Many voices about voice-controlled search
Many voices about voice-controlled search
Is Voice going to be the next bandwagon everybody needs to jump on? Do you, as a business need to adapt to voice-controlled search queries? What are the risks involved?
In this article, we give you an elaborate update on the developments in voice search. It is requesting information via a smartphone or smart speaker, at which a search query is voiced instead of typed. Thanks to the constant developments with Artificial Intelligence, search engines are better able to put search queries in the right context and thus the answers given become more relevant for the user.
Although there is a lot of writing around this new way of searching for information, few companies are undertaking steps to implement this trend in their services.
When Gary Vee wrote an article in 2017 about the rise of audio and voice he said:
For the past 24–36 months, brands and individuals alike have gotten serious about audio. The problem is, there still isn’t a lot of great original content to consume which leaves a massive opportunity for those who can produce on another level. Think of it like Netflix, the companies that create the best originals are going to win.
Trend
With the ever-increasing value of speed, consumers are looking for ways to save time. Consuming information while on the go, often doing something else at the same time. Checking our email while we listen to the latest episode of the Tim Ferris podcast or take notes while listening to music. With video, you can’t do both. Video requires full focus to consume that content the moment you press play. An interesting paradox is seeing the demand for high-quality video rise while we say that audio is gaining popularity relative to video. But it is actually tied together. With audio becoming more popular, the competition for the consumer’s attention is fierce. The content needs to be on point. There is a clear, growing trend in audio & voice. It’s actually pretty logical. Audio and voice are by far the most natural interfaces for humans to interact. We like to speak and listen. If your medium is voice, now is the time to shine.
“There are over one billion voice searches per month. (January 2018)” estimates Alpine.AI
“Google voice search queries in 2016 are up 35x over 2008” according to Google trends via Search Engine Watch
“25% of 16–24s use voice search on mobile” via Global Web Index
It is all happening right now!
Implementations
The opportunity voice-search provides for commerce is tremendous. Your customers are already using voice assistance and to meet them there, you must embrace the tech. An independent research done by the Capgemini Digital Transformation Institute proves that 51% of consumers already use voice assistants, mainly accessing the voice assistant through a smartphone.
In this article from entrepreneur.com, based on data from Cortana (the PA of Windows), it’s said that the majority of questions given to voice assistants begin with either “how” or “what”, and then there’s a steep drop off in search share for the remaining interrogative words. The advice given:
Advertisers should think about what sorts of questions, to which their product is the answer, begin with these words, and then invest in those queries.
For example, if Nike wants to capture its voice-assistant-using audience, Nike should make sure they have digital content in spoken language on for instance [how to buy Nike’s online], and [where can I find a selling point to buy Nike’s].
Christi Olson, Head of Evangelism for Bing and leader of digital marketing teams at Microsoft and Expedia recommends the following to small businesses and entrepreneurs:
- Write content in a conversational tone that sounds natural when spoken aloud
- Listen to your customer’s questions and create compelling digital content to provide specific answers.
- Understand where you can compete to be the spoken answer — start with queries that already rank on the first two pages of the search results and optimize for the featured snippet placement.
It is a clear trend and consumers are already using voice search. Will you adept?
Risks
It’s nice that you can ask the weather forecast for tomorrow, play some music while you have your hands full, but a key feature of voice speakers is to be a controller for the smart home. Turn on the heating, dim the lights, set the fridge a few degrees colder and so on. Amazon and Google are competing to voice-enable all manner of devices. Integrating voice with cars, robots, kitchen appliances and such. Samsung has indicated that, by 2020, all of its home appliance line-up will have smart features. While this can make life even more convenient, there’s also the other side. This article released by Cambridge says: “Combining voice interfaces and device integration has led to friction-free ubiquitous access to intelligent devices around the home.”
Take the example of smart vacuum cleaners. LG’s new Hom-Bot-Turbo+ can be controlled with Google Home and what’s interesting about the Hom-Bot is that it is equipped with six cameras. Obviously to help the Hom-Bot navigate and avoid getting stuck on objects or knocking them over. But the camera’s also serve another purpose. If the vacuum detects movement after the owner has left the house, it can record up to 100 minutes of video.
The common opinion is that we simply trust that the manufacturers will do the right thing. But does it also work that way if you live in an authoritarian state? And then there’s hacking. Wired reported at the beginning of 2018 that a security researched had succeeded in turning an Amazon Echo into an eavesdropping device. Although it required physical access, the fact is that the device is hackable. Although the many opportunities we need to take the risks into account.
Conclusion
With opportunity, there are always implications. With new technology, there are always early adopters and evangelist opposed to laggards and people who see more cons than pros. It’s easy to see why people like voice search. Interacting with all these devices by voice is just massively convenient. The combination of AI, Voice and The Internet Of Things is a massive game changer and offers limitless opportunity. But we also need to be aware of the risks. So we can limit them and use the technology to its full advantage to enhance life.
Up till know, humanity has adapted and used new innovations to its advantage. We are at the forefront of a new era. Let’s make the most out of it!
