How Voice Search Optimisation in Ghana Can Increase Your Website’s Traffic

“Voice search is something I keep hearing about. However, my website is not prepared for this. I am worried about how much traffic am I losing in Ghana?”

This is a common concern among many local businesses. As an expert SEO at WebSys Technology, I can assure you that you are losing a huge amount of organic traffic.

According to a report, voice search has grown by almost 60% for people aged between 25 and 34 who now use it daily. This trend is gaining more traction in Ghana, especially with the advent of smart devices and digital voice assistants (Siri, Google Assistant, Alexa).

A failure to optimise for voice search is a missed opportunity to appear in local searches. The good news? Below I am sharing all the details you must know about voice search optimisation including: 

• What exactly does voice search optimisation mean?
• Why is it important to rank Ghanaian traffic to your site
• Strategies that can help you rank higher in voice search queries in Ghana.

What is Voice Search Optimisation?

Voice search optimisation involves optimising your website to appear in results when people search with voice search queries. It is the process of setting your website and its content in a way that matches people’s natural speaking patterns. 

Since this voice searching is not a typical search in which the users type, voice searches are processed through natural language processing (NLP) to understand the spoken commands.

For instance, instead of typing “best restaurants Accra,” a person might ask, “What are the best restaurants around me in Accra?”

So, these are the types of voice search queries your business should be optimising for in an effort to help it appear in search results and drive traffic to your business site.

Why Voice Search Matters for Websites

Reports indicate that the use of voice assistants is increasing and is expected to drive 20 million users to them as of 2028. 

Some other studies have shared that almost 50% of the online searches are made by voice searches. It is more surprising to know that nearly 1 billion voice searches are made online. 

And 58% of these voice searches are seeking some local businesses or products.

I believe these figures are just enough to highlight the importance of optimising websites for voice searches. 

Many businesses have taken advantage of voice searches to drive users to their sites and make sales. Some of the prominent examples are Domino’s Pizza, Sephora, and Netflix. 

How to Optimise Your Website for Voice Search Queries in Ghana

So, now that you realise the rewards of voice search optimisation, let’s move on to the tactics for better Google rankings in voice search queries in Ghana.

1. Use a Conversational Tone in Content

• Voice search queries are typically much more conversational than their text-based counterparts. Like how people often ask full questions, e.g. “Where can I go and buy some groceries in Accra?”.
• That is the speech pattern your website content should mimic. Write content in a friendly and understandable way, the way people speak.
• Use questioning keywords in natural language. For example instead of using the words: “Grocery store Accra” you should use “Where can I find the best grocery stores in Accra?”

2. Include Long-Tail Keywords for Voice Search

• Voice search queries are usually longer than text-based ones. We speak long sentences and expect outcomes that accurately reflect the complexity of our requests. A group of 25 keywords (best, how, what, easy, affordable) sparks almost 20% of all voice searches.
• Example: Optimise for “where can I get pizza delivered to my house in Accra?” instead of just “available pizza delivery service”
• By targeting such long-tail keywords, you can better meet the needs of voice search marketing in Ghana.

3. Target Local Search Queries

• As almost 58% of the people making voice searches seek local businesses or products. Its important to include localised terms in the content. For example, “Best plumber near me in Accra.”
• Local SEO for Ghanaian businesses is essential to appear in voice searches. If you have already focused on local SEO you can assure your business is almost 60% optimised for voice searches. 
• Tip: Ensure your Google Business profile includes your correct location and contact information.

4. Optimise for Mobile Search

• 20% of voice searches are done over mobile. Therefore, your website should be mobile friendly. Make sure your pages appear clear on mobile and tablets and also that the website runs smoothly.
• With responsive site design, your website runs smoothly on smartphones which will also help to enhance user experience and voice search rankings.

5. Earn Featured Snippets

• Featured snippet refers to the boxes answering your queries at the top of the search results. They are those that voice assistants read aloud. According to the My Codeless Website, 40.7% voice searches result in feature snippets answers, making it compulsory to optimise your website for snippets to direct that traffic to your business. 
• To optimise your site for feature snippet write short and to the points answers to the questions you believe people often search on Google about your service and product. Moreover, add bullet points and numbered lists clearly showing main points.

6. Use Structured Data (Schema Markup)

• Schema markup is a code that tells search engines what your data means. About 72.6% of the top ranking sites implement schema markup. That shows how it improves the chances of your website showing up in search results, even for voice search.
• Use structured data to highlight key details like products, services, addresses and contact information.

7. Ensure Your Website Is Fast and Responsive

• Remember, for Ghanaian E-commerce and voice search optimisation, page speed is so important.
• Websites that load slowly will give a bad user experience and affect your voice search rankings. Even reports claim that only a 100-millisecond delay in web page loading can reduce up to 7% conversion rates.
• Check your website loading time using a specialised tool (Google PageSpeed Insights, GTmetrix, Pingdom, and WebPageTest) and improve it.

Read more: How SEO Services in Accra Are Crucial to Improve Business Visibility

How to Measure Voice Search Impact on Traffic?

Here are some methods to measure the impact:

1. Google Analytics: Google Analytics site search can be used to monitor organic voice search traffic. See what voice-related queries get searched and how many of them convert to sales.
2. Google Search Console: keep an eye on click-through rates (CTR) for voice search questions in the SERP.
3. Local Search Reports: As voice search is mostly dependent on location-based results, you need to keep track of where your website is ranking for local search queries in Ghana.

The Future of Voice Search in Ghana: What’s Next?

Voice search has a promising future in Ghana. With increasingly advanced voice assistants in Ghana, businesses need to evolve or risk becoming obsolete. As per GWI’s report nearly 1,787 Ghanaian internet searchers utilise voice search or voice command tools.

Moreover, some reports estimate that voice assistants will direct 20 million users to them by 2028. This surge highlights those companies that tailor their SEO Ghana efforts for voice searches online will set themselves apart from the rest.

If you want to optimise your site for voice searches to increase traffic and sales of your business. Contact WebSys Technology now. 

With years of experience in this SEO optimisation field, we are experts enough to help you seamlessly.