Why you should optimize for Voice Search The world of online searching is constantly evolving, and companies with websites need to frequently change how they optimize their content for the best results. It's 2018 and voice search is the new trend in searches. People now just need to speak and their devices will begin a search for them. It may not seem particularly important to website owners, but there are a few things to consider if you want to stay SEO optimized. Long or Short Tail Key Phrases The tide is shifting in favor of long-tail keywords, because they are more closely related to how people talk. Someone speaking into a device isn't very likely to make their request using disjointed sets of keywords, like they have in the past when using a keyboard (in other words, short-tail keywords). Now, they will be more likely to phrase it as an entire sentence, usually in the form or a grammatical question just like they would if they were actually speaking to someone. That means you should be sure to utilize words like "where", "who", "how", "what" and "why" even though these have been considered unnecessary in the past. According to Google, 70% of all searches placed with Google Assistant are spoken in a conversational format, so it's definitely important for SEO right now. Think about working more long-tail keyword phrasing into your content for better results. Questions and Answers People are also expecting a different sort of results with voice search. The days of bringing up websites that simply matched the keywords is on the decline. Generic information on a given topic is no longer the primary goal. A voice search is expected to return a specific answer to the given question. If your content isn't designed to provide answers, it may not be found. Mobile It's not just about being ready to handle voice searches, but also that your site is mobile-ready as well. Roughly half of all Internet searches are done on a mobile device, and one-fifth of those are using voice search. That means this is a huge component of your audience, and your exposure will be lost if you are not optimized for mobile viewing as well as for voice searching. Whether someone is using a tablet or a smartphone, they want immediate and accurate results from their searches. Sites that are not optimized to keep up with the changing world of voice searches are going to be left in the dust. In order to stay ahead of the curve, your company needs to be on board with both optimizing for voice search as well as for mobile access. Just be aware that it can be an ongoing process, as there are constant changes going on in the world of voice searching. You have to grasp the issues with platforms, keyword usage, phrasing, and even varying speech patterns. Though it may seem like a daunting task, it's becoming necessary to get your services and products to your market effectively.