The market for Google voice assistants and voice search continues to grow around the world. About 25% of shoppers have used voice search in recent weeks, and almost 65% of its users don’t see themselves returning to text search. This is an element that should not be overlooked for businesses as voice search continues to gain in popularity.
What is a Voice Assistant?
In recent months, voice assistants have been at the heart of the news. The promise is simple: to offer a new interface to users allowing fast and fluid exchanges. The assistants are always alert and have a passive listening of their environment. They are ordered to activate as soon as they spot the keyword indicating that its owner wants to make a request. It can therefore be “Alexa” for the Amazon assistant, “OK Google” for the Google assistant or even “Hey Siri” for the Apple assistant. The robot then analyzes the user’s request and transcribes the words and overtones orally. Once the question is understood, voice assistants rely on search engines to find the answer.
The Advantages of its Use
The adoption of these objects is explained by the fact that their use is intended to be simple, fast and easy. In addition, we do not have to stop our activity to perform an action, just ask the question to our device and wait for its response.
The Voice Assistant Market
We can notice that many users and consumers have of course heard of Google voice assistants. Many users have heard of it but very few have decided to use it (only 10%). Currently, voice assistants that can be used from a smartphone, computer or tablet are more successful. Users adopted this technology more easily because it was already present on their devices. The development of new interfaces adapted to voice search such as connected switches, thermostats and alarms offer a promising future for connected speakers and at the same time for voice search.
How to Adapt to this Change in Behavior?
Adapting to this new research method is therefore essential in the years to come. The fact that queries are made in natural language involves many changes in a company’s SEO strategy.
What Changes?
• Indeed, we do not search in the same way on a keyboard and by voice. The requests are different and we can observe various changes:
• Voice search often corresponds to much more specific searches starting for example with: what, when, who, what, where, from where, and why.
• Voice search allows you to find the answer to real sentences. User research is therefore more precise and results are likely to vary depending on the question asked.
• The average number of words per request tends to increase. Indeed, voice search allows you to understand and search entire sentences. Requests are now longer.
Optimize Your SEO
Being different from the “classic” handwritten requests, it therefore requires the implementation of certain practices in natural referencing: Voice search is very often compared to conversational search. Using your voice involves using more familiar and simpler content. It is therefore necessary to use keywords used in everyday language. It is therefore a criterion to be taken into account when setting up these keywords.
The searches by voice are performed on mobile or tablet, having an optimized website on these supports is an important element not to hinder the buyer in his research. For example, the content should be fun to read and quick to load. An improving local SEO: Many studies reveal not that users often use voice search to find an address. We must therefore not forget to use geo-located keywords to meet this request.
A Featured Snippet designates a box displayed at the start of Google search results offering a unique answer to a user’s question. This is the first thing Google’s algorithm reads in a voice search, so they increase your chances of appearing in results.
The Limits of Voice Assistants
41% of Google voice assistant users are worried about their private lives and fear that their conversations will be overheard or their personal data being shared. Indeed, the various scandals that erupted in April revived many debates on data security. An investigation revealed that Amazon listens to certain conversations in order to improve its Google voice alternatives like Alexa.
Many scholars predict that by 2020 50% of searches will be voice searches. They are gradually transforming our habits on the Internet and this necessarily has an impact on the way brands and companies communicate. Adapting to this new research method is therefore essential in the years to come.
[Benefit # 1] They Promote Human Interaction: For 43% of smartphone users, voice recognition will free them from mobile addiction and allow them to interact more with the world around them. 53% agree that “it would be easier for technology to answer them directly”. In summary, voice recognition is emerging as a new way to engage consumers.
[Benefit # 2] They Become “Digital Butlers”: “Speak Easy” also reveals that consumers prefer to delegate control of certain tasks to their voice assistants, who are on the way to becoming “digital butlers”. 87% of voice assistant users say “when voice recognition works well, it makes life easier”. Almost a third of respondents even say they are excited about a future where voice assistants can anticipate their needs, act on their own or make suggestions.
[Benefit # 3] They Create Strong Relationships: 36% of those who use them regularly admit to loving their voice assistant so much that they wish it was real. And nearly a quarter of regular users have already sexually fantasized about their voice assistants. Finally, almost half (46%) of potential users could have used speech recognition if they were given more guarantees regarding the protection of their personal data.
[Benefit # 4] They Bring More Efficiency While Requiring Less Effort: Clearly, voice recognition is less mentally tiring than touch or keyboard. It reduces the effort to access information that previously required several interactions on a physical device. Precisely, the brain is twice less solicited by the voice.
[Benefit # 5] They Arouse Emotion: Still according to the “Speak Easy” study, emotional engagement is twice as strong when you ask a question to a brand orally.
