Voice search is a recent tech advancement in the search industry that allows you to use your voice to send commands. The vocal notes carry out the desired search on the Internet, website, or application, just like it does with typed commands.
The technology was first introduced in smartphones, replacing the conventional search bars. Today, the industry is growing by leaps and bounds, and we can see apps like Sire, Alexa, and Cortana as popular voice assistant tools. If we put it in numbers, the voice assistance technology is growing at a dramatic rate, so much so:
- One in every four U.S. adults owns a smart device
- The global voice recognition market will likely reach 27.16 billion by 2026
- 71% of buyers prefer conducting voice searches instead of typing
- 31% of mobile users leverage voice search once per week
- Among voice assistant users, 62% will likely make a purchase using it within a month
- Approximately 57% of users with a smart speaker made an online purchase with their device
By now, you must’ve realized the importance of voice search assistant tools for brands that help them connect with a wide range of prospective consumers, especially in the e-commerce industry. It’s apparent that voice search is already prevalent and will continue to rise.
But before we discuss how companies can monetize and optimize voice search technology for their business, it’s best to develop a solid understanding of how it works. Avoid being left behind by learning the tricks to mastering voice SEO and ways to track it:
A Quick Glance at Voice Search Works
Voice Search refers to a state-of-the-art technology enabling users to use voice command to conduct voice queries on websites or applications. Without getting deep into complex, technical details, let’s get a baseline understanding of the technology.
The speech recognition tools identify the human voice and turn/transcribe it into text for the search algorithms to process the command. It analyzes the voice command and picks out the questions and queries to send to the search engine. The search engines then use external data to provide relevant information and format it into digestible content to meet the user’s intent.
As simple as it may sound, voice search technology uses complex machine-learning systems to recognize the human voice and the true intent of the search. Over the years, these voice assistant tools have improved remarkably and continue to upgrade to meet complex human needs.
Where Do Voice Assistants Get Most of Their Information?
For businesses to optimize voice search technology, it’s imperative to understand and identify the information sources. Typically, the tools draw out information for any query from Wikipedia and other major websites. Meanwhile, the Google voice tool uses the Google search algorithms and trillions of pages indexed. On the other hand, Siri relied on Bing but transitioned to Google results in 2017. However, it still uses Apple Maps data and Yelp reviews for local results.
Voice Queries are Typically Local Searches
According to insightful research, up to 58% of buyers discovered local businesses with voice search. Not just this, but 46% of voice assistant users search for local businesses every day.
While text-based search trumps voice search in finding new businesses, voice search wins in learning more about previously used companies.
Industries that benefit the most from voice search include:
- Restaurants and coffee shops (51%)
- Grocery stores (41%)
- Food delivery (35%)
- Clothing stores (32%)
- Hotels (30%)
How Do You Analyze Voice Search Traffic?
Here we’ve created an easy-to-follow guide to tracking voice search traffic:
Anatomy of a Voice Search Query
Here are some tell-tale signs of a voice search query:
A Conversational Tone
Voice queries go beyond formal tones and overcomplicated words and feature a natural and conversational tone.
Text-based searches are more ‘computer orientated,’ such as ‘flower shop near me.’ Conversely, voice search sounds more like a question like ‘where is the nearest flower shop?’
Moreover, analyze the prepositions of the query. Questions that include ‘with,’ ‘in,’ or ‘of’ likely come from a voice assistant.
Identify Whether It’s a Question
Most voice searches are in questions, such as ‘what,’ ‘why,’ ‘where,’ ‘when,’ and ‘how.’ Question-based queries are an excellent way of identifying potential voice commands.
Check Out Long Tail Keywords
Long-tail keywords and natural language queries go hand in hand. It typically occurs by default since voice searches are in sentence form.
Examine for Localized Queries
We’ve already discussed that voice searches are mainly used for local queries. So, words like ‘near me,’ phrases like ‘opening hours,’ and specific geographic locations hint towards voice searches.
Leverage Google Search Console
Google Search Console is an innovative SEO tool that provides valuable insights into keywords driving clicks, content performance, queries that generate traffic, and CTR.
Moreover, this search analytics tool shows you:
- Search queries which website ranked for
- Impressions and clicks
- Top keywords
- And more
Tips for Investing in Voice SEO
Here we discuss tips to remember when investing in voice SEO:
Use Natural and Moderate Language
There’s a clear difference between how people speak and write- something you should consider when creating content.
For instance, your market is ‘automotive rentals’ but are more likely to say ‘car for rent.’
Long-Tail Keywords
SEO is all about relevant keywords, unique ideas, and valuable content.
When buyers conduct research using search engines, they might write a couple of words. However, when a user leverages voice research, they speak lengthy keywords.
Thus, adding long-tail keywords in your content increases the chances of your website appearing high in SERPs.
The Bottom Line
It’s no surprise that the future of voice assistants is very bright. Voice searches evolve efficiently and rapidly and will likely outgrow other SEO technologies.
Curate the ideal SEO strategy by integrating voice search within your existing infrastructure with the help of our industry experts at Firestarter SEO. We believe that voice search analytics will be a game-changer for guiding digital marketing strategies.
Our diligent industry leaders identify the best long-tail keywords and analyze in-depth competitor research to help you rank higher. Get started today to drive organic traffic, establish brand authority, and fuel personal brand growth.
