How is voice search taken into account on a website?
Voice search and the use of voice content is one of the rapidly growing trends in website development. As artificial intelligence develops, so does its ability to interpret and produce speech. Artificial intelligence also controls the results of voice search in online search results. Many of us have learned to use voice control on our phones and perhaps also use a smart speaker to help us search for information.
Sound is pioneering
In the future, the structure of websites will also change, as more and more people will use voice control instead of traditional Google searches. For example, from the perspective of search engine optimization, this means that blog posts will be optimized to support speech recognition in the future. In practice, optimization is done by using longer search queries, as the way we speak is naturally very different from the way we write.
The core of speech recognition is speed and effortlessness. For example, at the wheel of a car, you can ask for driving directions from a smart device, and with the help of speech, the device can tell us the answer. You can also imagine what kind of help speech-assisted technology offers to a person who has limitations in terms of vision, for example, or problems with reading comprehension.
When companies invest in website development and take into account the importance of sound for the service, they can also have a positive impact on the customer experience.
Voice search in numbers
40% of American internet users and up to a third of the US population used voice search to search for information in 2019. Voice search has become the fastest growing type of search, and there are no signs of the trend slowing down. Voice search in the United States is predicted to grow by about ten percent in 2021, bringing the number of users to 122.7 million. The figures are not surprising, as people are constantly looking for faster and more convenient ways to do business online alongside the traditional search engine based on manual typing.
How is the voice visible on websites and services at the moment?
You have probably come across a situation where you call the service number of a company or organization and are met by an automatic answering machine. The answering machine may ask you to ask aloud the question you are looking for an answer to and direct you to the right place based on that. Technology that utilizes speech recognition is already very advanced and it is used in a variety of ways to produce speech and recognize it.
In the past, voicemail was a very common way to use voice. In recent years, the use of voice messages has become more common, and especially among young people, voice messages and Snapchat and TikTok videos are already a common way to communicate.
Accessibility also guides organisations' online communications. Bringing online information into a form that can be listened to is part of this development. It is said that consuming content with the help of sound will eventually be the rule rather than the exception.
How do voice search and SEO link to each other?
Voice search affects search engine optimization and thus also the information found online. Marketing professionals in particular should prepare for the changes brought about by sound.
Marketers should especially focus on creating content that responds to voice searches. Written search and voice search differ from each other, as the way we speak is fundamentally different from written text. Voice search will affect, for example, the length of search queries. In the future, searches will be longer, which will bring more accurate search results, as long as the structure of the search query is clear and easy to understand.
You can start planning optimization by looking at the matter from the customer's point of view. What kind of questions would you most likely ask when looking for the service offered? How would you say it out loud?
Adding voice to the website and marketing strategy will improve the company's online visibility in the future as well. For example, in a search engine optimization strategy, an organization that takes voice into account has a clear advantage over its competitors, as early inclusion of voice in SEO strategy will lead to higher visibility in search results in the future. In the future, the core of SEO will be formed around voice searches. Are you ready to be a pioneer?
The added value of voice in content marketing
The tone of voice of a brand refers to the way a company communicates in different channels. Consistent communication across different channels creates credibility and an impression of the company behind the brand.
Audiobooks and podcasts have paved the way for sound and awakened new needs in the field of content marketing as well. The core of content marketing is to produce interesting and useful content for your target audience. What if blog posts could be consumed by listening?
Incorporating audio into a company's content marketing strategy takes into account the growing trend of consuming audio content and different ways of reading, but taking audio into account also improves the user experience of the site. The reader can choose the way to enjoy the content that suits them.
Visuals guide the user on the website
Visual cues guide the user's movement on the website. Visuality can also be used to encourage the user to listen to content. Clearly highlighting the possibility of listening offers an alternative to using content regardless of the reader's situation or special needs. Content is increasingly consumed on the move and alongside other activities, which means that sound helps not only busy people but also people suffering from presbyopia and various perceptual disorders, for example.
The ability to listen directly to the website and the optimisation of pages according to voice search serve consumers who are already used to audio content, such as audiobooks and voice messages. They also get used to faster and more convenient ways of operating online more widely. When sound is taken into account on the website, the information found online is made more accessible to everyone.
Sources:
Core Dna: 10 Web Development Trends Every CTO Should Expect in 2021
Neil Patel: Type No More: How Voice Search is Going to Impact the SEO Landscape
Web Professionals: Why And How To Add Voice Search To Your Website
W3C: Web Content Accessibility Guidelines
Oberlo: 10 Voice Search Statistics You Need To Know in 2021
First Site Guide: 30+ Major Voice Search Statistics of 2021
Digital marketing in Finland: Voice search is coming – are you ready?