If I were to approach an employee in a pet food store, I wouldn’t typically ask “best pet food dog”? And yet, this is how many people enter queries into Google and other search engines. Imagine then, if you could simply ask your device in a conversational tone “what is the best pet food for my dog?” and have it provide you with search results. This is precisely what is happening as voice recognition software continues to evolve, and this is why your small business needs to prepare for voice search.
The Growth of Voice Search
Though it’s relatively new, voice chat has already made an oversized impact on the world of search.
- Within three months of Windows 10 launching, 33% of searches were voice searches.
- 55% of teens are now using voice search daily, as are 40% of adults.
- By 2016, Google voice search queries were 35 times their 2008 numbers.
- Over the past two years, there has been substantial growth in mobile searches, using personal and conversational language with words like “me,” “my,” and “I.”
- By 2020, 50% of searches are expected to be done through voice search.
Clearly, we need to adapt to what is becoming the preferred method of search, but how?
Making Your Small Business Voice Search Ready
In some ways, it will be easier to gauge what sort of search terms will be used to find content online. Currently, we measure which keywords are most often used by querents to match up with their searches.
When it comes to voice search, we merely need to understand how people speak, and how they verbally request information.
More specifically, here are some ways in which to prepare for greater use of voice search:
- Be more voice search friendly. Build your content to match question-based searches.
- Recognize that voice searches tend to be more specific and tailor content accordingly.
- Use questions as keywords. Using the pet food example from above, instead of using the headline “Top 5 Dog Food Brands,” try asking the question; “What are the Top 5 Dog Food Brands,” and then provide your answer.
- Be up to date with your company information, such as location and phone numbers. Voice searches are more likely to ask for results in the local area, and you want to be visible to these potential clients
- Place greater emphasis on featured snippets. Voice search devices will read these snippets aloud, implying a greater authority for search results in “position zero” on a results page.
The Search Dialogue is Changing
While voice search represents a significant change in the way people are seeking information online, it needn’t present any great difficulty. The more natural way of asking for what they want ensures that your customers will be having a new, more human dialogue with you.
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