Google's guidelines regarding SEO are changing as time goes by. We can see it in a simple way if we analyze what it was like to do SEO before and how it is now. If you are one of those who began to position a website in the 90s, you know what we are talking about.
Basically, it consisted of excessively repeating a keyword throughout the entire HTML structure without respecting coherence. Now we can see drastic changes that have nothing to do with what it was before. And although voice search is a relatively new issue, there are those who believe that in the future it will be a determining factor for positioning.
For now, it only adds value to the UX experience, so in some way it is helping websites to be considered by Googlebot and displayed in search results.
Background to better understand changes suggested by voice search
To talk about voice search as a key element to improve the UX, we need to know the root of the matter; semantic search and the need to generate more natural and conversational texts to conquer Google.
In fact, Google itself launched an algorithm in 2013 called Hummingbird, in which there was a combination between Penguin and Panda, but adding a key factor that, according to Google itself, would change 90% of the way it was being done. SEO. This new algorithm was asking to create texts more of the conversational type.
Since then, we began to hear what semantic search is, in which importance was given to the capacity for intelligent, predictive search or, what is the same, anticipating the user's intention and understanding the context of what the buyer person is looking for, beyond a keyword.
In a nutshell, this means that the user stopped searching like this:
“apartments in madrid”
And he started searching by asking Google just as he would ask a person, for example:
"Where can I find cheap apartments in Madrid that are close to Quintana?"
Therefore, in a content strategy it was necessary to make some changes and start writing texts that had the intention of ending the user's doubts from the semantic sense, making clear the context of what the text means, without giving it so much relevance to the repetition of the keyword. With this we are not saying that keywords are no longer important, but they are no longer the only important thing to optimize a text.
Some time later Rankbrain was born, an extended version of Hummingbird and is trying to solve and put into context the colloquialisms that users use when searching on Google. Content Marketing specialists , such as Dean Brian, have devoted some of their articles to describing the importance that this has taken on in recent years.
What about voice search ?
Now, with the arrival of Siri, Cortana, Alexa, among other artificial intelligence software, a new change has been imposed in the industry that points towards voice search. And it seems that the online user is feeling very comfortable with this, mainly because it requires less participation in the search process, an aspect that greatly facilitates the life of the human being.
However, as a good interpreter of market trends and demands, Google has been able to translate all of the above to find mechanisms and improve the UX, and although it is not yet a determining factor for positioning in its search results, some of the statistics that we will mention point to the fact that in the near future, it will be part of Google's guidelines to rank in the first places. For example:
- According to Google, 1 in 5 searches are done by voice.
- In an article published by Campaign, ComScore estimates that by 2020, 50% of searches will be done by voice.
- An article published by Search Engine Watch states that voice searches have increased 35 times from 2008 to now.
In other words, everything indicates that voice search is causing a great impact in the industry.
All this phenomenon is due to the birth of smart mobile devices and, if we take a small look at the importance of this type of user for Google, we can summarize that in the future Google will consider, or rather, is already considering voice search. as a key element to offer an impeccable user experience. We can see it with the birth of these two new algorithms.
The relevance of the mobile user to Google is no secret to anyone. In fact, SEO guidelines have changed to redirect attention to this type of user.
Records from all over the world confirm that the online user is becoming more solid, that is, there are more and more mobile users searching on Google, therefore, for this search engine, it means a large market niche and, as a good brand, it is optimizing its services to please its users.
For example, in the last month of 2017, the company published some changes that would be being monitored as of the first quarter of this year, for example:
It was a game changer for websites that are optimized for mobile; and has said that whoever shows preferences for the desktop user and provides a poor user experience to those who browse from their mobiles, will be shown a manual notification through the Search Console, which in a nutshell means: penalty.
Now, if Google is showing greater interest in resolving the doubts and browsing experience of mobile users, do you think it is unreasonable to think that voice search is decisive for positioning in the future? For our part, we think not.
Voice search generates a unique user experience, and Google, for its part, is not going to waste the opportunity to please its potential niche market. For this reason, it is better to prepare a website that is created to take advantage of all this new stage.
How to do it?
Well, as we have already mentioned, there are still no clear guidelines in this regard, but for now, it is better to start creating conversational content that has a semantic structure, that clarifies the context of the text and is not HTML text. to attract the attention of spiders.
On the other hand, it is important to follow all Google guidelines regarding mobile optimization. This means that you must:
- Create dynamic content for each type of user.
- Show the same HTML content and structure to both users.
- Have fast loading content, because it will be an influential factor to gain position from this current year.
Remember that voice search is being used by mobile users and they should be directing your efforts, because Google has already stated that they come first. And if you want to generate a great user experience , you have to work hard to create a website that is easy to navigate for this type of user.
this is fenaminal
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