What Impact Will Google Voice Search Have On My Business?

HEY GOOGLE WHAT IS GOOGLE VOICE SEARCH? 

We all know how technology has worked to provide the ultimate comfort to people. Isn’t it amazing to see how technology has advanced? In the beginning, it started with large machines which were surrounded by tons of cables. Later it evolved into keyboards, then touch screen, and now we have voice search.

Yes, it is as easy as that. You can simply say, and your search will be done!

According to a TechCrunch survey, more than a million people worldwide are using different voice searches, including Siri, Google Text-to-Speech, and Microsoft Cortana. About 4.7 million people are already using Google Voice Search. 

Read on to know the insights about the recent trend of the market, Google Voice Search.

What Is Exactly Meant by Google Voice Search?

Search by Voice or Google Voice Search is an invention by Google to allow the users to use the Google Search feature by speaking through a computer or a mobile phone. When you command Google Voice Search, it starts looking for the device's information and presents you with the results.

It was initially known as Voice Action, which was only accessible to an Android mobile phone by a single user. Moreover, the voice generally gives replies in the US Locale; it has now incorporated other locales such as British, Indian, American English, Spanish, German, French, Italian, and Filipino.

In 2014, a new feature was added where you could choose up to 5 languages in the Google Voice Search. The app will understand and provide you with the desired result in that language.

A Brief History

The invention of Google Voice Search goes back to where most of the products are invented, i.e., Google Labs. At first, the tool allowed the user to dial a mobile number from their phones. After that, they were prompted by the message saying, "say your search keywords." The user will then say the keywords, and next, they were directed to the result page on a search engine.

You do not find the demo service available anywhere any longer. Since then, many products such as Google Maps, Google Mobile Apps, and GOOG-411 have been developed by Google to promote the speech recognition feature.

Google launched a new feature Google Voice Search app in iOS in the year 2012. They enhanced the Google Voice search function and gave tough competition to Apple’s Siri. Users favored Google Voice Search over Siri because of its relevance and quick actions. As of May 2016, about 20 percent of search queries were done through a voice search on mobile phones. 

How Does Google Voice Search Work?

Now, we know the presence of voice technology, but do we know what goes behind the function. How does Google Voice Search work?

It is interesting to know how voice search can exactly comprehend what we say. This is because of speech recognition technology. The technology recognizes the word we project as sound packets.

For instance, if we say "bad," the program would recognize "b," "a," and "d" as separate phones. Phonemes are the blocks of sound out of which words are created, and Phones are separate individual letters.

What speech recognition technology does is to combine the phonemes and phones to form a set of words and letters of our speech into a context. Speech recognition requires problem solving and algorithms to perform the brain's process in just microseconds.

If you ask Google voice search, “What’s the weather today in New Jersey?” The program will use speech recognition technology to recognize the words to find the data in its search database. That is why people are using the voice search option in search engine optimization. 

Integration of Google Voice Search in Other Google Products

It's not just the internet where you can use Google Voice Search, but other Google products are too compatible with this feature.

Google Maps

In the year 2008, a new feature of Google Voice search came into being in the Google Maps of Blackberry Pearl mobile. It allowed the users to say the location where they want to go instead of typing while driving. It proved to be a very safe and convenient feature for the Google voice search users. 

Google Mobile App

In the Nokia and Blackberry Models, people were able to use the Google voice search option. You just have to tap the button and ask for your queries. Later, Google introduced this feature in all Android phones that have the 1.1 software update having the inbuilt- Google search widget function.

In Apple's iPhone, the feature came a little late, around November 2008. With the latest updates, it also became available on the iPod.

YouTube

A beta-grade version of Google Voice Search was used on YouTube in March 2010 to offer video annotations if not already provided. The feature is only available for English speakers and was particularly designed for people with hearing disabilities.

Worldwide Usage of Google Voice Search

As Google Voice Search is becoming increasingly popular, the usage has also shifted from mobile phones to the internet and other places.

Let's take a look at how many people worldwide use the feature and for what purpose.

1.     About fifty-five percent of teenagers use voice search daily

·        Not just teenagers, but about 56 percent of adults have become technology addicted and use voice search more than typing.

·        Voice search is progressively used for shopping purposes. The projection is that the industry will turn into $40 billion by 2020.

2.     Mobile Phone users use voice search thrice than any other regular user.

·        Users ask for weather sixty-four percent of the time, fun questions for fifty-three percent, and music for seventy percent of the time.

·        The online search contributes to forty-seven percent of the voice search usage.

·        Also, users are expected to use voice search three times more likely for specific locations.

Apart from that, there is a voice search usage for shopping online, takeout food orders, flight, hotel search, and many more.

3.     Around 31 percent of users use voice search once a week.

·        In 2018, around one billion voice searches were recorded every month.

·        61% of people between 25-64 years would use voice search more in the future.

·        For 72% of mobile users, voice searches are a part of their lives.

People have grown addicted to the ease of using voice searches. You can directly contemplate from the statistics of how the voice search has evolved into a new trend. 

Why Is Google Voice Search Becoming Popular?

For the Google Voice Search to become popular, several reasons out of which ease of usage tops the chart. 

An average person can speak 150 words in a minute while can type about 40 words in a minute. This allows users to make less effort and achieve greater specificity. Also, while you write, there are several chances of making spelling mistakes, and then you have to retype everything.

Voice Search gives you an effortless searching facility, where you can even repeat without making much effort. Even the ones who find it difficult to spell the words properly can use voice search in their respective languages.

Another reason is the merging of voice search with new technologies and products. With Amazon Alexa, you can see how the consumers have embraced the smart home revolution. They are getting increasingly dependent on voice recognition for various functions.  

These smart devices have enabled an effortless use of various products with just a command. You can even personalize your voice recognition to prevent third-party interference.

Importance of Voice Search for Business Owners

Your voice strategy can make or break your digital marketing strategy. Keeping track of the new voice search trend can have a positive result on your business altogether. 

The business needs to get used to the changing digital world, where the mobile version's ranking is taken into consideration rather than a desktop version. People are using mobile a lot more than ever before. With Google's mobile-first index and voice search, mobile usage has touched the highest point.

With convenience and faster service, voice search has improved users' overall experience on the internet with accurate results. Moreover, your business could be the one that will pop-up on voice search if your website content is optimized for mobile use.

How Has Voice Search Changed The SEO?

If you want to succeed on the online platform in today's world, voice-search optimization has become a necessity. With the growing popularity of Google Voice Search, Siri, Cortana, and Alexa, you should use these technologies to compete with your peers.

Google Voice search already has recorded the accuracy of 95 percent on the search engines. You must optimize your site with Voice SEO to increase the inbound traffic to your website. Let's check how you can optimize your site for Voice Search.

How Would You Optimize Your Site for Google Voice Search?

Firstly, you have to apply a different strategy when you work with a voice search for search engine optimization. As it goes for the text, the search engine cannot directly translate your voice searches. You need to adjust and make your site voice user-friendly. You need to improve your site's probability of showing up when any voice user uses the search engine.

To become a successful marketer or businessman, you need to be updated with every new and emerging technology and adapt to the market's new trends.

Natural Every-day Language 

When a person speaks, they usually make use of phrases and conversational language. It is very different from types as their people tend to use a short keyword instead of using whole sentences. So, keep in mind to use your natural conversational language to attract the users.

Use Long Target Search Phrases

Use long-tail keywords for your voice search optimizations. Many voice questions and queries tend to be longer on voice searches than on search engines.  

FAQ Section

With an FAQ section, you can attract users by answering the common questions they have. The question-answer format is mostly conversational, which can provide you with an easier ranking of the page for voice search.

If you are not sure about what content and style you can use for an FAQ, search for the emails and customer calls catalog about what people ask the most.

Make Use of Google My Business Listing

Many people use voice search to look for a business when they are driving around. Setting up a Google My Business Listing is a great tool to get all the information in front of you whenever you need it. It is also a great source for local search engine optimization.

Leverage Existing Data 

Take enough time researching the traffic that other people are looking at the internet. Look for the popular phrases that people are searching for. You can then work and search beyond those phrases and your on-site search to fit your voice search strategy.

You can use free Google services such as Google Analytics and Google Adwords to keep track of your website's information.

Structured Data

When you have structured data on your website, it can be easily targeted and searched by the search engine algorithms. It provides all the information about the content of the page to Google. 

With structured data, you give search engines additional information about the contents of your pages. It becomes easier for the voice search optimization to pick up your page and put it on the result section for the voice users.   

Create Long and Short-Form Content

For you to attract voice search optimization as well as the users, your content should be of high quality. You need the content that can answer the queries of the target audience. The content reach also depends on the length.

According to a recent study, an article's average length should be around 2300 to 2500 words. Such articles will have a higher possibility of showing up on the result page.

Not everyone can read the long content simultaneously; some people have a very short attention period. For them, you should also incorporate short content on your website. The short and quick will attract readers looking to find answers to short and direct questions.

How to Rank on Google Voice Search?

It is relevant and specific content that matters on the Google search engines. If you are looking for specific information and asking the voice search for the information, Google will provide you with the exact information.

There are three factors, according to Google, that is crucial if you are looking for results in a local service provider.

·        Prominence: It shows the popularity of the location and searched phrases 

·        Relevance: It shows the accuracy of the listing in accordance with the search done by the user.

·        Distance: The listing should be close to the user searching for it. 

For instance, if you type in Google for "furniture repair shop," the results will be based on the most local SEO profile companies. The search engine will show the verified one, with high reviews and having current pictures.

If you say, "Hey Google, I need a carpenter," then Google will provide you with a complete list of carpenters near you by using your location, and from the listing of local services by HomeAdvisor, Porch, or Google.

Voice Search and Home Assistant Devices

With voice search, home assistant devices are also gaining popularity. It was predicted in the year 2017 that about 30 million people would own a home assistant device in the US.

Although Amazon sold about 75 percent of its device, Google remained at the top with the highest percentage among Siri, Alexa, and Cortana.

The Future of Google Voice Search

More than fifty percent of the searches are now done by voice; it is predicted to rise in the near future. Google is trying to take the feature of Google Voice Search on multiple devices, which the webmasters or advertisers can easily use across different platforms.

Google can foresee everything in advance. It knows that single-device and single-sessions are now long gone, and it is time for multiple-device usage. It will go on to develop the products that will meet the demand of today as well as for the coming generations.

Final Thoughts

Voice is the new way to search, and once you are used to it, there is no going back. The ease of access and convenience that it provides is unbelievable. You do not have to think and type what you want to search, just open your mobile, tap the button, and say, "Hey Google, (your search content)." 

With these easy steps, you get your results within seconds. Not only this, you can call and send text messages through your mobile phones.

Where you can have such advancements at a personal level, then why not use the Google Voice Search for business. Google Voice Search with SEO optimization can change the whole scenario of your business.

Just keep a few strategies in mind, and you can attract the traffic of voice-users to your websites. Searching is like you are communicating. So, start optimizing your website for better reach among voice-users.