The world is heading towards the era of hands-free search, i.e., Voice search. Voice sensors are replacing keyboards with conversational Artificial Intelligence. Keywords and blue links are losing their importance in this era of voice search. The age of manuals evolved into the age of touch. Now it is gradually transforming into the age of digital assistants and voice search.
Voice search dominates the search landscape of the present world. At present, 20% of searches on Google are voice searches. The number will increase to 50% by 2020, according to ComScore. This is due to the advent of conversational AI in the world of computer technology.
The growth of voice search
Voice search is around us for many years, but its importance and use are growing exponentially in recent times. Mobile devices with advanced Conversational Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Speech recognition technologies are a significant contribution to this growth. The hands-free concept of mobile devices enables the user to do voice searches even while driving or cooking. Moreover, the technological breakthrough brought in by voice assistants like Siri, Google Assistant, and Amazon’s Alexa has their own contributions to the increased use of voice search. Be it ordering the food, keeping track of the files or listing, and reminding essential events, people are using these assistants.
Application of voice search in different industries
Google is turning up to be more intelligent in voice recognition, search, and interpretation. It can interpret a wide variety of voice searches with time. Spellings are also included as a specification for voice searches. Incorrect spellings in your content can also become a reason for the poor ranking of the content. So, business people, entrepreneurs, and content providers need to triple check their content before uploading it on the internet.
The broader context of the content will benefit the marketing in this time of voice search. Voice search can interpret the queries concerning the context. Using natural as well as local language and keywords to answer the voice search questions can benefit the rankings and visibility of the content.
Moreover, Google is coming up with another technology, “Google Duplex.” Google duplex is a technical intermediate between the user (who is attempting voice search) and the voice assistant (who often interprets wrong contexts of human language). This application is the best assistant while booking a table/ room at the hotel or an appointment at the salon, etc.
Moreover, the voice search will change the current SEO to a greater extent. Local SEOs will gain more importance in the world of voice search. The online ranking will depend on customer reviews. Geolocations are also an essential part of your content. Almost 51% of people use voice search to find cafes/restaurants. Precise locations and contact details will boost your market online by increasing your visibility.
Tips to improve marketing in the era of voice search
Optimization of business websites, platforms, and interfaces need great attention in this era of voice search. The digital marketing strategies of voice search are opposite to those with type-searches. Voice search will change the keyword strategies, SEO, and Google ranking of your website content.
Here are some optimization tips that will pick up your market in the era of voice search:
1. Incline your content more towards SERP-SEO:
Conventional SEO focuses on specific word phrases for a considerably shorter length. Google is changing its algorithms continuously and making it voice search-friendly. You need to focus more on SERP – SEO, i.e., Search Engine Result Page SEO rather than the conventional SEO. During a voice search, Google will look for a featured snippet against your query. It displays the results which appear on the top of organic results on Google’s SERPs. So, you need to create content that answers specific questions. Organizing content in a question-answer format and providing high-quality content are the best advice to improve your SERP-SEOs.
2. Check the length and tone of your keywords
It is essential to use conversational keywords rather than using word phrases. Voice search demands long-tail keywords. For example, people search for “India climate” when they type in search engines. But the voice search for the same keyword goes like, “What is the climate in India?” Thus, a phrase used as a keyword is totally replaced by a question or conversation.
So, there will be an immediate need for marketers to reevaluate their content and marketing strategies. Revaluation and recreation of your content keywords will rank your website higher on search engines and thus increase your visibility.
3. Make your website content and sessions adaptable to mobile devices
Voice search is a dominating mobile environment. People prefer mobile phones over PCs and laptops today. 90% of their web searches are on mobile phones. And it increases with the advent of voice search. 70% of total consumers prefer to conduct purchases through a mobile-friendly website. So, you need to develop a mobile-friendly website and interfaces for your brand with efficient marketing practices in the era of Artificial Intelligence.
To achieve this, work on improving the loading time for the website, delivery of your content, redesigning the pop-ups as well as buttons, CTAs, and fonts for mobile devices. People also prefer devices like Google Home, Amazon’s Alexa, and Siri for voice search. So, make your content compatible to give outputs through such devices.
4. Focus on Local SEO while designing your content
The majority of the population using voice search will search for local stuff.
For example, people search for
Which is the best garment shop nearby?
Which is the closest hospital near me?
Top 10 Chinese restaurants near me, etc.
A study says that 22% of voice searches are location-based. So, the local retailers, entrepreneurs, restaurants, boutiques, salons, and hotels can add the feature of using local SEO in their web-content.
Local SEO strategies increase your visibility on search engines and further benefit your sales. You need to generate an account on Google My Business and update as well as optimize it. Further, the positive reviews of customers, use of local keywords, and incorporation of your location and contact details add on to the quality of your local SEO.
5. Evaluate the speech search
Your brand needs to have its own agents that can talk directly to customers and to converse across multiple digital assistants.
There are eyes-free voice assistant devices available in the market. These devices give out the queries that a user might ask the voice assistant. The Voice assistants respond to these queries. This helps you evaluate the speech search, considering the parameters like length, formulation, and elocution.
Digital assistants that have contributed to the era of voice search
Voice search is trending in today’s market because of the devices that take inputs and give suitable outputs based on the voice. These devices are popularly known as digital/voice assistants. Some of the famous digital assistants among them are:
1. Google Assistant
Google assistants are always available on your mobile devices. You can easily use them through Google home. You can find Google home when you long-press home on the screen or just give a command saying OK Google or giving a squeeze to Pixel phones. Ask Google to send your texts, make or receive phone calls, send or receive your emails, play songs, or make a google search for you. All your tasks will be done in a single voice command.
2. Microsoft Cortana
Microsoft Cortana is one of the best personal digital assistants allowing you to get your work done on single voice command. Microsoft Cortana listens to your tasks and trains itself every day to become more useful. It memorizes your tasks and reminds you about them as and when required. It helps you out with time-based, location-based, and photo reminders. For example, set a photo of books as your reminder and then Cortana will remind you of buying that book when you are visiting a bookstore.
3. Amazon Alexa
It is a device that can be connected to the internet and given commands from google search to playing music. Alexa receives your voice and follows the command, giving you the results in a few seconds. It can play your favorite music and also speak out the results of your Google search. You can also ask Alexa to remember your tasks and remind you of the same as and when required. Set alarms on Alexa, and she will definitely wake you up.
4. Apple Siri
Siri is an efficient digital assistant by one of the leading mobile devices companies in the world i.e., Apple. You can ask her to receive and make calls, read messages, set alarms and reminders, make a browser search, etc. Siri gives you the results according to the commands and assists you in operating your mobile devices when you are caught up with tasks like driving or cooking.
Bottom Line
Voice search is bringing newer marketing strategies in the field of business. It makes digital marketing more similar to face-to-face marketing. Implement the practices mentioned above in your marketing strategy and crack the Google algorithms to boost your market and sales in the world of voice search.
Thus, with the advent of conversational AI, voice assistants, and digital assistants, voice search is getting more and more popular among people. They prefer voice over typing. And thus, it is well said that voice search is the future of modern marketing.
Featured image source: Freepik