The Power of Speech

For anyone that knows me, you know I love to talk, there’s nothing better than a coffee and a chat, well maybe a glass of wine and a chat. But I’m not the only that likes to chat and more and more people are using their voice rather than text to search for products or services on their mobile phones.?

When walking down a street we see more and more people talking to their phones rather than talking on their phones. I know that the way people hold their phones to talk on a call isn’t always the traditional stuck to their face. Also more and more people video call now.?

Just so you know, unexpected video calls scare me. It’s the same as unexpected visitors arrive at my house and I’m just not prepared. My home might be a mess, worse yet I might be a complete mess.?

Anyway, getting back to topic. Not everyone is using their phone to speak to someone or are on a video call, they may be talking to Google.

Voice search isn’t a new thing!

Most households have at least one Alexa, or similar smart speaker device. That actually listen to every word even though they say they don’t. I mean how often have you sat there, not used the Alexa word and the next minutes she’s speaking to you. Or you have a conversation with someone and the next time you go to Google or Facebook, there’s an advert for whatever you have been discussing without ever having actually done a search for it. I know it’s creepy sometimes, but I’m not going there.

But we do use our smart speakers for more than just listening to music. We ask them about the weather, adding things to our shopping list or even asking general questions. When you talk to Alexa, you do just that, you talk. You ask a question as if you were talking to a real person, sometimes we even say please and thank you, I know I do.

People are also using their phones in the same way, it’s far easier to talk to Google than type on the small keyboard what you’re searching for. When you’re juggling your coffee and 100 other things, it’s easier to hit the speaker button than type your question. And don’t get me started on spelling your searches incorrectly, because you hit the wrong button and get completely wrong search results.?

So if you’re using your smart speaker or speaking to your phone rather than typing, then you’re using voice search.

Why do I need to know about voice search?

When we use our voices for search results, we use longer phrases, we say what we actually want. We won’t abbreviate our search to as few words as possible, like we do when we text search. Because it’s quicker to speak than to type.

As an example, one of your water pipes has sprung a leak, you pick your phone up and type in “emergency plumber”. If you’re using voice search, you’re more likely to say “I need a good emergency plumber near me that doesn’t charge a call out fee”. What you’re likely to get are 2 different sets of results from your search.

When we voice search we use longer phrases, we ask questions rather than just “emergency plumber” or “pizza deliver”. So for your website to show up in voice search results, you need to be speaking your customers language.

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Voice Search Cheat Sheet

Here’s some things that you can do to get your website ready for voice search and not just text search.

Google Business Profile - Your Online "Hello!"?

Think of your Google Business Profile as your business's online first impression. It's the first thing people see when they search for you, so make it count!

Ditch the corporate jargon: Write your business description like you're talking to a friend. Instead of "Provider of high-quality plumbing services," try something more inviting, like "Your friendly local plumbers, here to fix those leaky taps and clogged drains with a smile!"

Be the answer they're looking for: Add FAQs to your profile to answer those burning questions like "Do you offer emergency services?" or "Are you open on weekends?"

Show off your best side: A picture's worth a thousand words, right? Add some eye-catching photos and videos to your profile to show off your amazing business.

Keywords: Speak Their Language (Literally!)?

Keywords are like secret passwords that unlock the doors to online visibility. But here's the thing: with voice search, it's all about those longer, chattier phrases we use in everyday conversations. So when writing your website content, don’t just think of short keywords, you need to think about longer questions and more conversational content. But you can’t forget the short keywords for text searches.

I know that it can be hard to decide what people are searching for, but there some great resources that you can use. And they’re free!

Ask Google, when you do any search there’s a helpful section when you scroll down a bit titled “People also ask”. There’s also a handy website AnswerThePublic that you can use. You get one free search a day without registering for an account, or if you register, you get 3 searches. You just type in your industry or business type. Then this nifty tool will show you the questions people are asking online, giving you a goldmine of keyword ideas. Then, sprinkle those keywords naturally throughout your website copy. Or create an FAQ page on your website and add some of these as FAQs.

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Content: "Coffee Break," Not "College Lecture"

No one wants to wade through a wall of text online. Keep your content snappy, engaging, and easy to read.

Break it up: Use headings to organise your content and make it scannable. Make sure your headings stand out, use a different colour to your body text and even a different font, but make sure it’s still on brand. Add in some pictures, to break up the wall of text. If you’re creating FAQs, then use a show and hide facility, so only the questions are visible on first view.

Keep it short and sweet: Write in short sentences and paragraphs. A website visitor wants to know the answer to their burning question easily, not have to read through a lot of content. It’s also easier for Google to highlight the section of your website that is relevant to their search.

Use bullet points like a boss: Highlight key information with bullet points, or use a bold font. This way the key information stands out easily for them.

Don’t forget your calls to action: It’s still really important, that your website visitor can contact you easily, so intersperse your contact details, call now button, contact us button throughout your content.

I hope that you found this article useful and you can see why optimising your website for voice search is as important as optimising your website for text search. If you fancy a coffee and a chat about voice search or how we can help you, then please get in touch.

Thanks Tracy

?? 07889 967779

?? [email protected]