With the sharp uptick in voice-enabled devices from tech giants like Apple, Google, and Amazon, it's not surprising to learn that in 41% of adults and 55% of all teens use voice search daily.
Why You Should Optimize Your Insurance Website for Voice Search
Knowing that voice search is changing the way that most people find what they need on the interest, optimizing your insurance website for voice search is critical.
You don't want to be left in the dust when your competitors start optimizing their site for voice and you're still optimizing for screen searches.
Understanding the Motivation Behind Voice Search
Searching by voice is 3.7 times faster than typing. Faster searches equals faster results for searchers.
In most cases, when a consumer is using voice search on a mobile device, they are most interested in completing a particular action such as finding a material that meets their needs or learning how to best implement a tool.
How to Optimize for Voice Search
According to Backlinko, voice search changes the way people search in two important ways:
- Searches are longer
- Searchers are more conversational
Optimize for Long-tail Keywords
Instead of optimizing your site around short keyword phrases, such as "contractor insurance", you can optimize for voice search by optimizing for long-tail keywords: key phrases that are typically 3 to 4 words long (or longer) and very specific to user intent.
If contractor insurance is an example of a short keyword phrase, then where do I find the best price on contractor insurance is an example of a long-tail phrase.
Be Conversational
"Hey, Google/ Alexa/ Siri, how do I make cold brew coffee at home?"
With the rise of voice-activated assistants, people are starting to talk to their devices in a more conversational manner.
In order to keep up with the change in search behavior, your site needs to be written and optimized using natural, human language.
Double Down on Local SEO
Local SEO is critical for insurance agents who are trying to find more customers in the areas they service. If you haven't focused on local SEO yet, the rise of voice search gives you one more reason to.
"Near me" searches have increased by 150% in the last two years. Helping search engines understand the geographic area where you do business will help you have a chance at ending up in the search results for anyone looking for "commercial insurance brokers near me."
Voice search isn't an up-and-coming trend. It's already here and having an impact on the way businesses optimize their sites to get found online. Optimizing your site for voice search means understanding what questions your potential customers have, how they're asking those questions, and how you can answer them in a normal, conversational way. Don't fear the rise of voice search: start having the right conversations with your customers on your site and you'll increase your chances of being found online.