Voice search is the next frontier in search. Voice-activated search is the ability to search for things by asking questions, such as “where’s the nearest restaurant” or “what movies are playing near me.” Google’s announcement of the Google Home smart speaker, Amazon Alexa, and the Apple Siri ecosystem also signified that AI-powered voice search is here to stay. However, voice search is not just limited to smart speakers. It’s also being implemented on desktop and mobile devices. The adoption of voice search is inevitable, and it’s going to change the way users search for things on the web. This article lists the top tips for optimizing your website for voice search.

Hook into Voice Search

The first thing you need to do to optimize your website for voice search is to ensure it is compatible with Google’s Voice Search. Currently, only the Google Home smart speaker supports voice search. However, other smart speakers and other devices are likely to integrate voice search in the future. The only way to make sure your website is compatible with voice search is by enabling the Google Search and Google Assistant feature. If you’re using Google Search on your website, all you need to do is enable the “Google Assistant” setting. This will cause any URL on your website to be interpreted as a voice search query.

Write for Voice-Activated Searches

Voice-activated searches deal with spoken questions, so the content on your website must be conversational. This means your website’s content needs to be written in an interesting and conversational style. The most effective way to do this is to answer questions your users might ask. For example, a restaurant website can answer the question “where can I eat healthy tonight?” by answering “our healthy menu has tofu tacos, salads, and wraps.” Another example is answering “where should I live?” by answering “our apartments help you find the perfect location for your lifestyle.

Make Your Content Voice-Searchable

Voice search is about getting users to speak out loud. The best way to do this is by making your content voice searchable. This means the text on your website must be reasonably pronounceable by a computer system. There are two ways to make your content voice searchable. The first is to add a voice search widget to your website. You can find voice search widgets on both Google and Amazon Alexa speakers. A voice search widget is nothing more than a box that shows up on your website when someone asks “What’s on my website?” The second way is to add a text-to-speech (or text-to-speech conversion) feature to your website. A simple way to do this is by using Amazon Alexa Skills.

Focus on User Experience

Voice-activated searches are about the user experience. When someone asks for information by saying “voice search me,” the Alexa-enabled device or Google Home speaker is the user. Therefore, it’s up to the device to understand what’s being asked. This means the device is going to have to be able to understand spoken questions. If your website isn’t voice searchable, then your users aren’t getting the information they’re looking for. The best way to make your website voice searchable is to focus on voice-search-friendly user experiences.

Establish Brand Language for Voice Search

The language you use on your website for voice search is going to determine how users perceive your brand. The best way to establish Google brand language for voice search is to make your website voice search-friendly. This means writing your content in an easy voice searchable way. Another way to do this is by using Voice Match. Voice Match lets you allow users to access your website with their voice while they’re logged into another Google account. This is a simple way to establish voice language for your brand while also improving your website’s voice searchability.

Conclusion

Voice search is the future of searching. It’s the next step after you realize that talking to a device is much faster and more convenient than typing. And, when you’re ready to get started, we’ve got some tips for optimizing your website for voice-activated searches. First, make sure your website is compatible with Google’s voice search. Then, write for voice-activated searches so your content is voice searchable and your user experience is voice friendly. Lastly, establish voice language for your brand by using Voice Match with your Google account.