What Is Voice Search Optimised Copywriting?

Slowly but surely, voice search is taking over for a surprising proportion of consumers worldwide. In fact, research suggests that more than 40 million homes in the U.S. alone have already adopted voice assistants. Google Home, Amazon’s Alexa and Apple’s Siri are all making their mark on the way we do business online.

But what is it about voice search that holds such unique appeal?

According to research carried out at Stanford University, it’s the simple case of convenience. On average, speech recognition technology is 300% faster than traditional typing. Rather than reaching for a device and hammering search terms into the box, consumers are simply speaking their commands out loud.

As a result, the importance of optimising copy for voice search is also growing. 

The question being - what exactly is meant by voice search optimised copywriting? Or more importantly, what can be done to capitalise on the growing popularity of voice search?

Question-and-Answer-Based Content

For one thing, consumers are becoming increasingly inclined to ask questions.  Rather than entering a standard search term, they ask their voice-operated devices a question as they would any other person in the room with them at the time. 

Whereas a traditional search may have used the term ‘pizza delivery in Brighton’, a voice search could be more along the lines of ‘what’s the best pizza delivery place in Brighton?’ By adjusting your copy to answer these kinds of questions, you’ll be far more likely to be found by those asking them.

Conversational Voice and Tone

In a similar vein, the use of natural language and long-tail search terms can be great for improving voice search traffic. As in the example detailed above, those who use voice search tend to speak informal and conversational requests, as if they were speaking to another human being.  

It can therefore be beneficial to eliminate unnecessary complexities and overly formal language, in favour of a more conversational and personal tone of voice. 

Prioritise Mobile Audiences

Along with virtual home assistants, the popularity of mobile technology is fuelling the voice-search revolution. Millions of mobile users are turning predominantly to voice search, using much smaller devices to access the information they need.

Once again, another reason to ensure mobile audiences are sufficiently prioritised. This means taking smaller device and screen sizes into consideration, creating mobile-friendly content and ensuring your website is appropriately optimised.

Focus Heavily on Local SEO 

Last but not least, close to 85% of all searches carried out via mobile devices have local intent. It’s therefore advisable to ensure your content caters to the needs of local audiences in your vicinity. Along with appropriate long-tail keywords and terms, try to ensure that your content features plenty of local references and generally localised copy. 

Again, there’s a tendency for those who use voice search to be more specific about what they want and wherethey want it. Voice search optimisation should therefore be combined with a wider local SEO strategy for optimum effectiveness.