Google SEO 2019 is predicted to be a breakout year for new trends, most notably voice search. Google SEO for voice search will be a strategic approach to help websites reach users and perform better under the new algorithms Google has updated to support this feature.
Why do you need to optimize for Google voice search?
Voice search is a technology that allows users to search the Internet by asking questions or speaking keywords into their phones, smart devices, or computers instead of typing queries into a search bar as they traditionally would. These searches are processed by search engine filters just like standard searches. However, the difference between written and spoken language leads to variations in the results displayed on SERPs. This means that updating your Google SEO strategy to include this new feature is essential if you don't want to lose your audience and potential customers to competitors.
The development of voice search is not a recent phenomenon. The feature has been in development since 2010 and was introduced by Google in May 2011, but at the time, it saw limited usage due to language constraints, as English was the only supported language. However, the feature has continued to evolve and now supports approximately 60 languages. Notably, the launch of the Hummingbird algorithm in 2013, which focused more on voice search and complex queries, caused the Google SEO community to shift its approach. Today, about 71% of respondents say they prefer using voice search over traditional typing. Meanwhile, 41% of adults surveyed report using voice search at least once a day. By 2020, it is expected that voice searches will account for more than 50% of all online search queries.
How does the growth of voice search affect Google SEO?
The first change that voice search brings to the Google SEO industry is the average length of search keywords. When using voice search, users tend to behave as if they are talking to a real person, and most will ask questions or use longer phrases compared to the short keywords typically seen in traditional SEO. The tone and phrasing users employ for search requests will also differ from before. For example, instead of typing “top Google SEOcompanies,” they will now ask, “Which is the best SEO company in HCMC?”
To ensure your content is optimized for voice search, focus on long-tail keywords that incorporate simple, concise phrases. Research also shows that Google favors shorter results; the typical length of a voice search result is just under 29 words. Although search queries will be longer than standard searches, the semantic complexity required for Google SEO remains unchanged, as easy-to-read and easy-to-understand content will still be prioritized. Furthermore, content quality remains the deciding factor for ranking websites on SERPs. If your website has already built a library of high-quality articles and ranks well for standard searches, you don't need to worry too much, as for most results Google SEO High-ranking search results typically appear in the top positions for voice search as well.
Featured Snippets will become synonymous with Google SEO as voice search gains prominence.
Featured Snippets are also one of the key trends in Google SEO 2019. Websites with content that Google deems the most accurate answer to a user's query will be placed in a dedicated box at the very top of all SERPs. Appearing in a Featured Snippet is undoubtedly highly beneficial for your voice search rankings, as evidenced by the fact that 40.7% of voice search results come from Featured Snippets. We have a very detailed article on how to get your page to become a Featured Snippet. What is a Featured Snippet and you can check it out here.
Optimizing content for Google voice search SEO
According to statistics, the most common words/structures that appear in voice searches include:
· True/false questions
· "what is"
· "how to" or "how do I"
· "best," "buy," "price"
Therefore, when choosing topics to write about for Google SEO you should select one (or a few) questions and craft your content to answer them. You can also create H2 headings using these queries and provide the answers in the body text. The answer to each question should be formatted as a short paragraph or follow common Featured Snippet formats, such as lists and tables.
After providing the answer to the main question, you can increase the length and depth of your article by incorporating other related search queries. This helps your website content appear and rank for multiple variations of the same query simultaneously. Of course, just like with traditional Google SEO , once you have reached the top or secured a Featured Snippet, don't forget to update and refresh your content regularly to maintain your position.
Additionally, content with a high level of social media engagement tends to perform better in voice search results. In fact, the average voice search result has 1,199 Facebook shares and 44 Twitter tweets.
HTTPS-secured websites will dominate Google voice search SEO
HTTPS, which stands for Hyper Text Transfer Protocol Secure, is a secure communication protocol that encrypts all data transmitted between the website you visit and your web browser. HTTPS is significantly more optimized than its predecessor, HTTP, in ensuring high security for online activities and transactions, such as banking or online shopping.
This detail has always been crucial in Google SEO traditionally. Google itself has acknowledged that HTTPS can provide your website with a minor boost in search results. The role of this factor in voice search is even more significant than in standard search. Did you know that 70.4% of voice search result URLs use HTTPS, which is 20% higher than the 50% seen in desktop search results? Although Google has not yet made any specific announcements regarding HTTPS as a ranking factor, if you want to improve your Google SEO , especially for advanced searches, HTTPS is certainly a smart move.
Google SEO will become more localized than before
As voice search grows, the search process itself will become more localized. A BrightLocal report indicates that 58% of internet users use voice search to find local businesses and locations. Most people use voice search as a tool to get recommendations on where to go or use it while walking or driving. Therefore, to optimize content for Google SEO in voice search, you should include basic business information such as your brand name, address, and opening hours in your content. Phrases indicating your business's operating area are encouraged to be added to headings and tags in blog posts. Finally, don't forget to register your business name and website on Google My Business so that customers can find you more easily.
User experience still needs improvement in Google SEO
When it comes to Google SEO optimization for voice search, many people think that just optimizing content structure and keywords is enough, forgetting that whether it's voice search, image search, or standard search, user experience remains critical for Google to crawl and index data. While it is said that voice search will change the game for companies doing Google SEO, there are certain standards that will not change regardless of how search engines update or alter their ranking algorithms. One of these is how to satisfy user needs as much as possible, such as their desire for immediate answers to their questions.
Ensure that your site is responsive and functions well on any device, especially smartphones. Images, videos, and compressed files on the web must always be optimized to ensure display quality, page load speed, and the performance of your Google SEO website in general. This has become especially critical since Google launched the "Speed Update" in 2018, a new update to how the world's largest search engine indexes information on the Internet. Starting in May 2018, page speed officially became a ranking factor for mobile searches. Google also stated that they encourage web developers and Google SEO to think more broadly about how a website's performance impacts user experience across different devices and various metrics.
The good news for businesses that haven't yet tapped into voice search is that the average page load speed for voice search results is only about 4.6 seconds, which is 52% faster than the global average web load speed. Therefore, if you want to lead in Google SEO through voice search, upgrade your server systems and web design to ensure the fastest possible browsing speed.
Google SEO websites with strong link authority to rank higher in voice search
Those of us who are well-versed in Google SEOare certainly no strangers to the fact that backlink systems are the foundation for the algorithms Google uses for both desktop and mobile search. When evaluating whether backlinks are effective for a website, analysts examine each result using its Domain Rating and Page Rating. The average score for voice search results is 76.8, a figure considered high in the Google SEO.
industry. Conversely, the link authority of voice search result pages is significantly lower than other types of search, at just 21.1/100. This is explained by the fact that Google needs to be extremely confident that the answers they provide to users are highly accurate. To ensure this accuracy, voice search algorithms may rely more on domain authority than page authority. In other words, once Google finds a reasonable answer to any voice query on a highly trusted website, it no longer cares about the number of links on that specific page. Therefore, to ensure Google SEO for your website in the voice search space, focus on upgrading your website's link authority!
