The Rise of Voice Search & Conversational AI
Over the past few decades, the way consumers interact with technology has been changing at a rapid pace. Earlier, if a customer had a query, they could only get connected via call centers, websites, apps, emails, etc. But, today, that phone-to-phone or email communication is passé and the way consumers interact with technology is very different. Voice Search & Conversational AI – two terms that have taken the search marketing space by a storm are expected to take over the market, considering how fast they’ve been gaining popularity. Perhaps, even be the next big thing in search engine optimization. Google Home, Alexa etc. are just a few popular examples of Voice Search & Conversational AI that have made their way into people’s lives and homes.
Voice Search:
Remember the days when you sent out the wrong message to the wrong WhatsApp group because you were driving? Or you bumped into an old lady on the street because you were busy typing your destination on your phone? Well, those days are gone! With Voice Search becoming the new big thing, you don’t need to manually type anymore. All you have to do is – talk!
A speech recognition technology that allows users to search by saying things aloud rather than typing them onto a search field is popularly known as Voice Search. It’s one of the best technologies that lets you multitask almost effortlessly. 35% adults use voice search while walking, driving, cooking, working, bathing, among other things. It helps understand you better and caters to your requirements with just your voice. ‘Which are the best Italian restaurants in the area?’ ‘How much money will I make this month?’ ‘How do I track my calorie count for the day?’ – no matter what your question may be, Voice Search communicates your queries to search engines and comes back to you with the best option. This AI-technology is probably the best way to engage with a search engine as it searches for your query purely on the basis of your voice instead of using text or images.
Conversational AI:
Ever since Alexa, Siri and the likes have come into existence, don’t you find yourself conversing with them like you would with another human being? ‘Hey Siri, I want a cookie.’ ‘Siri, find me an electrician in the area’ statements like these are now everyday things for most people. But how does this happen? The answer is Conversational AI.
A voice assistance component that constantly engages with your voice, no matter where you are is amazing, isn’t it? Whenever you’re stuck somewhere and need some information, all you have to do is talk to your digital assistant. It analyzes your query, engages with a search engine and provides you with several options to choose from. It makes communication almost effortless, convenient and solves problems rather quickly.
Difference between the two:
- In Voice Search, people engage directly with search engines whereas with Conversational AI, people ask questions to digital assistants like Siri, Alexa, Cortana etc. who then engage with search engines to give you a response.
- When you type a query into a search engine with Voice Search, you will get a specific answer to your question. On the other hand, with Conversational AI, loads of options pop up whenever you ask a question.
According to Comscore,
40% adults do Voice Search atleast once a day as of today
So, by 2020, 50% searches are expected to be Voice Searches
With voice-assisted search becoming popular by the day, mobile-friendly sites have become more important than ever before as most people search for information on their smartphones these days.
It is also important to optimize your website for conversational queries so as to rank higher on search engines for Voice Search.
While voice assisted searches gain popularity, being number one has become the need of the hour. Whether businesses are aware of it or not, AI-technologies are changing the game of SEO, which means either marketers adapt to these changes or get left behind.
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