If you are reading this, chances are, you are now familiar with the impact of voice search technology and have some degree of understanding on featured snippets.
Now, it is time to learn how to optimize the content on your website so that you will rank high among voice searchers and increase your chances of earning a featured snippet spot on Google.
Whether you refer to it as the “answer box” or “position zero” – the featured snippet is the place to be!
Combine that with voice search optimization techniques and you will be considered to be the authority website in your chosen niche.
What is Voice Search?
For the sake of clarification, we feel it is important to start with a couple of basics.
What is voice search?
This is a process that allows internet users to utilize a type of command by talking to conduct a search on the internet, in a website, or through an app.
It is a special type of dialog system that allows users to interactively search using any type of keyword or keyword phrase on any type of information that is readily available on the World Wide Web.
Current examples of voice search virtual assistants include Cortana, Alexa through Amazon, Google, and Siri through Apple.
What is a Featured Snippet?
Now, on to featured snippets. These are specially-selected results in search engines that Google places on top of the organic search results page.
These are placed in order to answer an internet user’s question as quickly and easily as possible.
When a website places as a featured snippet, it provides them with the highest level of brand exposure within Google search results. Featured snippets are also referred to as an “answer box” or “position zero”.
How Do I Optimize Content for Voice Search?
Now that the basics are out of the way, let’s focus on the steps that are required to optimize the content on your website for voice searches conducted by internet users.
In most instances, you will not need to completely overhaul your content; however, you may have to perform just a few simple steps.
The general goal is to ensure that your content includes short and highly concise answers to questions that your target audience may ask that are associated with your chosen niche.
In a recent evaluation of 10,000 results, it was found that voice search answers are an average of 29 words.
While this may help guide you, do not allow yourself to get stuck on the numbers game. The goal is to provide concise answers that are high in quality.
The next way to optimize your content for voice search is to ensure that you have a FAQs page on your website. Now, this is a general method for ranking.
While FAQ pages are generally one page with answers and questions, they may be backlinked or hyperlinked to relevant pages within your website.
The individual content pieces that you place on your website as standalone pages, articles, or blog posts should also include a variety of questions and answers.
For example, you could create a question for the title of the page, an immediate answer in the introductory paragraph, and continue by using questions for subheadings, followed by paragraphs that answer those questions.
You get into this habit, and all those virtual voice assistants will deem your website as an authority in your niche.
Now, in the past, all website owners wrote in a way that would attract search engines. We are way past this now. To optimize the content on your site for voice search, you have to go natural.
Virtual assistant searches are considered to be…well…less robotic than typed searches – for a lack of a better description. This means that you should write in a question and answer format and integrate the use of long-tail keywords.
Additionally, your individual content pieces should be significantly longer than you previously posted.
If you follow these steps, every single one of your content pages has the potential to rank for a large amount of voice search queries performed by internet users.
How Can I Increase My Chances of Becoming a Featured Snippet?
Now that you have a few good, solid steps on optimizing your content for voice search, it is time to focus on a few strategies that may boost your chance for becoming a featured snippet.
Before outlining these techniques, it is important that you know and understand that Google makes the ultimate determination on which sites will rank in position zero and which sites will not; however, we do have a little insight on some information that seems to increase the chances for a website to become a featured snippet. We will share those with you now.
To rank in position zero, it is imperative that you only post high-quality content that answers a specific search query effectively.
An average snippet contains up to around 50 words.
You should determine if you are opting for a paragraph-based snippet, a list-type snippet, or a table snippet.
Depending on the type that you choose, you will need to format your content accordingly. For example, if you are doing a tip article or a how-to article, you will want to focus on creating content for a list snippet.
This will include bullet points and numbers.
You should always focus on creating long-form content. The more information that is included in your content, the more likely Google will determine it is worth the position zero status.
The next factor you should consider when attempting to earn a featured snippet spot are the types of search queries that are most commonly featured as snippets.
These include the question snippet, preposition snippet, and the comparison snippet. Question snippets utilize words such as “how”, “who”, “what”, etc. These account for the majority of the snippets, with the “how to” being the most common. In preposition snippets, words like “like” and “for” are used.
Comparison snippets simply compare different factors, such as price and products.
When creating content, place an emphasis on a question, preposition, or a comparison in order to increase your chance at being featured.
Other factors that may help your content become a featured snippet include utilizing headings and subheadings in your content, writing on a 7th grade reading level, using landscape images, and using alt text with those images.
Alternative text will help inform Google exactly what the image/images in your content and your content – in general – is about.
Be certain to include keywords that you are attempting to rank for in the alt text in order to maximize the potential of your page to rank as a featured snippet.
We Can Help
We here at Brick Road Media specialize in creating content that will allow your website to rank for voice search and will help increase the chance that your site will become a featured snippet in Google search results.
The business that you have built is our passion. We specialize in building websites that deliver results.
Our modern templates are constructed in such a way that you are sure to achieve the success that you desire. Fast loading speeds, responsive design, and keyword optimization are just a few of our specialties.
With more than two decades of experience in the world of search engine optimization and custom website creation, we are standing by to assist you in reaching your highest level of success