MICHAEL THOMPSON BROWN - Voice Over Artist

Get into the Benefits of Voice Search Optimisation!What is Voice Search?Voice Search is the Google search that happens when a person speaks into their device and asks for information by using virtual voice assistants like Siri, Bixby or Alexa.

Where, so far, SEO practices have focused on the written word, now, sound – from both the provider of information and the searcher – is being transcribed into search terms.It’s a growing trend that people at home, work, or out driving, looking to make a purchase or enquiry, are increasingly using voice search.

They are often looking to find a store or supplier near their location, or to find out about topics they are interested in.With close to 2.5 billion smart phone users out there, you can see how there are advantages to be had by optimising your site to respond to voice searches.

Why is Voice Search important?While digital marketing allows you to target your niche customer base rather than using a ‘one size fits all’ approach, voice search brings that whole concept into even sharper relief.

Coupled with a best use of Google’s new ‘Local Search’ feature, optimising your site for Voice Search will literally serve to put you on the map.

With 46% of voice search users look for a local business daily, there’s a large market to be tapped into and it is increasing rapidly.

With an estimated 55% of adults looking to own a smart speaker by the time 2022 hits, it is easy to see why voice-activated technology has become a disruptive force in the business to the consumer communications field.

ASR software works by capturing a user’s voice through a microphone and translating it through a sound card into commands a computer can recognize and follow like “call father” and “open the web, search Lego toys” to name a few.

Some ASR software requires “training” or rather, the user to read a passage so that their unique voice can be recognized and is called a Speaker Dependent System.

Finally, a Natural Language ASR is able to understand and accurately respond to questions asked of it.How Voice-activated Tech Impacts Consumers & How Marketers Are Using It?Voice-activated tech is impacting both consumers and markets and here is how.ConsumersConsumers are using it to make informed buying decisions.Add items to their shopping carts.Compare product pricing.Place one-time orders.Reorder products that are out of stock.Find business phone numbers to call.Enjoy daily news briefings.Get walkthroughs of recipes.Enjoy puzzles and games (Skill Apps).MarketersContent marketers are emphasizing on short-form content offerings, concise answers, and quick feature-rich snippets.Marketers are aiming to get featured snippets on Google to hit position zero in the voice-search.Marketers are integrating and delivering voice-enabled chatbots to help deliver relevant and helpful content that is in relation to the spoken search.Skill apps are being developed to engage consumers in other relevant ways.What the Future Marketing Space Will Look Like with Voice-activated Tech?With 24% of internet users preferring to use a voice-activated, personal assistant over a traditional website to interact with their favourite companies, it is easy to see why 43% of companies are investing in this technology for marketing purposes.

Consumers may not be placing as many orders as what was predicted, but they are certainly using them to make informed buying decisions, compare the prices on products, or even add items to their shopping carts.

Beyond this, Salesforce has also developed Einstein Bots which allows their customers to build their own voice-activated assistant with customized branding.How Is This Tech Integrated into Future Marketing?Content marketers will need to create short-form content products that provide quick and crisp answers to users through voice search.