Voice Search Optimization: Mastering Schema Markup and Conversational Language

From your iPhone and Android to Alexa and other platforms, assistants are everywhere.

Personal preferences are taken into consideration, as well as your location across all three types of searches:

1. Discovery: Find a plumber in Atlanta, Georgia.
2. Direct: Call Bill’s 24/7 Plumbing and Septic.
3. Knowledge: Why is my water turning brown in Atlanta?

Conversational phrasing must be considered across all enterprise offices to help capture as much local search traffic as possible.

Enterprises must do more for voice searches than just claim and optimize their listings on Google Business Profile, Apple Business Connect, Yelp, and other local directories.

You need to focus on long-tail keywords, refine your keyword research even further, and try to add context to your content.

Master Schema Markup To Add Content Context

Leveraging schema is crucial to help search engines make sense of an enterprise’s site content. Review and incorporate schema markup guidelines to help boost voice search.

A few tips that can help you master schema are:

• Start using Google’s Speakable Schema (beta) for sections of your text that are best for Google Assistant and voice search.
• Use analytics to help understand keywords and phrases customers are using.
• Find speakable snippets in new and old content to add schema.
• Think of your content in a conversational way to enhance context.

Schema markup, when used properly, can help add context to the content on each site and allow for greater voice search potential.

Speakable Schema lets you fine-tune your control over how voice assistants highlight your content. For example:

{


"@context": "https://schema.org/",


"@type": "WebPage",


"name": "Ludwig’s homepage",


"Speakable":


{


"@type": "SpeakableSpecification",


"cssSelector": ["intro", "summary"]


},


"url": "http://www.example.com"


}

Using JSON, you can add the speakable structured data to make your intro and summary speakable. You can adjust this for any cssSelector you like.

Enterprises are also finding greater success with voice when adding structured data for:

• Product information.
• Pricing.
• Availability.

As an enterprise, a bump of 1% to 2% traffic from search can add significant revenue to your bottom line. Schema.org has examples of how to use schema for ecommerce using microdata, RFDa, structure, and JSON-LD.

Add FAQ Sections Into Key Pages

Remember how you need to add questions to your keyword research?

It can be challenging to find ways to add questions to pages without interrupting the natural flow of your content.

How can you overcome this? Frequently asked questions.

FAQs can add immense value to your pages and help you start improving your voice search optimization.

One way to begin incorporating this is to:

• Perform a full content audit on the site(s).
• Identify pages and blogs where you can answer questions.
• Start adding FAQs to the most important pages and pages with the most potential.

Since you’re optimizing for voice search, answering questions in conversational tones is crucial.

Begin The Transition To Conversational Language

Content creators have heard about tone and consistency for decades.

“Speak the customer’s language” is often repeated across industries.

However, when dealing with voice search, a shift toward a conversational tone is emerging.

As it turns out, the stuffy “business tone” isn’t how most people use their Google Assistant or Amazon Echo.

You’ll need to ensure content teams are on board with these changes.

A quick meeting to reinforce conversational tones and maybe an update to briefs sent to writers can help drastically.

An excellent way to adjust content to be conversational is to have:

• Editors review all content.
• Read content aloud.

Small changes, and if you can add in spoken words and slang, can make a world of difference when trying to create more conversational content.

While there will always be traditional typed searches, enterprises and marketers should focus on the possibilities that voice search has to offer.

More Resources:

Featured Image: fizkes/Shutterstock

FAQs Related to Voice Search Optimization:

1. How can enterprises optimize for voice searches?

Enterprises can optimize for voice searches by focusing on long-tail keywords, refining keyword research, adding context to content, leveraging schema markup, incorporating FAQs, and transitioning to conversational language.

2. Why is schema markup important for voice search?

Schema markup helps search engines understand the context of content on a website, making it easier for voice assistants to provide relevant information to users during voice searches.

3. How can businesses incorporate FAQs into their website?

Businesses can start by conducting a content audit, identifying pages to add FAQs, and answering questions in conversational tones to improve voice search optimization.

4. What is the benefit of transitioning to conversational language for voice search?

Transitioning to conversational language improves user experience with voice assistants, making content more engaging and relevant for voice searches.

5. What are some key tips for mastering schema markup for voice search?

Key tips include using Google’s Speakable Schema, analyzing keywords, adding speakable snippets to content, and thinking conversationally to enhance context for voice search optimization.

The task at hand involves rewriting the text.