With 20% of online searches done through voice search, it’s only logical to optimise voice search for e-commerce websites. But what exactly is voice search and how can you achieve this? We unpack a few optimisation strategies below.
Across the world, households have started using smart home devices like Alexa, Google Chrome, and Siri. One of the key features of these devices is their voice search function. This allows users to complete sophisticated tasks like ordering takeaway or a rideshare, but it is most popularly used to look up information.
But how does voice search work?
Voice Search: What is it?
Well, when you search for something on Google, you will be shown matching articles, often with a featured snippet. These snippets could be in the form of a list, paragraph, or data set. The voice search function works by reading the first featured snippet on the search results aloud. For example, searching ‘what do cats eat?’ will cause the program to read the first search result snippet aloud.
Benefits of voice search optimisation
Voice search isn’t limited to smart home devices; computers, mobile phones and even cars have integrated this technology into their programs. As it becomes more widespread, it is essential that businesses establish websites that are competitive in the game of search results. By optimising your website for voice search, customers are more likely to use your service. Unlike hand-typed searches, voice searches do not always show alternative answers. For e-commerce websites with a strong optimisation strategy, this can mean that competitors are all but eliminated in the search function.
Optimise your website for voice search shopping
There are a few proven strategies to ensure your e-commerce website benefits from the growing use of voice search. Many of these are strategies that will help your website achieve position-zero, or the first result in a search. By employing these strategies, you can get the most out of voice search for e-commerce.
1. Focus on questions
When using the voice search function, users will rarely search a phrase. Rather, they formulate their searches as questions. For example, a user is more likely to search ‘what is the weather today’ than ‘weather today’ when making an enquiry. You can use this to your advantage when establishing your voice search optimised e-commerce website. Try structuring your content to answer client questions. An FAQ page is a great way to integrate the question format into your website, but blogs that use rhetorical questions can also work well.
2. Use keywords
If you want your website to end up in position-zero, it won’t be an accident. You can use Google Analytics to find popular searched terms for your article and integrate them into your website. Alternatively, you can outsource this job to a company that specialises in helping businesses achieve position-zero on search results. No matter what you choose, keywords are a highly effective way of conveying your relevance to the search algorithm.
3. Use everyday language
Speaking takes less effort than typing for most people, so the way we type verses speak is going to be different. When it comes to voice searches, this means searched sentences will generally be longer and use informal language. When we write, we try to be concise and save energy, but as speech is faster, we often use more words than when writing. To benefit from this, ensure that you integrate long-form keywords into your website. You can brainstorm potential customer questions or pay attention to how your customers interact online to ascertain what these long-form keywords might be.
E-commerce voice search to increase sales
Within e-commerce, voice search has the potential to eliminate competitors through website optimisation. You can use these strategies to make your business more competitive on the global stage and increase sales. With that, ensuring you have a solid international logistics strategy to support your growth is key. Create a DHL Express business account with us and find out how we can help you take your e-commerce strategy to the next level.
