If a decade earlier anyone would say you can just ask your smartphone what the weather is like or that you could talk to a device that talks back to you, you wouldn't have believed it. But with the technological advancements in today's world, your Alexa can make you a coffee in the future, or even brush your shoes. We live in a convenient world where you would want your convenience to increase rapidly. With so much to do in life, and a hectic schedule, you are always looking for that perfect work/life balance which means you want to become a pro at multitasking. With the advancement of voice search features, that has become quite easy. There is a positive chance of this voice search feature taking over the Ecommerce industry as well. So, let's dig deeper into it and know more details.
What is Voice Search Optimization?
If you are familiar with SEO or search engine optimization you know that by optimizing your content properly you can alter the search engine algorithm and make your brand’s name appear higher on the results. Voice search optimization is simply the verbal extension of that practice. If you are wondering why that would be the next big thing in Ecommerce, then continue reading.
Why is Voice Search on the Rise, Especially for Online Retail?
a) The first reason why it is getting popular is that it is way faster and more convenient, leading to easier searches. A person's average typing speed is about 40 wpm on the QWERTY keyboards, on current phones, it is most likely to be far less. So, it takes a lot of time to type something when on the other hand, voice searches are faster, easier, and do not interrupt your searching.
b) In a digital world, voice searching is becoming more and more convenient.
c) Voice searches are also appropriate for mobile phones, which according to data, represent 55% of all internet traffic. This figure will continue to grow which makes it better for voice searches.
Tips for Optimizing Voice Searches for E-commerce
● Understand the Difference Between Types and Voice Searches:
People while making a typed search, will only use three to four words. In the case of voice searches, it will be more conversational, lengthy, and detailed. So, you must understand which devices and search engines are used when it comes to voice search. You may think Google is the main search engine for typed searches but most of the voice devices use Bing as their search engine.
● Opt for a Semantic Strategy:
While using voice search optimization you need to opt for a semantic strategy, rather than a keyword-based strategy. Semantic strategies focus more on topics that have a chance of coming up in voice searches instead of focusing on keywords.
● Mix Site Structure and User Journey Together:
Make sure your page’s navigation matches with the common voice searches and at the same time, add schema markup to add depth to the existing structured data. You will also need an XML sitemap so that the users can easily navigate while allowing the same for search engines.
● Optimize Page Speed:
Page speed is crucial because users want access to answers quickly and if your page or site is slow, they might choose to go somewhere else. So, make sure your landing page is ready for both, keyword searching and voice searching.
● Optimize for Question Searches:
The most crucial step is to optimize for question searches, as discussed before, the voice searches will be more conversational so it will be more likely a question than just a chain of keywords. If you answer them directly, it will drive more traffic to your site.
Voice search might be new to the field, but with its great potential, in no time it takes over typed searches.
