Voice search is gradually going mainstream. Sure, we haven’t gotten there yet, but the technology is catching up. While typing is still predominantly the main way to enter search terms in the search engines, most mobile devices come equipped with voice search options.
Interestingly, these voice search options are uncannily accurate particularly if you’re from the US and Canada. Short of accent issues and complicated search queries, you can just about get the results for anything you’re looking for online.
Which brings us to the important question: are we entering the phase of voice search? Is typing becoming obsolete? Do you need to change your search engine optimization strategy? These are all important questions that need answers.
For now however, it would appear that the voice activated wake-up option is still relatively advanced and perfected for US users. For instance, people surfing the internet on their PCs through Google Chrome in the US can simply say “ok Google” to activate the voice search.
Users in every other country still have to click the voice search icon in chrome to dictate their search queries. In spite of the minor inconveniences of inaccurate searches usually brought on by different accents, many mobile and PC users have enthusiastically jumped on board the voice search option.
Conversational Search is the Probably the Future
The era of conversational search is near. Google is doing everything it can to learn about natural language and search patterns using multiple sources and user generated data. It has acquired –and is still acquiring- multiple patents and technologies to help fast track and make voice search flawless.
The recent hummingbird update was aimed at helping Google understand more complex and “natural” search queries. Note that this is wildly different from the usual keyword based search results. Now, Google is fine-tuning and preparing its search engine to “understand” searcher’s intentions.
Is this the End of Typing Searches?
Not really. People still need to type in search queries to find whatever they need on the on the internet. However, remember that the internet is always evolving. Build your florist website like you would a local store. It’s not just enough to have a website or a storefront. You need to optimize it for the best possible results and best user experience.
Is Traditional SEO Now Dead?
Far from it. You just need to see your online floral shop as more “personal” or face to face. This means, that you need to create more relevant and “natural” sounding content –also known as latent semantic indexing in SEO terms- simplify your website’s navigation and in general, provide an excellent resource that people would be more than happy to repeatedly visit –this is the secret to lasting long online and milking that traffic for the foreseeable future.
So, what’s the Bottom Line?
Summarily, voice search is still being developed and is still a long way from being perfected. It’s still in its infancy as evidenced from the sometimes incorrect results or search queries it produces. That aside, it still has a lot of potential and will probably be relevant in the nearest future when all the kinks are worked out.
For now however, just think about it as one of those interesting trends to watch out for and go about doing your normal SEO. People are still looking for florist shops by typing search queries in the search engines. So, go about your usual SEO activities and get those rankings. After all, if/when voice search becomes perfect, people would still need to find websites and would prefer to click through the top ranked websites.
Great information. I also feel like voice recognition and voice searching will be used way more often in the near future. That being said, I don’t think typing will ever die out. Typing is just too fast a way to communicate to ever get rid of it, and noise can be a concern when in a quiet environment.
I don’t think the voice option will impact too much when it comes to the search options for the web. I think the options Google is rolling out will allow many of the start up forums and blogs to flourish. The new technology will allow the user to speak their request, search quickly and find variable options which should influence marketers to take the following provision:
Create content with keywords utilizing the usage of slang: This may seem like an odd addition to the already complicated world of SEO but this technology will require the SEO to include Evergreen tones and slang used in casual conversation as a way to generate traffic based on what is being searched using this tool.
I think it’s a great tool and I’ve already mapped out the provisions required to generate traffic based on this tool.
Overall Great Article.
Hmmm, that’s actually really smart, the slang thing. Maybe even create your own words that can only be used or make sense when talking about a certain business or one of its services. I believe that would make you more outstanding on web searches and the like.
I see a few issues with voice search. First one is the accent. If you’re not a native speaker or have certain speech problems, you’re left out of the loop. Even so you’ll be OK with the simple searches but encounter problems with the more complicated ones. Second problem: noise. If I’m trying to perform a voice search and I’m outdoor, chances are the software will be unable to interpret my search. So, I need to someplace indoors where everything is quiet. But there I have a keyboard so I see no point in using voice.
Still, like with all new technology It’s important to keep an eye out and make sure you’re not missing on some good SEO opportunities.