How to Optimize Your Plumbing Website for Voice Search

With the rise of smart speakers and virtual assistants like Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, and Siri, voice search has become a big deal in how people find local services—including plumbing. In fact, 55% of households are expected to own a smart speaker by 2024. For plumbing businesses, this shift toward voice search presents a unique opportunity to reach potential customers more conversationally and naturally.

But how do you optimize your plumbing website for voice search? Below, we’ll walk through the essential strategies that can help your website rank higher when people ask their devices for plumbing services.

1. Focus on Conversational Keywords

Unlike traditional search queries, which tend to be short and to the point, voice search is more conversational. When people type a search query, they might type something like “plumber near me.” But when they speak to a voice assistant, it’s more likely to sound like, “Who is the best plumber near me?” or “How can I fix a clogged drain?”

To optimize for these types of searches, you’ll need to target long-tail, conversational keywords. These keywords mimic how people naturally speak, making your content more likely to match a voice search query.

Tips for Implementing Conversational Keywords:

• Use question-based phrases: Think about the types of questions your customers would ask, like “How do I unclog a toilet?” or “When should I replace my water heater?”
• Incorporate full sentences: Instead of just targeting “plumber Dallas,” you might optimize for, “Who is the best plumber in Dallas?”
• Utilize structured data: Using schema markup on your website can help search engines understand the context of your content, making it easier for them to pull relevant answers for voice search queries.

Fact:

Research from BrightLocal shows that 58% of consumers have used voice search to find local business information in the last year, making it critical to focus on local and conversational keywords.

2. Create Voice-Friendly Content

Once you have your conversational keywords, the next step is to create content that’s easy for voice assistants to pick up. The key here is to keep your answers concise and straightforward, as most voice search results come in the form of brief, snappy responses.

What Makes Content Voice-Friendly?

• Use short paragraphs: Voice search queries often pull from content that’s easy to read and understand quickly. Keep your paragraphs short—no more than 2-3 sentences.
• Answer questions directly: If you’re optimizing for a question like “How do I fix a leaky faucet?” make sure you provide a clear and direct answer at the beginning of your content.
• Write in a natural, conversational tone: Avoid overly technical language or jargon. The more natural your content sounds, the more likely it is to align with a voice search query.

Example:

If someone asks, “How can I prevent frozen pipes?” A voice-friendly answer might look like this:
“To prevent frozen pipes, wrap them in insulation and keep your home’s temperature above 55°F, even if you’re away.”

3. Optimize for Local Searches

When people use voice search to find a plumber, they’re usually looking for a service nearby. This makes local SEO an important part of optimizing for voice search. The good news is that voice assistants often rely heavily on local search results when answering queries like “plumber near me” or “plumber in [city].”

Steps to Optimize for Local Searches:

• Update Your Google Business Profile: Ensure your Google Business Profile is accurate, with up-to-date contact information, hours of operation, and service areas. Encourage customers to leave reviews, as voice assistants often factor in ratings when deciding which business to recommend.
• Include Local Keywords: Make sure your website mentions the areas you serve. Use location-specific keywords like “plumbing services in [city]” or “24-hour emergency plumber in [city].”
• Create Location Pages: If you serve multiple areas, create separate landing pages for each location. This increases the chances of your website showing up when someone searches for a plumber in a specific town or neighborhood.

Fact:

46% of all voice searches are for local businesses, according to Backlinko. Optimizing for local keywords is crucial for capturing those voice search queries.

4. Improve Your Website’s Loading Speed

Speed is essential for all websites, but it’s especially important when it comes to voice search. Voice assistants prioritize websites that load quickly because they need to provide users with instant results. Google has even stated that website speed is a ranking factor, meaning slow sites could be penalized.

How to Boost Your Website’s Speed:

• Compress images: Large images can slow down your website. Use tools like TinyPNG to compress them without losing quality.
• Use a Content Delivery Network (CDN): A CDN helps distribute your website’s content across multiple servers, improving loading speed for users no matter where they are located.
• Minimize HTTP requests: Reduce the number of elements on each page to decrease the number of HTTP requests, speeding up your site’s load time.

Fact:

According to Google, 53% of mobile users will leave a site that takes longer than 3 seconds to load. So, fast-loading websites is crucial for both mobile and voice search optimization.

5. Use Structured Data (Schema Markup)

Structured data, or schema markup, is a code that you can add to your website’s HTML to help search engines better understand your content. By using schema, you increase your chances of being featured as a rich result in voice search.

Why Schema Markup Matters:

• Helps Search Engines Understand Your Content: Schema tells search engines exactly what your content is about, improving the likelihood that it will be featured in a voice search result.
• Enhances Local Search Results: Adding local business schema to your site helps search engines display your business hours, addresses, and reviews more accurately when someone uses voice search to find a local plumber.

Tools to Help with Schema:

• Google’s Structured Data Markup Helper can guide you through adding schema to your website, or you can use plugins like Yoast SEO, which include schema markup features.

Example:

For a plumbing business, you can use schema to highlight key information like your business name, address, phone number, services, and customer reviews.

6. Optimize for Mobile

Most voice searches are done on mobile devices, so it’s essential to ensure your website is mobile-friendly. Google also prioritizes mobile-first indexing, meaning that the mobile version of your website is the one primarily used for ranking.

Mobile Optimization Tips:

• Use Responsive Design: Ensure your website automatically adjusts to fit any screen size, from desktops to smartphones.
• Make Buttons Easy to Click: On mobile devices, people tap buttons with their fingers. Make sure your call-to-action buttons are large and easy to tap.
• Simplify Navigation: Keep your website’s menu simple and intuitive to make it easy for users to find the information they need, even on smaller screens.

Fact:

27% of the global online population is using voice search on mobile, according to Google.

7. Keep Your FAQs Updated

Voice searches often revolve around questions. By updating and expanding your website’s FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) section, you can capture more voice search traffic. Make sure your answers are clear, and concise, and directly answer common questions customers might ask about plumbing.

Example FAQs to Include:

• “How much does it cost to fix a leaky pipe?”
• “What should I do if my water heater stops working?”
• “Can I fix a clogged drain myself?”

These FAQ answers should be short and straightforward, as they are more likely to be used by voice assistants when responding to queries.

Ready to make your plumbing website voice search-friendly? Contractor 20/20 can help you stay ahead of the competition. Call us today at (607) 770-8933 to get started!

• Published at October 10, 2024
• Category: Marketing Strategy,Plumbing Marketing