The Power Of Voice Search
The voice search feature on our phones has risen in popularity over recent years as a convenient and quick way to find the answers we’re looking for. Voice search isn’t just a tool for convenience but is becoming an integral part of daily life, influencing consumer behavior and business strategies alike. After all, asking questions is the most natural way for users to find the information they want. This is why tech-savvy businesses stand to profit by optimizing their sites to accommodate voice service technology.
The Appeal of Voice Search
A significant 90% of people find voice search easier and faster than traditional methods. This convenience is likely contributing to the growing adoption of voice search technologies. While users across the board have embraced voice search, Google Voice has taken the technology a step further by providing better accessibility to Internet browsing for users with disabilities or limitations such as arthritis.
Meanwhile, Balazs Molnar, head of search marketing at Google Southeast Asia, said the voice search feature is a popular tool in Vietnam because of the characteristics of Asian languages.
“While voice search and commands are unlikely to replace typing completely, in many Asian languages, it’s harder for people to type using a small keyboard,” he said. “For instance, character-based languages or languages with a lot of diacritical markers, like Vietnamese. People find it easier to speak rather than type on their phones.”
The Future of The Digital Assistant
Unlike the early days, voice search now welcomes “complex” questions and has improved its ability to understand what the user is asking. Google Voice can break down the semantics of each portion of a user’s question.
Using this method of analytics enables Google Voice Search to understand the intent behind each question. Google can pull the correct factual information using each analyzed portion of your question to come up with the answer you’re looking for. Unlike a traditional search, someone using a digital assistant doesn’t want to sift through a list of options when they ask a question; they want the correct answer instantly.
This new capability also enables us to speak and ask questions more naturally on our smartphones rather than relying on specific and individualized keywords to search. Users enjoy improved accuracy of their search results while feeling confident they can communicate in a way that comes naturally to them.
What This Means for Your Business
Keeping your business Web information up-to-date is of more importance now than ever before. Google is very proficient at understanding what your content means, and voice search users won’t want to scroll through pages of content to find your hours of operation or the price of an item.
One resource that can help improve your visibility for voice search is structured markup, like Schema.org. Marking up your content with Schema helps search engines understand the context of your page and identify the key information your customers are looking for.
Voice is definitely the future of search. Text search will likely always have a place, but for customers on the go or those who want information quickly, they’ll be talking to their phones, not typing on them. Businesses that are prepared will capitalize on it in the future.
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