In 1968 Stanley Kubrick introduced us to the first virtual assistant with Hal 9000. That deep red glow, monotonic robotic voice, and AI brain that showed us a glimpse of what was to come. But it was all fiction, right?
Fast-forward 50 years and we have arrived. Apple has Siri. Amazon created Alexa and Google has…well Google Assistant. All signs are pointing to a Voice Recognition world and the way we search for information is at its core. Today, over 60 million people in North America use digital voice assistants on a regular basis.
Voice search and recognition is no longer a trend, but a comfortable adoption on the rise. In fact— By 2020, 50% of all searches will be voice searches. So why is voice recognition technology gaining such a rapid acceptance and hold? It’s EASY to use. Typically, users adapt to what makes their lives easier, not harder. And voice search is easy and here to stay.
Who Uses Voice Search?
According to Neil Patel, the age group who are most likely to utilize voice search on their smartphones are teenagers, between the ages of 18-29. Here’s an example of a student using her smart device to record notes:
Why Do We Use Voice Search?
- We want quick answers
- It requires less effort
- It is marginally faster
- Mobile search is on the rise, and smart speakers and digital assistants are being used more and more.
How Does Voice Search Affect SEO?
SEO practices will be affected by these technological changes and your business needs to be prepared and ready as users adopt the future of search. Did you know, if you’re optimized for Google, you’re also optimized for Siri? (Alexa uses Bing results.) Google wants to know the intent behind a user to make sure they give them the best answer to their problem/inquiry.
How Voice Search Changes SEO in 2019 and Beyond
#1- Interrogative statements
Interrogative statements are statements of question, answering the how, when, where, and why. We want immediate solutions to our problems. Using voice search let’s us engage in a more natural way of communicating with our phones. Speaking as we would to another person, thus changing the way search results are calculated and formed.
Businesses will now have to pay attention to how their customers speak to optimize their websites for voice search. SEO for voice search digs deeper into the user’s intent and explores the answers to the how, when, where, and why’s.
#2- Devices
Google cites that over 60% of all searches come from mobile devices. And 20% of those searches use Voice Search. That number is only rising. In 2017, we saw an incredible influx of Smart Speakers in homes across the world. These devices use Voice Recognition and Voice Search for all of their capabilities. They have no front-facing keyboards or buttons. Your website and content needs to be optimized for mobile devices, as well as home speakers.
#3- What We Are Searching For
Voice search users are looking for immediate answers to their problems or inquiries.
Examples of voice search inquiries include:
“Where should I get Tacos tonight?”
“Who’s the best roofer near me?”
“I need my HVAC fixed today!”
“I am out of gas, where is the nearest station?”
We use Voice Search to get a fix to a real time problem or question and business’ SEO practices need to be in line to stay relevant and high ranking. Local SEO and “Near Me” strategies matter more than ever with Voice Search.
How to Nail Your Voice Search SEO
Optimizing your business’s website for voice search entails many factors. As we have mentioned before, claiming and maintaining your Google My Business Listing is a must. Long-tail keywords and Conversational keywords are now crucial to your search ranking. Having a rich and updated FAQ page also helps digital voice assistants in knowing the most about your business.
Your Atlanta SEO Company
At Searched Marketing, we are an SEO company in Atlanta that specializes in helping businesses with their search marketing. Voice search is changing SEO, and it’s important that your website is ready for it. Call us today at (404) 334-5686 to discuss your SEO needs, or contact us online here.