As we continue to move into a world where natural search becomes more prominent, search results adjust accordingly. Algorithm updates are supporting search engine results pages (SERPs) that match closely to users’ search intents, which is why being mindful of natural language can be a great part of a search engine optimization (SEO) strategy.
If you’ve found yourself trying to research FAQs for voice search, this blog will help you understand a little more about what the search engines are looking at when they review and rank your content.
Defining Natural Language
Natural language means being mindful of how people might naturally speak in terms of voice search. As it relates to artificial intelligence (AI), natural language processing (NLP) gives computers the ability to understand, study, and decipher human speech or text. When AI examines words from web pages, it finds patterns that can be replicated into other marketing channels to help boost companies’ performances.
How Are Search Engines Using Natural Language?
Google and other search engines use natural language to understand the context behind searches to provide higher-quality informational content important to their users. This will help improve your natural SEO efforts and local voice search SEO and ensure that you’re ranking as high as possible with the search engines.
How Can Natural Language Improve SEO?
Companies will need to create great content that answers particular questions people are likely to ask when speaking into their search devices. Often, this means focusing on long-tail keywords, using keywords for voice search, and paying attention to phrases used within the content so it matches the natural flow of how an actual person might say it when trying to find information. When people search using voice, they use different tactics, words, and phrases than they do when searching via text.
The following are a few ways NLP is being used to improve SEO and user engagement:
Structured Data Markup Automation
There are tools available to help you extract properties and their specific identifiers to narrate your content to search engines. Structured data can help improve the quality of your schema markup, and you’ll see better results if you use the tools available to you. Your organic SEO efforts will dramatically improve when you optimize structured data in your schema markups.
Internal Link Building and Content Discovery
Internal links help people find content from your site’s pages. They also provide the search engines with the information they need to figure out what your content revolves around and who it should be displayed to when people search for specific words and phrases.
Content Recommendations
When content is created using a natural language process, the internet stores metadata in a readable format by its robots. Machine learning’s strength is categorizing information and predicting users’ behaviors and desires. Content recommendations can tremendously improve a little thing known as dwell time — that is, the amount of time people spend on a site from the time they click on a search result to the time they go back to their other options.
Smart Redirects and 404 Handling
Some websites are built around topics that route people to the right area by intercepting all the alternative names a search might have. Quora is an example of this type of site. If you head to Quora, you’ll notice that your browser will automatically redirect you to the topic page for the subject you’re trying to research. That’s because the server has been configured to understand specific phrases and acronyms representing other words and phrases.
Learn More From the SEO Experts at ZGM
If you’re searching for a company that offers voice search SEO services, you’ve come to the right place. Zero Gravity Marketing (ZGM) has all the expertise you need to optimize attention from search engines. If you’re still wondering, “What is voice optimization?” or want to learn other aspects of natural language, contact us today! We can help you figure out how to measure voice search success and so much more by creating a strategy specifically intended for your business.
