Why businesses should use Voice Search Technology
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How many of you have a blog of your own? How many of you own a business and have a digital presence in the form of a website? I think many of you have. Have you ever wondered why your web content does not appear on search results even though you try hard to make it popular among readers? Well, the reason may be that you may not have embraced the voice search technology for your content.
To understand why the voice search strategy is needed for your content, you need to know about the technology that works behind it.
It is a speech recognition technology that lets users say terms out loud, rather than type them into search fields of a digital search engine. Voice-optimized SEO for website content has become the new trend in digital marketing nowadays. Modern businesses that embrace this technology can gain volumes of traffic through the strategic use of it.
History
The history of inventions in voice technologies can go back to the era of Alexander Graham Bell, who invented the Dictaphone. In the 1950s, a machine was created by Bell Labs in America that could recognize speech but in the form of numerical digits. Gradually, the technologies used in the voice recognition system improved, and thus in 2008, the Google Voice Search app for iPhone was launched. One by one entered the market, starting with Google Assistant. Then Apple’s Siri, followed by Microsoft’s Cortana and Amazon’s Alexa, and eventually, these tech giants started contributing into this market.
Ever since its inception, voice technology has continued to grow and become more popular among consumers. They are using it to search for products and services online. So, it has become increasingly crucial for businesses of all shapes and sizes to include a voice search strategy in their overall digital marketing plan. Let us discuss why and how such technology can be of immense use in business.
Increasing use of voice assistants
Smartphones have become an indispensable part of our life. People are now searching on mobile more than they used to do on desktops and laptops a few years back.
Do you know these facts?
1. 39% of the total global traffic came from search, out of which 35% is organic, and 4% paid search
2. One out of three smartphone searches were made right before a store visit, and 43% of consumers do online research while in the store.
3. 93% of online experiences begin with a search engine, and 50% of search queries are four words or longer.
4. The 70-80% of search engine users are ignoring the paid ads and are only focusing on the organic results.
According to Statista, an estimated 3.25 billion digital voice assistants were being used in devices around the world in 2019. Forecasts suggest that by 2023, the number of such assistants will reach around eight billion units – a number higher than the world’s population.
Hence, it is clear that consumers will adopt voice search technology shortly. So businesses who want to remain visible to consumers in the coming years will have to find a way to incorporate voice technology into their digital marketing strategies.
Voice improves the consumer experience
“Customers are rapidly shifting the way they interact with technology. Why? Because voice tech feels much more natural.”
Albert Creixell
Yes, it is true! You can create a unique and optimized customer experience to foster relationships and build brand loyalty by adopting this new technology. It is because:
1. Digital voice assistants can differentiate between voices and provide valuable insights about users. Hence, businesses can use more personalized messages and content to improve customer experience.
2. Voice technology makes interactions with brands more natural and seamless, thereby encouraging customer retention and loyalty.
3. Voice search interactions make life convenient as it takes less time than regular text-based interaction.
4. This technology is convenient for aged persons and those who have lost the ability to move or type text on mobile.
“Voice tech is an opportunity – the chance to have a conversation with your audience”
Mukul Devichand
Let us consider the brand Purina that successfully leveraged voice search technology to enhance the customer experience.
Case of Purina
Purina is a pet brand and a subsidiary of Nestlé. Acquia Labs launched a voice-enabled search on the Purina.com website in collaboration with Nestlé Purina North America. It was named Ask Purina, an Alexa skills app that helped dog owners or enthusiasts find dog breed information. For example, when a user asks, “Tell me about dogs that are hypoallergenic,” he hears a list of dogs that fit the bill. Dog lovers could now instantly find the specific food that’s right for their dog’s needs. Thus Purina got involved in people’s lives just when they are deciding over which dog breed to adopt as their best companion for life forever and thus solidified itself as the de facto provider of pet food and supplies. People started using products from the brand Purina more than any other brand.
Voice search technology and SEO
The introduction of voice search technology by several early adopters has forced digital marketers to incorporate it into digital marketing strategies. It is because people interact with search queries differently when they’re posed vocally rather than textually. Vocal search queries tend to be longer, containing more words and phrases. Such queries also tend to be more like asking questions. Businesses or bloggers should now use relevant question keyword phrases on their website and other online content that reflect what prospects might be asking.
Moreover, with voice searches, users are presented with some top search results rather than a full page of SERPs. For example, Google Assistant specifically focuses on featured snippets when providing answers to users. This means businesses will have to incorporate these best practices into their SEO campaigns as well.
Your competitors may have the edge over you
If your competitors have already adopted a voice strategy and you haven’t, there’s a good chance they’ll be found more. This technology is still new to many, and hence if you adopt it early, it can give you an edge over your competitors who haven’t been able to do so.
Conclusion
Voice technology has not been fully explored yet. If businesses could successfully use voice-optimized SEO, then their online activity can increase traffic if their content appears as the top result or featured snippet that gets used for voice answers. So, given its potential, one should start exploring this technology, and your digital marketing friends can guide you to do voice-optimized SEO for your content.
Featured Image Credits: Needpix
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