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If you haven't yet, you'll soon have to contend with the fact that voice search is here to stay. According to recent research, people are now more likely to use voice search than to use the traditional keyboard and screen search methods, which means your website's optimization strategies will need to change as well if you want your business to survive and thrive in this new environment.

Let's take a look at 5 proven strategies and resources for optimizing your site(s) for voice search!

What Is Voice Search?

Before diving into voice search optimization, it's important to understand what exactly we mean by that term.

Voice search refers to any process by which a computer system listens to a human speaking naturally and then interprets what was said. In many cases, voice searches happen through mobile devices via applications like Google Assistant or Siri.

These tools make it possible for people to use their phones or other hand-held devices as assistants, saying things like Hey Google, remind me to call my mom on Sunday or Hey Siri, turn off my lights in 10 minutes.

With voice searches now making up roughly 50% of all online searches (and projected to surpass 58% by the end of 2021), businesses must adapt their SEO strategies accordingly.

5 Ways to Optimize Your Website for Voice Search

Voice search has become more popular in recent years, with Google predicting that 58% of all searches will be voice searches by 2021. To make sure your site is optimized for voice search, follow these six tips.

1. Optimize Your Business Website for Local Search

The first step in voice search optimization is to optimize your website for local search. More than 70% of consumers use smartphones to find local businesses on Google, so as a concerned business owner, you must make sure that users who are searching for businesses will be able to quickly navigate to yours.

Local SEO involves optimizing your content with relevant local keywords related to products or services offered, implementing proper Schema markup, using social media channels to attract potential customers, and creating an effective mobile-friendly site design to deliver an outstanding user experience.

2. Create Conversational but Concise Content for Your Audience

Often, we rely on keyword stuffing to optimize our local business content. But with voice search, we need to focus more on creating conversational but concise content that tells people what they need to know as quickly as possible. You must understand that your audiences won't be spending hours searching through your pages. If your information isn't easily accessible, they may simply leave your site and never return.

3. Add Schema Markup or Structured Data to Your Website

Adding schema markup or structured data to your website helps Google understand what your business is, who you are, and other important factors. It's a smart way to optimize for voice search while also making it easier for potential customers to find you online.

4. Claim Your Google My Business Listing

Do you want more people to find your business online? A properly optimized Google My Business listing is one of the best ways to achieve this. With over 5 billion searches performed every day, your Google My Business page is an invaluable tool for getting found online. But it all starts with a quality listing. So, if you want to take advantage of the incredible exposure that your GMB listing provides, you'll need to claim it. After all, who knows how long it will take for someone else to grab this coveted spot!

5. Create Mobile Friendly Websites

If your website's layout isn't mobile-friendly, you could be losing out on a huge audience—and potential sales. Check out Google's Mobile-Friendly Guide to get started optimizing your site for mobile search; many of its recommendations are simple fixes that will instantly make your site more user-friendly. And if your business is on any popular CMS like WordPress, Joomla, or BigCommerce, all you must do is install a responsive template with Google AMP extension.

This will literally take you 2 minutes. So why not make your users, and especially potential customers, happy? With all the competition online, it's not enough to simply have a presence. You must be known as a go-to source for what your market is looking for. Ensuring your site is mobile-friendly will help you do just that.

Engage With Local SEO Expert for Voice Search Optimization

SEO is a complicated process that requires a unique set of skills and expertise. To be successful in the long run, you need a partner that can truly understand your business and provide you with the guidance and expertise to gain top rankings. For businesses that rely on voice search, local SEO is an integral part of their overall online marketing strategy. Local search results are always displayed on the top of the SERPs, so it's crucial for businesses to make the most of this opportunity to establish a solid presence.

However, with such a competitive landscape, achieving that pivoted position isn't easy. You need an experienced local SEO company that will work tirelessly to get the best possible results for your business. The experienced team at Local SEO Expert can help businesses like yours achieve your online goals by focusing on the local market. Contact us today to find out how our local SEO experts can help you reach the top of the SERPs.

Conclusion

The web isn't going anywhere. There will always be a place for typical search, but voice search is growing exponentially, and being prepared now will put you miles ahead of your competition in 2021 and beyond.