With the rise of digital assistants and smart speakers like Amazon Alexa, Google Home and Apple HomePod, voice search has taken a front row seat in the world of e-commerce. It is estimated that in the next year, half of all searches will be conducted via voice. In order to stay ahead of the curve, businesses need to optimize their e-commerce sites for voice search. Here are some tips to get you started:
Focus on Conversational Language
When users conduct a voice search, they tend to use more natural language and ask a question as if they were speaking to another person. Therefore, it is important to incorporate long-tail keywords, question phrases and conversational language into your site’s content. Consider what questions your potential customers may ask and ensure your site’s content provides relevant answers.
Utilize Schema Markup
Schema markup provides extra information to search engines about the content on your site. By adding structured data markup to your e-commerce site, you can help search engines understand the context of your content, making it easier for them to serve up relevant results to voice search queries. Make sure to add schema markup to key areas that are commonly searched, such as product descriptions, reviews and FAQ sections.
Write for Featured Snippets
When a user conducts a voice search, the digital assistant will often read out the featured snippet to provide a quick answer to the query. Therefore, it is important to optimize your e-commerce site’s content to appear as a featured snippet in search results. To do so, make sure to provide clear and concise answers to common questions related to your products or services.
Optimize for Local Search
According to a recent study, 22 percent of voice searches are for local content. This makes optimizing for local search a key e-commerce strategy. Make sure to include location-specific keywords in your content, such as city names, neighborhood names and landmarks. Additionally, make sure your site’s contact information and address are up-to-date and consistent across all platforms.
Speed Up Your Site’s Load Time
Users conducting a voice search expect fast results. If your site is slow to load, users may become frustrated and abandon their search. Make sure to optimize your site’s load time by compressing images and using a content delivery network to decrease the distance between your server and the user, resulting in faster load times.
Overall, optimizing your e-commerce site for voice search requires a combination of technical and content-based strategies. As the world of e-commerce continues to evolve, staying ahead of the curve and adapting to new technologies is crucial. By implementing these tips, you can position your e-commerce site to succeed in the world of voice search.
