Voice search is not a flawed technology anymore and it has crossed the threshold of early adoption and has now become a technology that is part of our day lives.
Over the years, this technology had a bumpy ride, and the quality of recognizing voice commands was very low. When Apple launched Siri in 2010, the voice recognition quality was hovering at 70 percent accuracy. By 2020 the numbers are approaching 95-99% accuracy.
This improvement in quality led to a boom in adoption. It is estimated that by the end of 2020.
- 50% of all the searches will be executed through voice commands.
- 30% of all the searches will be executed through a device with no screen.
- 55% of American households will own a smart speaker.
Voice search is here is stay, and it is reshaping the SEO industry. Here are 3 key things to keep in mind when optimizing your SEO strategy for Voices Searches.
Geographical Searches
10% of voice searches are used to find local businesses in the area where the user is located.
“Siri, find restaurants near me.”
“Ok Google. Find me a plumber.”
These search results will get the local business/services in the area that match the search criteria. Ranking first on these Voice commands will require that your content is optimized for a particular, location or region.
Keyword Optimisation
Keyword optimisation is one of the core pillars of SEO. The keywords in your content have a direct influence on how you will appear in search results.
Lets take for example, you are handling SEO for a mobile phone repair shop. A good keyword is mobile phone repair.
This is a short phase that a person would enter when using a keyboard or a touch screen.
On the other 70% percent of the Voice searches in English are done using conversational language rather than individual keywords.
If a person would use a voice command. A good voice search would be “Siri, show me the best mobile phone repair shops in the area.”
As you will notice voice searches are mainly based on long formed questions. Keywords like “how”, “best”, “who” and “when” have drastically increased in importance.
In essence your content should be optimized with long-tail keywords that will reflect popular questions or queries done through voice commands
Age Demographics
Voice searches are increasing over time. However it is important to understand what demographics are using such commands and if they match your audience.
Interestingly Research have shown that men tend to use this type of technology more than women.
Voice searches are typically in the 18-34 age group, at least for now..
Younger generations tend to uptake new technology at a faster rate than their older counterparts. It will take some more time until this type of technology is absorbed by users of all age groups.
Final Thoughts
The use of keyboards and touch screen will decrease over time and all our devices will be controlled through voice commands.
70% percent of the Voice searches in English are done using conversational language rather than individual keywords. If you need to find someone to repair your mobile screen; you would type mobile screen repairs in your search bar. On the other hand, if you were to use voice commands, you would be more likely to say something on the lines of “Siri, show me the mobile phone repair shops in the area.”
Get in touch if you want more information about services provided by Gainchanger or you wish you benefit from a consultation.
Gain Changer co-founder Sean Bianco is well-versed in determining market trends. Emphasis is placed on understanding relationships between technical problems and customer impact, resulting in customer-driven products and services.
