Already doing SEO? Add these two things to optimize for voice search

How do you optimize content for voice search in 2018?

That’s a popular search engine optimization (SEO) question these days as everyone looks to take advantage of the surge in spoken queries. Take a look at recent trends:

The answer to the popular question, “How do you optimize for voice search?” is this: Do what you would do for traditional search engine optimization and that should cover it.

Really?

Yep! Let’s move along now.

OK, so not exactly. I’m joking to prove a point.

There are a few things you can specifically do to optimize for voice search. For the most part, things you hear about optimizing for voice search are things that will help your site in general.

After doing some research on Google to find “how to” articles on voice search optimization and how SEO changes for voice search, I made a list of tactics to help get more organic traffic from spoken queries.

Many of the articles suggested the same tactics, so from the dozens of top-ranking articles I reviewed, here are the 12 best practices and corresponding tactics you can use to optimize for voice search:

1. Optimize for conversational keywords

• Create question-and-answer pages (FAQs) or write individual blog posts answering customer questions.
• Add questions to product pages.
• Use Answer the Public (free), Question Samurai (signup required) and StoryBase (paid) to find popular questions around your space.

Questions from Answer the People

2. Optimize for local queries

• Claim your Google My Business listing.
• Add “near me” phrasing to your pages.
• Write descriptions to show up in the local knowledge panel.

3. Try to get your…

[Read the full article on Search Engine Land.]

Opinions expressed in this article are those of the guest author and not necessarily Marketing Land. Staff authors are listed here.

About The Author

Bryson Meunier

Bryson Meunier is the SEO Director at Vivid Seats, is an SEO veteran with more than 14 years experience both agency and in-house, and is a thought leader in permission marketing as a columnist and a frequent speaker on SEO and mobile marketing.