What is Voice Search Optimization? And how important is it for SEO in 2024? Let’s explore the growth of voice search, its impact on user behavior, search, and SEO.
What is Voice Search?
Voice Search, or voice search, is using voice commands to search for information through various devices such as smartphones, smart speakers, smartwatches, or desktop computers connected to microphones. Users can ask questions or give commands using their voice instead of typing, making information retrieval more convenient and faster. Of course, this may be something that many people often do, or enable occasionally.
So what is Voice Search Optimization?
Voice Search Optimization is the process of optimizing or improving your website to be suitable for Voice Search so that our website appears at the top of the results. This may involve Voice Assistants like Google Assistance or Alexa reading or recommending content or products on our website to users. It’s similar to doing SEO for voice commands. Many people may think it’s not necessary yet, but according to statistics and global trends, Voice Search is becoming increasingly used by consumers.
The Growth of Voice Search
According to Statista data, over 25% of users in Western countries say they use Voice Search or Voice Assistance several times a day, which has resulted in Voice Search growing in various aspects, such as:
1. More Natural Interaction
Increasing usage data of Voice Search helps various Voice Assistance tools analyze natural speech patterns better, allowing them to understand search queries more accurately. This allows users to converse with Voice Assistance longer and more complexly, making information retrieval more natural. In addition, Voice Assistance will learn the voices, vocabulary, and phrases each person uses frequently, making voice search more personalized, understanding the context more, and ultimately resulting in search results that match each person’s needs more.
2. Convenience
As users become more familiar with speaking long content, they may search or issue commands in a conversational format, like talking to a real person, rather than just short commands. This creates convenience, suitable for hands-free use, especially when in a hurry or doing other activities simultaneously. For us website owners, we can find long-form queries (Long-Form Query) from Google Search Console (GSC) or other tools, which will help us know what questions our website should answer to achieve targeted Voice Search Optimization.
3. Higher Expectations
Of course, as Voice Search becomes more capable, users tend to have higher expectations. Many may expect Voice Assistance to understand the context and intent of questions from past conversations, increasing expectations for results. If problems arise, answers are incorrect, or answers are missed, it may reduce confidence in the results. Therefore, results must be more personalized, but at the same time, they may lose confidence easily.
In conclusion, voice search is evolving to understand users better, but it must also maintain accuracy and reliability to meet user needs even better. It is predicted thatin 2024, the number of Voice Assistance users will reach 8.4 billion, which is more than the world population.
The New Generation Group (Gen Alpha)
In the new generation group, such as Gen Alpha or those born in 2010 onwards, there are interesting statistics regarding Voice Search usage:
The Importance of Voice Search Optimization for SEO
Of course, to allow Voice Assistance to choose our website to answer user questions, we need to improve our website accordingly, such as:
1. Improve content to respond to complex and natural questions
Marketers and website owners must create content that answers long and natural questions.
2. Use natural language
Marketers and website owners must create content that answers long and natural questions.
3. Focus on Long-Tail Questions
Focus on answering long and specific questions more.
4. Add Structured Data
Focus on answering long and specific questions more.
5. Increase Website Speed
Websites that load quickly have a greater chance of being selected as search results for voice search.
Challenges and Opportunities in Voice Search Optimization
First of all, tracking and measuring Voice Search Optimization results is still difficult due to limited data. Also, there is currently limited space for displaying Voice Search results, making competition for the first place high. In addition, users may be concerned about privacy when using voice search in public places.
However, doing Voice Search Optimization creates opportunities for brands and businesses to build credibility and promote products or services directly to users.
The Future of Voice Search
It is expected that AI will drive innovation in search technology, including Voice Search, leading to integration into daily life and work. With continuous development, Voice Assistance can provide more specific results to each user. Eventually, Voice Search may expand to other uses beyond information retrieval, such as financial transactions or controlling IoT devices within the home, which many people may have seen examples of from Google Home Assistant and various applications.
In conclusion, voice search is changing the way we use the internet to find information. Although the basic principles of SEO remain largely unchanged, adapting to Voice Search is essential for marketers and website owners. Good Voice Search Optimization is a combination of effective SEO and understanding user search behavior.
Creating high-quality content that provides accurate, relevant, and meets user needs remains key, but must be adapted to changing search formats. Simply put, preparing for this change will help our businesses and websites be in a favorable position in the rapidly growing era of Voice Search.
About Relevant Audience
We are Relevant Audience, a Digital Performance Marketing Agency specializing in SEO and one of the Digital Agency providing comprehensive digital marketing services to support businesses in reaching target audiences at the right time, place, and device (Right Time, Right Place, Right Device).
Our services cover everything from SEO services, Search Marketing, Social Media Ads, Search Ads to Influencer Marketing, and we are also a SEO Company that is a Google Partner. Our team consists of specialists ready to provide consultation and find solutions that meet business needs.
Contact for more information, consult online marketing
Tel: 02-038-5055
Email: info@relevantaudience.com
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