Voice search has been around since 2011. It started as a novelty item by Google that initially was not used. Now, the importance of voice search has increased as users verbally ask their devices for information.

Since voice searches are still primarily used for navigation, we suggest registering your business, so customers can find your location on Google Search and Maps.

There are industry professionals that will argue that optimizing for voice search is not significant, since voice searches are converted to text before submittal. We disagree and find that it is best to voice optimize as part of an overall SEO practice and strategy. Nuances can provide an edge upon competitors.

There is a difference between typed and spoken queries. When we type into the search bar, we are more concise with our language but when we speak to our device, we use conversational phrases. Long-tail+ keywords and questions can help optimize for voice search. When we talk to our devices, we act as if we are speaking with another person and need to use this knowledge to improve optimization to have a better chance for consumers to connect and engage.

If you have questions or need help with search engine optimization, contact the OMA Comp marketing team.

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There are many things influencing SEO this year, but one of the biggest rising stars is the featured snippet. You have likely come across this search engine feature at least once or twice in the recent past. A snippet is a piece of content taken from a website that’s presented on the search results page.

Anatomy of a Featured Snippet

What makes a featured snippet different from results on a search page? They are reversed from the usual display format. A section of content is displayed at the top, sometimes with a related image. The page name and URL appears below.

Featured snippets are prominently displayed, so that they are easy for the internet user to see before delving into the search results. The idea is that the snippet appears when Google believes that it will provide a better answer based on the search text.

Why Are Featured Snippets Important?

Voice searching is on the rise, with one in five mobile queries utilizing voice. This has a direct impact on the featured snippet, which is often returned as a response to questions asked using voice search. A recent study conducted by Stone Temple Consulting included 1.4 million queries. Approximately 30% of those queries were shown a featured snippet. The trend has been moving steadily upward since at least December of 2014.

Optimizing Your Featured Snippet

The highest ranking pages tend to get more snippet results, so the better your SEO is, the higher your chances will be of getting featured. Multiple studies have revealed that long-tail keywords are more likely to produce a featured snippet. If you need help increasing your chances of getting featured on Google, contact OMA Comp today. We can help you get noticed with improved SEO strategies.

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