The Intersection of Voice Search and SEO

voice search

It has become increasingly common to see (and hear) others asking questions and making requests directly to their smartphones and other mobile devices. For some, the days of typing in a URL and waiting for a browser to load a webpage on a phone are over. Now, one can easily ask Siri, Alexa, or any other voice-activated controls a question or use them to create a reminder.

You may be wondering what the voice search phenomenon has to do with your law firm. With the increasing use and adoption of voice search, it’s important to ensure your law firm website is properly optimized for these features. If not, you may be inadvertently missing out on traffic to your site and potential clients; and voice search traffic will only continue to increase.

Ensuring your firm’s website is properly optimized for voice search is incredibly important, as it directly impacts the volume of leads you receive. Voice search optimization is now considered an integral part of both SEO and mobile device marketing because voice searchers users use their mobile devices for this feature. The ever-increasing popularity of this technology makes it easier for the user when they need a hands-free option to search for information.

According to PwC, 65% of 25-49 year-olds use voice search features at least once per day. Due to the high frequency of voice search inquiries, Google, Bing, and other search engines pay attention to how well your law firm website’s pages are optimized for voice search. This, along with a variety of other factors, help determine your firm’s rankings in organic search results.

Your firm should consider the following factors when optimizing its website for voice search:

  • User Intent

Oftentimes, users search to gain information on a topic or to make an informed purchase. Understanding user intent involves figuring out why a person types in a certain inquiry. The user’s intent is especially evident when his or her searches are conducted using phrases such as “how-to,” “what is,” or “how do I.” It’s important for law firm website content to answer users’ questions in order for its webpages to be served up as one of the first options in organic search results.

  • Long Tail Keyword Phrases

When someone uses voice search to seek information, they generally speak to the voice assistant as if they were talking to another person. Thus, to rank higher in voice query search results, website copy should use a more conversational tone. It’s more common for searchers to use longer-worded questions rather than shorter inquiries. Optimizing your law firm website for long-tail keyword phrases helps with optimizing the site for voice search.

  • Page Speed

Website load time and overall speed also influence organic positioning for voice search results, because users are more likely to exit a website if it loads slowly. Voice searches exaggerate the need for speed, as voice searches are often conducted when a user needs to be hands-free, making page speed optimization even more crucial. Having a website that is not only mobile-friendly, but also optimized for voice search helps ensure you’re reaching users when they need your services the most.

  • Local SEO

Some research indicates up to 58% of searchers use voice search to find information on local businesses. And, these users are more likely to be driving, walking, and/or solely using a mobile device. Therefore, ensuring your law firm website has localized contact information and geographically targeted keyword phrasing is absolutely crucial.

Want to Learn More?

The popularity of voice search will only continue to grow in the coming years. Focusing on website voice search optimization will only help to improve your firm’s digital content visibility and reach.

 Optimizing your law firm website for voice search is only one aspect of a fully functioning, mobile-friendly website. If your law firm website needs to be improved upon, contact the legal marketing team at Stacey E. Burke, P.C. to learn how we can help.

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