Voice commands and voice search options are everywhere. You can speak them into the phone, the home device, the TV remote and more. And as you might know, we speak differently from the way that we type, and even when we are asking for information from a device, we phrase things differently because we are talking. This is already having an impact on SEO or search engine optimization, and forcing businesses to reconsider keyword choices, content and much more.

After all, as Forbes noted, “Not only is a larger percentage of the population using voice-activated devices, but consumers are also becoming more comfortable and trusting of them as well.” This means that voice search is changing search, in general.

The Age of Voice Search

For those of us who grew up adoring any of the Star Trek programs, the idea of saying “Computer…get me Star Fleet,” or making a demand in a specific system seemed like an impossible dream. Yet, we are doing just that in our homes, offices and cars today. “Alexa, add bread to the shopping list” is just one example.

So, the age of voice search is already upon us. Yet, we didn’t make the leap instantly. Instead, we began with typed-in searches that used short- as well as long-tail keywords and geo identifiers. Then we had to begin truncating searches as we entered them into mobile phones, causing more changes in search engine optimization methods.

Today, we are at voice search, and this operates differently.

Search Engine Optimization in the Age of Voice Searches

Traditional search engine optimization has you figuring out the phrases that people would type into Google or another engine to find what they want. Now, there is usually an auto fill option with “near me” that appears for most searches. And though it might make you think you need only add that little phrase to your existing keywords, it takes more than that.

After all, the search engines don’t create the answers to the questions asked. It has always been writers, bloggers and others that ask themselves what a client needs and then supplies information based on their answer. This is the heart of content development and the ongoing creation of unique written, video and other content.

This is still prime SEO strategy, but you also must (as the experts at Tech Co say of the issue), “consider devoting time and resources to writing content that answers questions consumers have spoken into their devices.” And remember that SERPs (Search Engine Results Pages) are different based on the device used. Regular computer searches yield at least ten options on the first page of SERPs, mobile searches give around three, and home management devices give just one.

This means you have to tweak and even “re-tweak” the keyword strategy used. How would your clients say what they need versus typing it into a search engine? Clearly, search engine optimization will just continue changing over time, but you will want to get far ahead of the game where searches using voice commands are concerned. The team at Organically can offer you the insight and experience needed to help you formulate strong keyword strategies, make effective content and more.