With the rapid advancement of technology, voice search has become a popular and increasingly important way for people to find information online. In fact, studies show that over half of all searches are now done using voice search. 

The voice search trend has significant implications for businesses, particularly in Dubai, where voice search usage is rising. Dubai businesses must optimize their online presence for voice-activated queries to stay ahead of the curve. 

In this article, we will explore the rise of voice search, the benefits of optimizing for voice search, and provide tips on ensuring your Dubai business is voice-search ready.

Voice Search: What it is and How it Works

Voice search refers to optimizing your website and online content to be easily discoverable on places like Google. The process involves optimizing for the natural language and long-tail keywords commonly used in voice searches and ensuring your website is mobile-friendly and loads quickly.

In the MENA region, roughly 50% of online searches occur via voice search. Thus, prioritizing voice search as a primary marketing channel is a must for Dubai businesses—but not all are familiar with how it functions.

How Does Voice Search Work?

Voice search employs speech recognition technology to understand and process a user’s spoken search query. When a user activates their device’s voice assistant (such as Siri, Alexa, or Google Assistant) and asks a question or makes a request, the device records the user’s voice. It then sends it to a speech recognition system. 

The system then analyzes the user’s voice to convert it into text and perform a search query using a search engine or virtual assistant. The search results are then read aloud to the user, or displayed on the device’s screen, depending on the device and the query type. 

Voice search also relies heavily on natural language processing (NLP), which helps the system understand the meaning and intent behind a user’s spoken query.

Voice Search Statistics You Need to Know

These voice search statistics can put the landscape and competition into perspective:

• The average voice search result is about 29 words long. Stay within this word count to get the best results.
• 71% of consumers prefer to use voice search instead of typing a query.
• 38% of online shoppers are better engaged by voice advertisements than traditional media.
• 27% of people use voice search features on their mobile devices to shop.
• Of the people who use voice assistants, 16% use 

Why You Should Optimize Your Dubai Business Website for Voice Search

As Dubai-based businesses rely heavily on a robust online presence, voice search is no longer just a nice-to-have. You can benefit by incorporating voice search features into your Dubai marketing strategy.

Increased Visibility

Optimizing your online presence for voice search can increase your visibility and reach a wider audience. Because voice searches are longer and more specific than their typewritten counterparts, optimizing your business website ensures you appear in the top search engine results.

In addition, you can target local audiences and increase the chances of being found by shoppers looking for similar services in your area.

Improved User Experiences

Providing relevant and helpful results guarantees an enhanced user experience. Users are more likely to feel satisfied if your content answers online queries succinctly and accurately.

Part of a positive user experience is accessibility. For non-literate online users, voice search is a powerful tool that raises the banner of inclusivity and makes query solutions more available.

Better Insights

Optimizing your business for voice search can give you better insights into your customers’ behavior and preferences by providing data reflecting how they interact with your brand through voice-enabled devices.

Many voice assistants indicate how people search for your brand or products by identifying trends in user behavior, popular search terms, and other insights that can inform your marketing strategy.

You can also use this information to differentiate your brand from competitors, tailor your messaging, and better inform your content.

Tips for Incorporating Voice Search Into Your Dubai Business Website

Voice search optimization for Arabic content is unlike what you’ll find in Western markets. In addition, the MENA region is rich in content geared toward Egyptian, Emirati, and Moroccan Arabic dialects. Remember these tips if incorporating voice search into your Dubai business market is on your list of priorities.

Use Natural, Conversational Language

Typewritten searches vary drastically from their voice-enabled counterparts. Instead of short, bullet-pointed phrases, optimize your content to sound how users speak. For instance, if you rank for the written search “top digital marketing agency in Dubai,” you might use a longer-tail voice phrase like, “What is the top digital marketing agency in Dubai?”

Still, you’ll want to keep these phrases short and sweet. Most voice searches adhere to ninth-grade reading skills on average, so you’ll want to simplify high-level information.

Focus on Local Searches

22% of voice searches lead to location-based content. Thus, you should incorporate phrases like:

• Near me
• In my area
• In the neighborhood/city/country
• Nearby

In addition, you’ll want to voice-optimize your content on other platforms like Google My Business.

Optimize Load Speed

On average, websites should load in 2.5 seconds on a desktop browser and 8.6 seconds on a mobile browser to keep users hooked. By comparison, the optimal load speed for voice searches is 4.6 seconds, 52% faster than a text search.

You can ensure your voice results load quickly by using this to-do checklist:

• Optimize images.
• Compress files.
• Test your website for responsiveness.
• Reduce your server’s response time.
• Utilize web caching.
• Invest in accelerated mobile pages (AMP).

Incorporate the Arabic Language

Most voice search-friendly websites use the English language. While 50% of the Dubai population speak English as their first language, your business should account for the remaining 50% who aren’t fluent.

However, it isn’t as simple as translating your English content. Word additions can alter a sentence’s meaning entirely, which poses significant technical challenges.

In addition, UAE shoppers speak dozens of colloquial variations of Arabic, so you must identify your target market and align them with your business goals.

Avoid online tools that can’t comprehend context when translating your content for voice optimization. Instead, work with native language speakers with ample experience in digital marketing applications.

Use the Right Tools

Thanks to automation tools, optimizing your Dubai business website for voice search is more accessible to startups and growing companies. Below is a list of tools to incorporate into your voice search efforts:

• Google Search Console: Google’s free insight tool lets you know how your website performs on search engine results. It can identify and address issues regarding content and outdated information.

• SEMrush: Do you want to peek at how your competitors fare? SEMrush can provide insights regarding how you stack up against immediate competitors and pinpoint opportunities for improvement.

• Moz Local: Are you working on local listings? Moz Local can help you optimize voice search terms and ensure your content appears on local searches.

• Alexa Skills Set: Given the extensive population of online users that shop using virtual assistants, learning to create voice applications for devices like Alexa can go a long way.

Use Schema Markup

Schema markup is a type of structured data that provides additional context about the content on your website to search engines. Using schema markup can help search engines understand your content better and improve your chances of appearing in voice search results.

Start by adding schema markup to your business address and contact information to train search engines to recognize your location and improve your business’s chances of appearing locally. Then, incorporate schema markup in the following pages:

• Product pages: Adding names, prices, and unit availability to products and services can provide additional context for buyers.

• Frequently asked questions (FAQs): Generally, FAQ pages don’t often rank well. By incorporating structured data into your FAQs, Google will show a collapsible list of questions under your SERP result, encouraging viewers to click the link.

• Event pages: Whether you host virtual or in-person events, adding a schema markup can provide additional contexts, like dates, times, locations, and ticket information. 
• Online reviews: If your website features reviews, schema markup can identify names and ratings to ensure your business and products appear on Google and other third-party review sites.

The Bottom Line

In conclusion, the rise of voice search has fundamentally changed how users interact with search engines and consume content online. As a Dubai business owner, optimizing your website for voice search is essential to staying ahead of the curve and remaining competitive. 

By incorporating conversational language, focusing on long-tail keywords, implementing schema markup, optimizing for local search, improving website speed, and using structured data, you can improve your chances of appearing in voice search results and drive more traffic to your website.

If your voice search efforts aren’t where you want them to be, our experts at Igloo can thrust your business toward success. As the top digital marketing agency in Dubai, our hyper-specialized team has ample experience in various global industries.