Google voice search is simply speaking the search query rather than the slower typing process. Voice search has gained popularity on mobile devices since typing on a tiny phone screen is somewhat tricky and far less accurate than using a computer keyboard. It’s a matter of convenience, and with so many people accessing the internet from mobile devices rather than desktops, Google and SEO Companys have seen the need to ramp up their efforts on voice search technology and its rollout.
People are becoming lazy typists when searching for things online, especially when using smartphones. With most modern phones able to receive voice commands these days, more and more people are opting to use their voice rather than their fingers when they want to act, such as a Google search.
In this article, we’ll look at Google voice search, why it matters, how it differs from typed search queries, and why every web admin and online business should optimize their content for voice search and traditional typed queries.
So let’s look at voice search and see exactly what it’s all about.
What Is Voice Search?
For years Google and the other major search engines have been working towards improving voice search technology and its accuracy. Google is continually tweaking its algorithms to comprehend better the user’s intent for both typed searches and voice search requests.
How Does Voice Search Work?
Using Voice search on Google with a smartphone is very simple. It’s just a matter of selecting the microphone function and speaking a command into the phone rather than typing a query into the search bar. Spoken commands need to be enunciated and said slowly and evenly for the search engine to understand the question without any errors in wording.
The ability to understand an entire range of voices, accents, and different languages is something Google has put a lot of time and effort into perfecting to achieve accurate results, and each time they roll out a new algorithm, they improve on this function.
In the infancy of voice search, search queries often had to be repeated or spoken a different way for the search engine to grasp the meaning, but now it’s hugely on point most of the time, so long as the searcher speaks clearly.
Voice search can also be a hands-free way of communicating with Google, at least in the first instance.
How Voice Search Differs From Typed Searches
Google voice searches could still be the same, but the query will often differ. As most people only like to type the bare minimum when using a search engine, verbalizing a search query is an entirely different story. People tend to speak more extended questions than ordering them and often request complete sentences.
Here’s a simple example. Say you live in Dallas, Texas, and you’re looking for a mechanic to service your car. The following could be examples of a typical text search, followed by two examples of possible voice search queries:
- Car mechanics Dallas
- Looking for the best car mechanic in Dallas for car servicing
- Where is the best motor mechanic near me?
The last voice query brings up another critical point, and that is the use of location tracking on mobile devices. With voice searches, users can take things a step further. Not only can they voice their query, but Google can track where the person is and point them in the direction of the closest location to them at any given time, even when they’re driving around.
Location tracking can also be used with typed searches, but it often goes hand in hand with voice searches. People also love using voice searches and location tracking when they want directions to a particular location, shop, entertainment venue, etc.
Can Optimizing for Google Voice Search Improve Website Rankings?
It will help with ranking content on your site. While you will still target specific keywords popular with typed search queries, it’s also an excellent idea to start thinking about how those same queries might be worded when someone performs a voice search and include them.
The more naturally worded options you can cover, the more chance your content will rank in Google and other search engines for various typed and spoken search queries. All this adds up to more and more ways people can find your content and interact with your website and brand. Depending on its length, you could find one piece of content ranking for hundreds of keyword phrases.
Should You Enlist Professional Help for Voice Search?
This depends on the individual and how you create or source your content, but there are advantages to hiring the services of professional Search Engine Optimizers and copywriters. Industry experts can provide you with the best content marketing plan to ensure your website has every chance of being top of the search results for voice search.
This optimization can also apply to your videos as well as text-based content. Google owns YouTube, and YouTube is widely considered to be the world’s second-biggest search engine.
An experienced SEO Company can assist in new content creation and advise you on how existing content on your website can be optimized for voice search technology.
The Takeaway
Voice search isn’t just something that will be significant in the future; it’s huge right now, and anyone not optimizing for voice search could seriously be missing out on loads of traffic, leads, sales, and income.
Today, the time to focus on voice search is to keep your online presence at the top of the search results rather than languishing on page two and beyond.
