Optimize your site for voice search

By Lauren Labunsky

As smartphones and home voice assistants become more popular, it has become crucial to optimize your dealership website to be featured in voice search results. It is estimated that 65% of people ages 25-49 speak to their voice-enabled devices at least once per day* – these include smartphones, smart watches, Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, and more. According to research, half of all online searches will be conducted by voice in 2020.*

One of the most impactful things you can do to optimize your site for voice search is make sure the content on your site is useful and relevant to the boat inventory you sell, contains high-quality information, and is written for humans – not robots. It used to be true that “keyword stuffing,” or including as many relevant keywords as possible within your content, was an effective way to attract search engine algorithms and earn a higher ranking. However, search engines have gotten smarter. It is best practice to ensure that your content is well-written and conversational, especially for voice searches, which are conversational by nature. Answering frequently asked questions and providing answers that are simple and concise can also help optimize your site for voice searches.

Keeping your business listings up to date is vital if you want local customers making voice searches to be able to find you. Not only will inaccurate or outdated information knock down your search engine ranking, but those who find you via voice search will have trouble visiting you in person. It’s also necessary that your business information consistently matches everywhere it is listed online. For example, if you use the abbreviated “St.” in your address on Yelp but “Street” is used in your Google Business listing, that inconsistency could cost you a higher ranking in voice search results.

Though it may seem obvious, the speed and performance of your site is more important than ever in voice search. When someone chooses to make a voice search on their device, they are likely in a hurry, meaning that they will choose the most convenient result that fits their needs. A website that loads slowly or does not function well on their device due to a non-responsive platform is not likely to rank high enough in results for a voice searcher to choose it in the first place. Even if they do, the searcher is not likely to stay on the site long enough to submit a lead or decide to purchase from you.

Many elements of SEO best practices, in addition to overall high standards in website performance, will help put your site in the best position for voice search. For this reason, the rise of smartphone use and home voice assistants only points to the importance of keeping your site up to par in these ways. Get the best both of worlds by improving your website content and performance, plus improving the accuracy of your business information, while also optimizing your website for voice search.

*Statistics courtesy of DialogTech.

Lauren Labunsky is the public relations manager for Dealer Spike, a company that provides innovative websites as well as a suite of powerful online advertising solutions that help marine dealers help increase sales and service profitability. For more information, visit www.DealerSpikeMarine.com or call 800-288-5917.