By Editorial Staff | Reviewed by Syed Balkhi | October 4, 2024 | Reader Disclosure

Increasingly, individuals are opting to search by voice rather than manually entering terms into a search engine. Phrases like, ‘OK Google, what’s the nearest coffee shop?’ or ‘Hey Siri, find me a recipe for vegan lasagna’ are more convenient in many scenarios.

This shift signifies that voice search is set to dominate the future of online interactions. Millions engage with it daily for tasks ranging from gathering information to shopping and managing their smart home devices.

At WPBeginner, we have garnered vast expertise in optimizing websites for search engines. Our knowledge has been pivotal in promoting our digital offerings for more than ten years. Thus, we recognize the vital need to keep abreast of the newest SEO techniques.

In simple terms, if your WordPress website is not tailored for voice search, you’re likely overlooking a wealth of valuable traffic.

This article will explore the significance of voice search SEO and provide insights on how to optimize your WordPress site to harness the power of voice searches.

Voice search is rapidly becoming the primary method through which individuals seek information online. Without proper optimization for voice search, your website risks becoming less relevant, resulting in lost search traffic opportunities.

The convenience of speaking to a smart assistant on mobile devices or home gadgets cannot be overstated. Research indicates that 62% of adult Americans currently utilize voice assistants. Furthermore, 27% of global internet users are engaging with voice search via their mobile devices.

The three most widely used voice search applications globally include Alexa, Google Assistant, and Siri.

Numerous individuals turn to voice search for quick responses to their inquiries, such as finding directions to a store or checking its closing hours. This is particularly useful for those who are driving and cannot look at a screen, relying on their virtual assistant to verbally provide the information they need instantly without the necessity of browsing a website.

Conversely, there are times when users prefer to take their time examining search results and conducting their own research by exploring different websites. For example, they might be in search of the best deal on a product, looking for repair tips for their vehicle, or seeking guidance on a home DIY project.

With the recognition of this growing trend, a number of WordPress website owners are integrating voice search functionality into their sites. If you want to know how to accomplish this step-by-step, check out our guide on how to add voice search in WordPress.

It’s essential to focus on voice search SEO to ensure you don’t overlook this vital traffic opportunity. Search engine ranking is essential, as nearly 68% of clicks from voice searches are generated from the top five results on the search engine results page.

Next, let’s explore how to enhance your WordPress blog for voice search. Below are the various topics we will discuss. You can click the links to jump to whichever section catches your interest:

With that in mind, it’s a good idea to experiment with a variety of voice search SEO techniques.

When users engage in voice search, they tend to converse in natural, everyday language. They won’t utilize the same keywords as they would when typing into Google’s search bar.

Rather than simply searching for ‘best pizza in Los Angeles,’ users may phrase it as, ‘OK Google, what’s the best pizza in Los Angeles?’

To ensure your content is optimized for these types of voice searches, it’s important to utilize a conversational tone that resembles everyday dialogue. Essentially, your writing should mimic the way you naturally speak.

From our observations, an effective strategy for targeting conversational keywords is through the use of long-tail keywords. These queries are generally longer and more detailed, often presented in the form of questions that users tend to search for.

These types of natural language inquiries reveal a lot about user intent. Thus, instead of solely aiming to match specific keywords, it’s crucial to comprehend and address this intent within your content.

There are numerous long-tail keyword generators available to help you find these extended phrases.

As an example, you can utilize our very own WPBeginner Keyword Generator Tool. All you need to do is input a keyword and hit the ‘Analyze’ button.

This tool will provide you with hundreds of keyword suggestions tailored for your content.

Make sure to check out the ‘Questions’ section where you can see what inquiries users have regarding your keywords. It’s beneficial to address these questions directly within your content.

Another valuable resource for uncovering long-tail keywords is LowFruits.

By entering a primary keyword into the LowFruits KWFinder tool, you can generate a plethora of long-tail keyword suggestions. You can also select the ‘Questions’ tab to filter for only question-based keywords.

LowFruits allows you to examine these keywords further by displaying their search volume in the ‘Vol’ column, giving you insight into which keywords are expected to drive the most traffic to your site.

Moreover, each keyword is assigned a difficulty score (‘SD’) that indicates the level of challenge in surpassing competitors for that specific keyword.

It’s essential to focus on keywords that have a high search volume but low difficulty.

As previously mentioned, many individuals rely on voice search in situations where they cannot view a screen, like while driving. They depend on their virtual assistants to provide spoken responses, such as giving directions to your store or informing them of closing hours.

This can only be achieved if Google and other search engines are able to comprehend the content on your website. For this understanding, they utilize structured data formatted as schema markup.

Schema markup is a unique kind of HTML code that is integrated into your WordPress website behind the scenes. It aids search engines in interpreting various types of content, including blog posts, products, recipes, events, and much more.

For example, it enables search engines to identify key details like recipe ingredients, product specifications, and pricing information. Schema markup can also enhance the visibility of your store hours or professional contact information.

By following our guide on how to integrate schema markup into WordPress and WooCommerce, you can provide virtual assistants with the necessary data to respond to user inquiries.

For instance, leveraging All in One SEO can simplify the process of adding schema markup for FAQ sections that tackle frequently asked questions in your field.

The structured data will facilitate easier access for search engines and virtual assistants to highlight your content in voice search results.

If you choose to utilize this plugin for easily generating schema markup, you may also find it beneficial to check out our comprehensive guide on setting up All In One SEO.

For those running a local business, numerous users are likely searching for your services via voice search. It has been noted that 76% of voice searches are individuals seeking local goods and services.

They could be looking for directions to your establishment while on the road, or inquiring about the nearest coffee shop when organizing outings with friends.

As you incorporate schema markup into your website, be sure to include details for your business address, contact information, opening hours, and any other crucial business information.

Enhancing your website with local schema can significantly simplify the process for virtual assistants to address customer inquiries and steer potential clients towards your business.

This optimization will also elevate the visibility of your store in regular Google search results.

We have put together a comprehensive local SEO guide designed to assist you in increasing your local search traffic.

In addition to guiding you on incorporating local schema, this guide explains how to enhance local visibility through creating a Google Business Profile, integrating Google Maps, getting listed in local business directories, and displaying positive customer reviews.

Highlighted results known as featured snippets appear at the top of a Google search results page.

For instance, if you search for a recipe, Google frequently lists the most relevant results in a featured snippet at the top of the page.

These snippets are strategically positioned above the standard search results, significantly increasing the traffic directed to your website.

Moreover, with the rise of voice search, virtual assistants often read the featured snippet aloud to users. This is a compelling reason why 40% of voice search results include featured snippets.

While we cannot guarantee a featured snippet placement as it is ultimately determined by Google, utilizing schema markup on your website can be beneficial. Additionally, there are several strategies you can implement to significantly enhance your chances of being selected.

For further details, take a look at our comprehensive guide on acquiring a Google featured snippet with your WordPress site.

It’s also essential to ensure that there are no technical issues that could negatively impact your rankings. You might have crafted the most outstanding voice-search-optimized content, but if it doesn’t show up near the top of search results, then your hard work may be in vain.

We developed a reliable technical SEO checklist designed to help you pinpoint technical issues that may be hindering your ability to achieve better rankings. It covers common problems such as:

Addressing these types of errors can help eliminate problems that might negatively impact your search engine rankings.

Below are some concise responses to common inquiries regarding optimization for voice search.

Is voice search limited to locating restaurants and navigation?

Absolutely not. Today, individuals utilize voice search for a wide array of tasks, ranging from intricate inquiries on how to repair a leaking faucet to engaging in online shopping and managing their smart home devices. Essentially, users may opt for voice search for nearly any information they wish to locate on the internet.

Is it necessary to specifically optimize for voice search? Isn’t it just like standard SEO?

While they are connected, voice search has its nuances since people express themselves differently when speaking compared to typing. They tend to use longer expressions, adopt a more conversational tone, and frequently pose questions. Therefore, it’s essential to tailor your optimization to the way people communicate.

What is the key action I can take to enhance my site’s voice search optimization?

Consider your audience’s perspective and visualize how they might articulate their search inquiries. What language would they employ? What kinds of questions would they raise? Ensure your content reflects those inquiries and provides clear, concise responses.

Are keywords important for voice search?

Absolutely, but it’s essential to concentrate on ‘long-tail keywords.’ These are more detailed phrases that individuals typically use when speaking. For instance, rather than simply saying ‘Italian restaurant,’ try using ‘best Italian restaurant near me open now.’

I’m not technically savvy. Is it difficult to optimize for voice search?

It’s more straightforward than it seems. The key factors are to write in a conversational manner, enhance your site for mobile users, and utilize one of the top SEO tools or plugins to assist you.

How can I determine if my voice search optimization is effective?

Monitor your website’s traffic closely. Utilize resources like Google Analytics and Google Search Console to assess the keywords that visitors are using to discover your site, including those from voice searches, along with their level of engagement with your content.

We trust that this tutorial has assisted you in understanding how to optimize your WordPress site for voice search. Additionally, you might find interest in our expert recommendations for the top schema markup plugins for WordPress or our comprehensive guide to WordPress SEO.

If you enjoyed this article, we invite you to subscribe to our YouTube Channel for insightful WordPress video tutorials. You can also connect with us on Twitter and Facebook.

Syed Balkhi

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