Astra, and Schema are our top picks that will surely get the job done. All of those have free and premium features, aside from Schema, that is exclusively premium. Now that you added the flames behind your machine, it’s time to move on to the next step.
Readability shoots and scores
Take your own experience into account, and it won’t be a puzzle that long answers don’t cut the deal. They are boring to read and hard to understand, which is why you don’t give them a chance, but mercilessly click away as fast as possible. The average voice search result is only 29 words, which is why you need to stick to the point. In addition, you want the content to be easy to read (you are aiming for the 9th-grade level since that is the level that the usual voice search result is written in). In conclusion, there are three key factors that you need to master, and those are good:
- Length
- Formulation
- Elocution
Smartphones for the win
Last but not least, always keep in mind that mobile phones are the present and the future of our technological needs. About 60 percent of search queries come from mobile devices, which means that they are currently ahead of desktops. And when you take into consideration the fact that most of the voice search is performed using these devices, you get to the conclusion that your WordPress website must be mobile-friendly.
To achieve that goal, first, make a mobile version of your site by selecting a compatible theme. Next, optimize the plugins that you are using by scaling them correctly (it’s a huge turnoff for both you and your users when the layout that you work hard on looks disordered and messy). And probably the most important tip is to make it fast! If you are not sure if your mobile version will seal the deal and attract more readers, use this mobile-friendliness testing tool, which will give you a great representation of where are you standing.
Keyword-based search is still the first choice of the majority of the users, but the rapid growth of voice search is making a statement – it will soon become a part of our everyday life. More and more users are discovering the benefits of voice command, which is why you need to begin utilizing the knowledge you just absorbed for a perfect head start. Keep those results readable and straightforward with a special emphasis on the context, make that website load at lightning speed and find your route all the way up to the position zero. You can thank me later, but now it’s time to optimize.