Did you know that by 2025, it’s predicted that 50% of all searches will be voice-based?
Voice search’s gradual rise and dominance in the search engine landscape can’t be ignored.
Smartphones, smart speakers, cars, smart TVs, smart home components, wearables, appliances, and other connected gadgets are rising.
They provide the level of convenience the modern consumer craves.
Smartphones put the world at our fingertips. People have questions that need answering and services or products they need.
Statistically, voice isn’t something that enterprise marketers can ignore because:
What is voice search?
Voice search eliminates a layer of effort, enabling consumers to leverage technology to answer a question or simply find out more information about a topic.
Voice search functionality uses the automatic speech recognition system (ASR) to transform voice signals into text.
This voice recognition technology allows smart device users to search by simply using their voices.
The voice-search technology will then translate spoken words into text.
Then, the search engine uses the text as a standard search query and delivers relevant search results.
How do voice assistants stack up?
Consumers see voice assistants as a smarter, faster, and easier way to perform everyday activities. Yet, for more serious situations involving money (shopping, a refund on an airline ticket, etc.), consumers prefer what they already know and trust—at least for now.
Who uses voice assistants?
Millennials are the heaviest users, but voice assistant use is growing among all age groups, including children, teens, and seniors.
How do voice assistants work?
Any time a voice search query is conducted, a voice search assistant will, in turn:
- Filter the sounds, ensuring they focus on the voice query separately from background noises.
- Digitize the voice search query, turning sound waves into digital data.
- Conduct a voice analysis by processing the digital data.
- Connect to external data sources, such as Google Search, to find and deliver relevant answers.
- Translate the information to satisfy the searcher’s intent.
Recognize patterns and compare the query to existing samples in the database.
How to Optimize For Local Search To Boost Your Business
Local and regional optimizations are huge for businesses that operate locally.
Over 50% of people search for local businesses via voice search.
For example:
- Where is the nearest subway near me?
- What grocery stores are open nearby?
- Where is the closest pharmacy?
You’ll want to review the enterprise’s Google and other local listings.
Listings should always include the company’s operating hours, short blurbs, and photos.
Complete listings make it easier for searchers to reach out to your business or visit it in person.
Terms may include “near me” phrases, or they can be specific, such as [car manufacturers in Accra.]
One tip crucial to an enterprise’s success when optimizing for local is to account for regional or area slang.
Your research teams should understand local slang and dialects that may be used in a search.
For example, [where can I get the best fufu in Ghana] will change to [where can I get the best jollof in Takoradi] due to regional slang.
The most owned smart speaker devices, in order of popularity, include:
Amazon Echo (20.8%).
Google Nest (8.1%).
Others (5.2%).
HomePod (2%).
How Voice Search Differs From Traditional Search
Voice search arguably delivers quicker results than if a searcher uses their mobile phone or desktop computer to type out a query.
Additionally, how a searcher communicates with a voice search device will be different than if they were to type out the same informational need.
Voice search users often talk in a more conversational, natural tone, as if they are talking to a friend. They will likely use long-tail keywords in their query.
Concluding thoughts
Voice search is a quick and handy tool that has been developed and tested for 70 years to become what it is today. It’s likely to keep getting better in the future. Brands need to adapt to the fact that more and more people are using digital assistants and voice recognition technology because they want things to be convenient. Voice search is becoming the top choice for many people. Even though people will still use typed searches, companies and marketers should pay attention to the possibilities that voice search brings.