Voice search is  one of the hottest trends for SEO marketers, with a Gartner study indicating that 30% of all browsing will include it and studies showing that this year,  over 50% of mobile phone users will rely on voice technology via their devices. Because voice search technology is continually improving and there is a wider array of connected devices than ever before, its popularity is predicted to rise further. If you are a marketing strategist and your clients have already asked about voice search, what components should their strategy contain?

Marketing teams now have a two-fold aim when it comes to obtaining optimal results for clients: typed and spoken keywords. Getting the latter right will necessitate the use of a different set of keywords. For example,  spoken questions addressed to Alexa and other voice search-based devices or to mobile phones, tend to be longer and more natural in nature, than typed searches (which can contain just two or three words). When including keywords in content, creators will need to ensure both short and longer keywords and phrases are included and they will need to continually gauge the success of their efforts. As affirmed by an expert Austin SEO firm, content should be both informative and easy to navigate and content audits are key to see if you have hit your mark and answered client queries successfully.

Schema is  a semantic vocabulary of microdata that can be added to your HTML so as to improve the presentation of your page in results pages. Its aim is to enhance the rich snippets displayed beneath your title. For instance, when your page appears in SERPS, it might indicate your star rating, the date of an event, or the components of a conference or similar event. Schema markup is most often utilized to give readers more information about people, places, products, companies, creative products, events, and the like. Rich snippets, in turn, add information to the usual pieces of data displayed (title, meta description, URL), piquing the reader’s or listener’s interest so that they click into your site. Both schema markup and rich snippets work well with voice search, and they help keep answers to a context that search engines comprehend more optimally.

A large percentage of voice searches involving local businesses  will involve a ‘near me’ requests. Your clients should therefore update all their information – including opening hours, telephone numbers, and events. Potential clients will use this language to discover new things to do in their local area as well as to check up on key information – including prices. Outdated or wrong opening times can result in clients making decisions they regret; therefore, the trust factor can be lost.

Voice queries contain more questions than typed searches. Therefore, when determining keywords, make sure to include words like why, where, when, and others. Long-tail keywords will also be more relevant, since they are more likely to form part of questions. Keyword creators need to include words that arise commonly in conversation, such as ‘I’, ‘for’, and ‘on.’ They should study and utilize commonly used phrases and words, since voice searches imitate natural, organic language to a far greater degree than typed search.

Keyword generation for voice search can be much less of a guessing game if you use tools. One tool that works particularly well for question-based searches is SEMrush., which provides both exact phrase and related matches, and allows you to discover commonly asked questions with related to a topic or product/service type. Additional tools like AnswerThePublic.com and Ubbersuggest, meanwhile, allows you to discover question keywords that users are actually saying. AnswerthePublic.com has a visual display that shows all the why, when, how, will, can, which, where, who, what, and are questions about a specific topic. Results are displayed in circular form, which is visually appealing and practical, since all results are shown at once.

Creating a sound SEO marketing strategy for voice search is a multifaceted task that involves, above all, creating the kind of content that answers questions your clients will be asking about your product or service type. It involves choosing the right keywords, including long-tail keywords in your answer, and utilizing vital tools to enable you to learn exactly what you are supposed to be answering. Strategy can extend to very specific tactics, including the use of voice search based FAQ pages, using natural language and the kind of ‘filler’ words that occur in everyday language.