Improving Your Performance When Potential Clients Use Voice-Activated Search
The future is today—with the increasing sophistication of voice-recognition technology, more and more consumers are using Siri, Alexa, and other apps to conduct online searches using vocal commands. One study found that 40% of all internet users in the United States conduct a voice-activated search at least once a month. That means your online marketing strategy needs to specifically include measures to help you rank well when a potential client initiates a search vocally.
How Is Voice Search Optimization Different from Text-Based Search Optimization?
Think about the differences between written content and spoken content:
- Written content tends to be more structured, whereas vocal content is generally conversational.
- Written content takes more time to produce. Most people speak faster than they type. For that reason, vocal searches tend to be longer. For example, in a text-based search, a person may type, “Albuquerque car accident injury attorney,” whereas a voice search might be something like “Who is the best attorney in Albuquerque for a car accident case?”
What Are the Best Strategies for Enhancing Voice Search Optimization?
Here are some of the ways you can more effectively optimize your website for vocal searches:
- Include full-sentence questions and answers in your content, using long-tail keywords—Long-tail keywords are those that have three or more words, such as “Albuquerque personal injury lawyer.” The more specific you are, the more you’ll distinguish yourself from the competition. One of the best ways to do this is with an FAQ section on your website.
- Use content that mimics the way people talk, not the way they write—When you do this, you’ll naturally minimize jargon or technical language, and you’ll have content that more closely matches oral searches.
- Emphasize local—More often than not, when someone asks Siri or Alexa a question about a business, it’s because they want to visit. That’s even more true with law firms. Your potential clients want to know whether you’re close enough that they can come see you. Be certain to create your Google Business Profile and keep it current. That will maximize your chances of appearing when someone asks Siri for “a personal injury attorney near me.”
- Create content that might help you appear in a Google snippet—Snippets appear on a Google search engine results page (SERP) above the organic results and are often in the form of questions and answers.
- Make certain your website is designed and optimized for mobile—Almost all voice-activated searches are initiated on smartphones and tablets. If Siri takes a prospective client to your website on a mobile device, your design and navigation must be mobile-friendly. Otherwise, the visitor is likely to leave your site for one that is. Your pages must load quickly, and the layout must be easy to read and navigate.
Let GetLegal Help You Enhance Your Online Voice Search Optimization
At GetLegal, we offer attorneys and law firms nationwide more than 20 years of proven experience in digital marketing. We provide a comprehensive array of online tools to help you connect with and bring in more paying clients, including full website development with custom content and design, video production, search engine optimization, social media campaigns, directory listings, and online reputation management. To learn how we can help you generate more potential clients for your practice, go to https://glpbpro.wpengine.com/ or call us at 1-877-359-7077.
