With 2019 here at last, it’s time to buy into the age-old cliché and use the New Year as a fresh new start. This means out with the redundant marketing techniques of yester-year and in with the new!

One of the most significant developments to come this year will be the continued rise of voice search and its impact on content marketing – something that’s set to shake up SEO practices in a pretty big way.

In a recent Digital Examiner article, Caitlin Bagley notes that “Voice search is projected to be responsible for half of all search queries by 2020”, and “for digital marketers looking to get ahead of the competition in 2019 and beyond, this is the trend to prepare for”.

Not sure how you can optimise your own content for voice search? Here’s what Bagley had to say:

What is voice search and how is it being used?

“Voice search is a speed recognition technology that allows users to search the web via voice command” says Bagley.

Popular voice assistants include Siri, Amazon Alexa, and Google Home. The rise of these products has changed the way that people search for information – accounting for approximately 20% of searches in 2016, and predicted to rise to 30% by 2020.

People are using voice search to do what a traditional search bar can do, but in a fraction of the time. Without lifting a finger, you can have an answer to your query in seconds.

What does this mean for SEO?

When speaking out loud, our phrasing is different to how we would type it into a search bar. So, what this means for SEO content is that instead of using traditional keywords, we must now tailor content to incorporate natural language.

As quoted in Bagley’s article, Brian Dean of Backlinko suggests “inserting short, concise statements that can be used to answer voice queries quickly, accurately and succinctly. Focus on clear, concise language to better optimize your content for voice search results”.

Further to this, Bernard May of National Positions says you should, “embrace the long tail or niche keywords as you develop website content to make it more relevant to voice search queries”.

The world of content marketing and SEO is ever-evolving. By adopting these practices to optimise your content for voice search in 2019, it could give you the edge on competition.