Voice Search Ranking and How to Rank Higher in Voice Search

What Is Voice Search?

Before looking at how to rank for voice search, you need to understand the basics of the concept. Several new devices other than smartphones now give people easy means to get a variety of information by speaking. If you ask Google Assistant, Google Home, Siri, Alexa, or Cortana for information about restaurants that serve Thai food in your neighborhood, you are conducting a voice search. Simply put, a voice search is when you ask for information orally, as opposed to typing it out.

Voice searches give people a natural way to interact with devices by conversing as they do in their everyday lives. By speaking to a device, you may now look for local businesses, play music, check weather forecasts, control other devices in your home, and get information about practically anything on the internet.

The Need for Voice Search Ranking

According to data collated by Semrush, the number of voice search users increased from 3.25 billion to 8 billion from 2019 to 2023, a staggering 146% rise. It adds that while 24% of consumers are comfortable shopping online using voice searches, as many as 71% prefer using voice searches over typing their queries.

For businesses, this means they need to learn how to rank higher in voice search. Besides, it’s common for online users to add “near me” in their voice searches, so it’s also important for businesses to get their local SEO right.

Bear in mind that voice searches have become a practical way for many web users to find the information they need, which requires that you provide them with accurate details about your business. For instance, Google Assistant relies heavily on your Google business profile to scout for business-related information that users seek, so you need to make sure it remains updated at all times.

Voice Search Statistics

If you’re wondering about the role of voice search optimization in digital marketing, consider these statistics collated by Backlinko.

• Close to 62% of Millennials in the country use voice assistants, followed by Gen Z (55.2%), Gen X (51.9%), and Baby Boomers (31.5%).
• 6% of internet users in the U.S. aged 16 to 64 years old use voice assistants at least once every week.
• In 2024, the number of smart speaker owners in the U.S. stood at around 98 million.
• Of these, 86.1 million users turn to their speakers to ask questions via voice.
• Around 45% of Americans conduct voice searches on their mobile phones.
• Google supports voice search in more than 70 languages.

Given the widespread usage of mobile devices and smart speakers, instances of voice searches are only set to grow. As a result, voice search marketing is the obvious next step to cater to this growing sphere.

What Is Voice Search Optimization?

Techniques and methodologies surrounding search engine optimization (SEO) have continued to evolve. Given the significant growth in smartphone ownership, it is only normal for people to use them to carry out voice searches. Businesses that do not pay attention to the impact of voice search optimization on search engine rankings at this stage may soon be left wanting.

What is voice search in SEO? It is the optimization of content using suitable keywords and phrases that are usually in line with voice-based queries. For example, voice searches are typically more conversational than text-based searches.

Given the conversational nature, Google voice search keywords are generally longer than keywords used in text-based queries. In addition, a noticeable chunk of voice searches is locally focused. For instance, people looking for businesses often need results from the vicinity, unless specified otherwise.

How to Optimize for Google Voice Search?

If you look at the best voice search optimization examples, you will notice various similarities. For example, websites that feature on the top posts of voice research results tend to have high domain ratings and provide good user experiences. However, there’s more to producing desired results, and if you wish to learn how to rank higher in voice search, you need to pay attention to different aspects.

1. Claim Your Google Business Listing

If you’ve not claimed your business listing on Google yet, that’s the first step to take. Then, optimize your profile page, as this gives Google an easy way to get different kinds of information about your business, such as its category, hours of operation, and contact details. With several searches now being voice-based, keeping your Google business profile updated increases the possibility of it showing up when people conduct relevant voice searches.

2. Get Mobile-Friendly

Since many people carry out voice searches on mobile devices, it is important that you have a mobile-friendly website. Google has long recommended the use of responsive web design, and you can use various online tools to check where your website stands in this regard.

If your website is not up to the mark, you may consider going the website redesign way. This allows you to implement different Google voice search optimization strategies and ensure that your revamped website checks all the required boxes.

3. Ensure Quick Loading

Google released a speed update way back in 2018, making page loading speed an even more important ranking parameter for mobile searches than before. Since voice search users would not want to wait for answers, there is a strong likelihood that Google’s voice search algorithm also relies on loading speed. With a website that loads quickly, you have this base covered.

4. Think Voice Snippets

Google’s John Mueller, in a Google Webmaster Central office-hours hangout, suggested that webmasters should think about how they can effectively deliver content through voice snippets, which is crucial if you’re thinking about improving voice search rankings. However, before you put anything out there, make sure it sounds alright when spoken out loud. Other than sounding okay, it should also come with the information users are looking for, failing which it might not get past Google.

5. Use Structured Data

Google relies on various ranking factors for voice search other than content to determine the relevance and position of a website in search results. A voice search marketing agency can leverage different factors to optimize content for online searches. Structured data, or schema markup, is an aspect that does not have a direct effect on ranking, but it can give your website an edge over its competition.

Metadata that goes into your website’s source code is not visible to users, but it helps Google in classifying and organizing content. Getting the desired result on a search engine results page (SERP) is possible if you make use of schema to enable search enhancements.

6. Use Conversational Keywords

An important aspect of voice search marketing is the use of effective keywords. Typical Google voice search keywords are long-tail+, where the + denotes conversational phrases you might need to incorporate when optimizing your content.

Google voice search optimization involves looking at how people talk in their everyday lives and paying attention to local differences. Once you know the kind of questions your target audience is asking, you may formulate voice search keywords and create content accordingly.

7. Use Question-Based Keywords

People who use voice searches commonly frame their queries in the form of questions like “What are the ranking factors for voice search?” or “How to optimize for Google voice search?” Other than how, the questions typically come in the form of who, why, where, when, and what.

One way to find question-based keywords related to your field is to look at the “related searches” section at the bottom of almost every Google result page. Optimizing your content for snippets is also important, and these provide concise answers to voice searches.

8. Keep Your Answers Short

Google’s Evaluation of Search Speech guidelines gave voice SEO professionals a clear indication of what works and what does not way back in 2017. Simply put, Google wants answers that are concise and to the point. The context matters as well, and Google will consider if a user might benefit from a shorter or more detailed answer. Here are examples of what Google considers okay and too lengthy.

9. Restructure Your Content

A voice search is usually looking for an informative answer to a specific query. Voice search optimization agencies rely on knowledge graphs, knowledge boxes, and knowledge panels to improve voice search ranking. When search results include one or more of these features, search engines view them as appropriate answers.

10. Improve Your Domain Rating

Domain rating (DR) refers to a score that your website gets depending on the quality and quantity of its backlinks. When it comes to voice searches, search engines typically favor websites with high DRs. Here are some ways to improve your website’s DR.

• Create high-quality data-based content that attracts links from authoritative websites in your niche.
• Audit your website and remove bad or broken links that affect its ranking negatively.
• Optimize your website structure, user experience (UX), on-page SEO, and technical SEO for better search engine visibility.
• Improve internal links with the aim of distributing link equity and helping users navigate your website.
• Increase your social shares and engagement to boost your online reach and authority.

11. Focus on Your Blog

While you’re focusing on ranking higher in voice search, make sure you don’t lose sight of the bigger picture. For example, ranking well on Google typically involves having a well-laid-out blog to go with your website. This requires that you provide top-quality content your target audience finds appropriate and useful. If you’re providing numbers or statistics, make sure you include links to relevant sources.

Until a few years ago, a blog post with 300 to 500 words was typically enough to get the attention of search engines. However, this is the day and age of long-form blog posts. As per Wix, a blog post should ideally have 1,500 to 2,500 words to rank well for relevant keywords. As a result, the process also requires that you carry out keyword research to identify the best Google voice search keywords to use.

12. Create Pages to Answer FAQs

Creating pages to answer frequently asked questions (FAQs) is an effective way to improve your website’s search engine optimization as well as user experience. To do so, pay attention to these aspects.

• Identify questions. Identify the questions your target audience is asking. This gives you the means to create content it finds relevant and useful.
• Provide brief and clear answers. Use language that even a child in the fifth grade can understand and avoid using jargon. If you have to use complex or technical terms, explain what they mean in simple language.
• Structure and categorize your answers. Organize your questions into categories so users may find the information they seek easily. Using headings, subheadings, and bullet points makes your content easier to scan.
• Optimize your meta information. Use relevant keywords in your meta title and description to give search engines an indication of what different pages are about. This may also help users determine if they should click on the link in question on search engine results pages.
• Use Google SEO FAQ schema markup. Adding schema markup to your FAQ pages typically helps search engines understand your content’s structure in a better manner. This can improve the visibility of your page in search results and increase click-through rates.

Is Siri Different?

Data compiled by Yaguara indicates that Siri accurately understands 99.8% of queries, and delivers accurate answers 83.1% of times. It also points out that Siri is alongside Google Assistant as the most commonly used digital assistant by voice search users, both finding favor with 36% of people.

If you’re a business owner, know that Siri relies on Yelp ratings to provide relevant results, so you must get yours in order. Bear in mind that Siri gives more priority to overall star ratings than the total number of reviews. Other factors that affect answers provided by Siri include distance and pricing.

Optimizing your Yelp listing is important, and you may do so by:

• Adding a detailed description of your business
• Adding your contact details
• Adding photographs of your business
• Choosing relevant categories
• Using relevant keywords when writing content for your Yelp page
• Responding to customer reviews

Conclusion

Understanding the nature of voice searches will help online marketers and search engines deliver more relevant content to users. While the strategies discussed above aim to improve voice search rankings, there might be other voice search optimization services that could work well in your specific scenario.

If you’re still unsure of how to rank higher in voice search or don’t have the required time to devote to the process, working with a digital agency that has expertise in this realm might be in your best interest. Then, you may benefit from an increase in online traffic, leads, and conversions alike.