Voice Search Trends in 2020 and Voice Search Optimization

Voice search was first introduced to us in 2011 by Google, and now by the end of 2019, about half of all searches made online were through voice. Actually, about 20% of all Americans own a smart speaker or voice search device, according to NRP and Edison Research. The most popular voice search devices include Google Home, Amazon Alexa, and Siri.

In fact, 55% of all households in America are expected to own a smart speaker device by 2022 (OC&C Strategy Consultants). And contrary to popular belief that it is mostly younger people who use voice devices, it’s actually adults age 30-60 that are using voice to make purchases more than any other age group, according to a study by Narvar.

The most popular commerce services that are used with voice search right now are grocery shopping, entertainment shopping, and electronics shopping. Everyday household items are the most frequently voice-searched and voice-ordered purchases. And voice-based orders for other markets are steadily growing as well.

Even with this fast growth in voice search, a vast majority of applications don’t support voice-based shopping. This is why getting a head start on voice search optimization will be such a powerful strategy for marketing your business this year. Are you preparing for the voice search takeover?

Here’s how to optimize your content for voice search:

1. Focus on local search.
If you have a physical storefront, focus on local customers . Voice searches usually have a local focus, since people typically conduct voice searches when they are on the go or driving. The businesses that the smart speakers recommend have a considerable advantage

2. Write your content in a natural tone.
While people would type into a search engine, “open restaurants near me,” they will say to a voice search device, “What restaurants are open near me?” An excellent way to start optimizing your web content for voice search is to write your content in a way that mimics a conversational tone. One way to do this is to create FAQ pages or FAQ sections on your website, and you can even include structured data for FAQ sections, which brings us to our next point.

3. Use schema markup (structured data).
To really step up your voice search optimization efforts, integrate schema markup in your web pages. Schema markup, or schema.org vocabulary, is structured data that helps search engines understand your website and web pages better. In the world of voice search, schema markup is what will ensure that your site will show up in voice search results. Voice search devices use speakable structured data to answer their users’ queries. The integration of schema markup will be your strongest asset when it comes to optimizing your website for voice search.

To start using schema markup on your website, visit schema.org to learn more about the microdata and different properties related to schema vocabulary, and start implementing relevant code in your site. If you aren’t sure where to start or need any assistance, call Octadyne Systems at 515-232-2024 or send us a message at info@octadyne.com today!