"According to forecasts, 50% of all searches will use voice by 2020."
THE VOLUME OF VOICE SEARCH QUERIES IS INCREASING AT A FAST RATE
The use of voice search is past the early adopter phase and is growing faster than we can imagine. In fact, according to forecasts 50% of all searches will use voice by 2020.
Before we dig deeper into how the rise voice search will change the future of the digital marketing space, let’s look at the core differences between voice search and text search.
OK GOOGLE, WHAT IS VOICE SEARCH?
Voice search is built on a speech recognition technology that allows people searching the web using the voice command instead of typing. Voice search can be used across a wide range of devices including desktop, mobile and smart speakers like Google Home.
Currently the voice search market is dominated by Siri and Google which is not surprising given the amount of devices they’re available on. Here is an overview of the top four voice assistants and the devices they are compatible with:
- Google Assistant - Google Home, Pixel phone, Android 6.0+ devices, iOS and Android apps
- Apple Siri - Apple iPhone, iPad, iPod
- Microsoft Cortana - Windows 10, Windows phone, Xbox One, iOS and Android apps
- Amazon Alexa - Echo
BUT WHO'S USING VOICE SEARCH?
You might not be an early adopter but more and more people are using their voice instead of their keyboard to search online. Google recently revealed that 20% of mobile search queries are done via voice search. According to a research conducted by eMarketer, 36% of millennials use voice assistant at least once a month, compared to only 10% of baby boomers.
Smart homes are also on the rise and no longer science fiction; according to a report from Juniper research, smart speakers will reach 55% of U.S households by 2022 and we can expect a similar trend in most developed countries.
OPTIMISING FOR VOICE SEARCH IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN EVER
The volume of voice search queries is increasing at a fast rate and having a fast loading mobile site is non negotiable. All the recent signals sent by Google indicate voice search and creating a mobile first world is on top of their list. So what are the primary voice search ranking factors:
1. Page loading speed appears to be the most important factor in voice search SEO. According to a study, the average voice search result page loads in 4.6 seconds which is 52% faster than the average page.
2. Content: When it comes to content, voice search optimisation is slightly different than the typical SEO strategy as it’s more conversational and the keywords tend to be longer. The content should be easy to read and understand.
3. HTTPS: The primary reason for using HTTPS is to secure a website and improve the user’s experience. It’s now a critical ranking signal.
If you would like to find out more about how Tonic Digital can help your business integrate voice search into your digital marketing strategy, please get in touch.
