SEO stands for “search engine optimization”. The name might sound difficult but its operation is not difficult at all. It is a process in which signals are sent to search engines that your pages match what the person is looking for in the index of Google. Google uses an algorithm to decide which websites are to be shown in the web search. Here is an example that will help you understand the concept of algorithms in SEO.
Example: The algorithms can be taken as empty buckets. Each bucket represents something. You are judged on the basis of the following:
- Site quality
- Number of sites linked to you
- Authenticity
It is your job to fill the buckets as much as you can. The competition is tough as more websites are doing the same in order to be ranked better in the algorithm.
With SEO a new aspect has emerged which is voice search. Now you must be wondering what is voice search? Voice search has become increasingly important in today’s world as more and more people are indulging in it. 25 percent of searches are done through voice according to an estimate. Voice search is not a complicated concept at all. Google has made searching for new stuff easier than ever. All you have to do is press one button and say what you’re looking for. That’s it. Whether you are looking for the meaning of a word or want to know the capital of a country, you no longer have to type all that. Just say it. Siri, Google Home, Cortana, Alexa are the assistants through which voice searches are conducted. Voice search is shaping the future of SEO. So if you are thinking of working with SEO you better know about it.
Here are some predictions that will affect SEO
Importance of Semantic Search
One of the important things about Google is that it does not rely on keywords only. It relies on a number of things such as the searches that the user made previously and even the pattern in which those searches were done. While talking people are more conversational when they search for a particular thing, your content should be able to match that. It’s better to use long tailed keywords for better search results.
Tone and function
Your content should be able to provide the customers with what they need. With voice search, you are optimizing your content for the customers, not the search engines. You can no longer use boring keywords in this era. The key is to indulge with your customers more on social media. Notice how they speak about your business. Also, refer to the top questions asked by the customers which you can easily get from your customer service. Put a special focus on the words they use and then use that while making content to put on your site. Do address the questions in your FAQ in your product pages. Use simple language which is understandable by everyone. The voice searches on smartphones are local; optimize your content for the local branches as well.
Mobile friendly sites
In today’s world, everyone uses mobile phones due to its convenience. If you want to survive it’s important for your brand to play along. The mobile sites have to be decent and should open quickly because if they don’t customers will leave the website immediately which will result in lower rankings. Even for voice search, mobile-friendly sites are very important. The benefit of voice search on mobile is that people can use it anywhere even while driving because it’s convenient. The drawback of not having a mobile friendly website is that you will get booted.
Featured snippets
Most voice searches are answered by the rich answer boxes coming up in the search results. These boxes provide domain info and these questions are answered with the help of instant answers. Featured snippets work differently. They can come from any website on the first page of results. The best part is that brand credits are provided by Google on voice as well as normal search. All you have to do is reach page one. In this sense featured snippets are more achievable. If you have somehow made it to page one all you require now are some tweaks rather than changing your SEO strategy. These snippets help answer people’s questions that enable them to learn or do something or even buy it. In order to find the questions, you have to do research on long-tailed keywords and then answer them in your website content. It is very important that your content is easy so that Google does not have any trouble reading it. For that use header tags, tabular information or information in the form of bullets can be used as well.
Radio Test
Your brand name has to go through a radio test. When information is displayed by Google in the form of featured snippets, it makes it visible where it got that information so that people can visit that if they need more information. This can help you get traffic on your website. With awareness about the brand, you get additional benefits. Tip: Use an easy brand that can be pronounced by anyone no matter which language they speak. What radio test basically means is that the people will be able to hear the name of your brand and can remember it. If you are a new brand your name of the company has to be written down so that the voice assistant is able to pronounce it the right way.
Norm
Voice search will become a norm in the upcoming years and it will change SEO for the reasons that will benefit all. As it is gaining much fame due to the fact that it is far better than typing there is no way it will get extinct. It’s a fact that no one can type fast enough as humans talk at a much faster rate. The time that takes to type 30 words humans can speak up to 100 words. Companies like Google and Microsoft are investing in voice search mechanisms. Voice assistants will help you find anything you want whether it’s a brand or website you are looking for. You name it and voice assistant is there to guide you. Even if you miss out a few words while speaking voice assistants will fill them for you.
Directories
Online search is mostly made to get reviews about local businesses. People don’t usually search for your business specifically they search for the best is that category. Websites that have directories or reviews deal with such searches. It is important that SEO regards them as search engines. Being in the My Business listing is not the case only if you want to be able to be in the voice search particularly for Google devices. If you want to be in that pack you have to complete your listings. You require much more than review sites in order to be in the best searches. Try to have positive reviews and make good keywords for the products that you are offering. Make sure name, address, and phone number are the same on all the sites including platforms.
Voice search is changing the way people work in the world now. If you want your brand to be visible then it’s very important for you to change your SEO strategy.