How is voice search changing the way we approach healthcare search engine optimization?
Voice search isn’t new. As early as 2008 technology has been experimenting with voice activated assistants. Starting in 2010 this technology became more a part of our lives as Siri (from Apple) was born (April 28, 2010 – yes, she really does have a birthday). In late 2014 Amazon launched ‘Alexa’, which triggered the massive expansion of voice search that we’re seeing today.
By 2020 voice search will more than double from today’s volumes. As a healthcare provider you must be integrating voice search into your search engine optimization strategies.
Why do people use voice search?
- Personal Assistant & Reminders: We live in a busy world. Everyone can use a little help keeping track of their day to day lives.
- Entertainment: We are a world on the go. It is easier to say what we want than to open a browser, type, view results, pick the one we want to look at, and then engage. Voice search allows us to say what we want and get it.
- Answers to our questions: One of the first thing we learn as children is to ask questions. The is a natural process for us. Voice search taps into our primary understanding of communication and allows us to get the answers we seek.
- Local Targeting: when we want something local (a doctor, an urgent care, or a dentist) we can simply ask for one near us and have instant access to the results.
- They are on the go: Whether they are driving, walking, or just on the move, voice search allows you to get the answers you need without taking your attention off of what you’re already doing.
- Elderly: It is much easier for them to ask questions on their phone than it is to search and read the text on their screen.
How to prepare for the shift in healthcare voice search?
- Avoid technical content – use conversational tone
- Add a FAQ with common questions to your site
- Use long tail keywords
- Provide direct answers to the most common questions
- Include leading question keywords “who, how, what, where, and when”
- Consider slang in your content efforts
How does adopting voice search benefit my healthcare organization?
- Google is now indexing (creating relational values between previously non relational worlds) more misspellings, slang, and voice inflections.
- Pages that ranked for 10 keywords can now rank for 100’s or 1000’s of keywords if properly optimized.
- Organizations that have adopted to this strategy early have seen 20-70% increases in search engine optimization traffic.
- Meeting the searcher where they are is vital to conversion. Those that adopt a voice search oriented approach to seo are more likely to convert visitors that find their site. Think Questions and Answers first and you’ll win the conversion game.
How can I improve my voice search healthcare search engine optimization?
The first thing you need to do is to review your search console account. Look for queues on what people are searching for most. Then take the time to do your own voice searches. Do you find your healthcare organization when you search? Do the results that come up match with what you would want someone to find? If not reach out and one of our healthcare seo specialists.
