Future of Voice Search

Is Voice Searching the Tool of the Future?

As technology continues to expand and improve exponentially every few years, the way we do things continue to change as well. Companies and websites rely on SEO (search engine optimization) to drive potential traffic to their websites. The way traffic is being driven is rapidly changing with improvements and enhancements made to the electronics we use. The newest way people are searching and getting the results they want is by voice search. Most mobile devices, tablets and iPad’s are equipped with microphones that allow us to verbally say what we want to search for without typing anything. In addition to this, items like smart speakers and devices like the Amazon echo and Google Home Assistant rely on voice interaction to complete actions.

Most predictions seem to think the use of voice searches will only increase over the next few years. In fact, some sources suggest 50% of all searches will be done by voice by 2020 The main issue with this is the fact that searching for keywords in a typed search would usually contain certain keywords. When someone speaks their request, they are speaking naturally how they would in everyday conversations which makes these keywords very different. The query will also probably be asked in the form of an entire question rather than just a few chosen keywords. On the other hand, a positive factor to consider is speaking your commands and searches frees up your hands and can be useful when doing things like cooking or driving and you want to be hands-free. Another aspect to consider is comfortability. Many people may be reluctant to change or just type their searching out of sheer habit. Because of this, the rate of voice searching may increase a little slower than initially thought. And yet another hurdle that may arise for some is speaking with an accent. If someone with a heavy accent experiences consistent wrong search results due to their accent, they could eventually become discouraged and choose to stick with typing the queries.

Devices are becoming more intelligent with every passing year. Artificial intelligence will have the ability to learn natural spoken language and get better over time interpreting our searches. Location is also going to play a major role in voice search, so having the proper geolocation is pertinent in being on top in certain search results. Other key factors business will need to consider when optimizing for voice search is making sure every detail is accurate like store hours, location and contact information. If they aren’t available, it will push you further down in searches if say someone searches verbally for “what nearest hardware store is open near me now?” It is important to know what type of verbal searches will be used by your potential customers to tailor SEO accordingly.

As popularity continues to rise with voice assistants like Siri and Ok Google, so will using voice searching for other tasks. Using voice searches help with getting information like directions or locating a restaurant near you. Use of this technology is only going to increase over the next coming years. Learning how to utilize voice searches and optimizing your SEO will help with attaining higher search result positioning. Voice searching is the wave of the future and won’t be disappearing any time soon. If done properly and utilized correctly, voice searches can be another useful tool for you and your business.