When people think of voice search, the first thing that comes to mind is Siri or Alexa, talking to your phone and picking up what you say. But it's actually not limited to just mobile phones anymore. The Google Assistant recently added the ability for users to create an account on their devices, allowing them access across multiple devices within a household. This means that voice search can now take place on your laptop, as well as a phone. Many people also use a smart speaker in their homes, and voice activation is used in a variety of devices.

Google has also started to promote the option for users to talk into their browser, meaning that everyone is now able to have a 'virtual assistant' in front of them at all times. In the last few years, mobile search has exceeded desktop and this has been instrumental in voice search growth. It is only a matter of time before voice search is the primary form of search. Experts predict by 2022, voice-based shopping is expected to grow by $40 billion, with 50% of consumers using voice search.

So what does this mean for marketers over the next few years?

Google is looking for relatable content, so it's important that you match the tone of voice which your customers use when talking to their devices. Voice search is brief, intuitive and informal. Marketers must optimise keywords based around conversational language because users speak differently when they are speaking to a device compared to how they would search on mobile or desktop. This means that you can include words like 'how', 'where', and 'when' in your content without it being a mistake, as long as the rest of your article matches this tone. It's also important that you are consistent with your voice across all platforms, so take this into consideration when writing for other services like Facebook or Twitter as well.

Online trends have shown that voice search users are increasing for local results. Local businesses should optimise their website for local SEO to capitalise on this voice search opportunity. A good place to start is to adjust your FAQs so that they respond to voice search queries. Another strategy is to post how-to articles to your blog that align with the queries of your target audience. Marketers must embrace natural language if they want to show up for voice searches.

Voice technology enables people to complete tasks more quickly and easily as it is highly efficient and intuitive. Now is the time to take advantage of the increasing popularity of voice search and stay ahead of the game!

Source: Finances Online