Hey Siri, How Do I Optimize My Law Firm Website for Audio Search?

It’s time to optimize your law firm website for audio. Did you know that in 2016, Google’s CEO said that 20% of their searches were voice-based? And Gartner predicts that by 2020, 30% of searches will be performed without a screen. With the increase in popularity of voice commands for phone and household devices like Alexa and Google Home, audio search is a reality that businesses need to be aware of if they want to experience digital success.

Is audio search really different than traditional searching?

Quite simply – yes. When people are speaking to someone – or something – they tend to use more words than they would when typing into a search bar. It’s easier to lengthen search phrases when talking, versus taking the time to spell out more words on a keypad.

People also tend to be more conversational when using audio search. They might phrase their inquiry in the form of a question, and it’s important to understand how the question words (who, what, when, why, how) indicate exactly what the searcher is hoping to find.

How to make your site louder.

It’s important for your site to be relevant above the noise. That’s always true for search engine optimization, but here we’re going to give you some tips that are especially helpful when it comes to voice searches.

Aim for Speed

Google always accounts for speed in their search rankings – that is, sites that load quickly and easily. When it comes to audio searching however, that factor is even more heavily considered. The reason is because most people who are browsing with audio are on a mobile device. They don’t have the time or desire to wait 15 seconds for a page to load. Take a close look at your website’s pages and consider the load times. If you think you can make improvements, do so right away.

Content is King

Short form content, or brief pieces of content that quickly deliver quality information, are especially helpful for audio searches. This is why concise, educational blog posts that answer the questions that your clients are asking are helpful for improving your law firm website’s search rankings. It makes sense that when browsers are using voice search, they want easily digestible answers. This type of content is more likely to be found and referenced by a search engine. If you can create articles that are especially efficient, one might even qualify as a Google Featured Snippet. A Snippet (also called position zero) is what is read aloud to the searcher, or, if you look at a screen, what is featured within the box above the general search rankings.

Longer forms of content like white papers also have a purpose. That’s because they tend to contain a lot of helpful information and, hopefully, are keyword dense. They also contain more outbound links, which are always helpful for SEO.

Keep Optimizing for Mobile

Ideally you are always considering mobile in your digital efforts, since mobile search grows every day. Since most voice assistants or commands are on mobile devices, it’s important to remember a mobile-first approach in your SEO. You should have a responsive website, and spend some time looking at each page in various devices to check load times, images, and content.

Takeaway

The bottom line is, technology is advancing and voice search is here to stay. Taking a few small steps like the ones mentioned above will help you stay current in the evolving digital landscape, while improving your law firm website’s search rank in general.

If you need help putting together a search strategy, or want to learn more about creating content or optimizing for mobile, reach out. We’re here to help.