Important Things to Know about Google Voice Search

Google has been around for ages, and it’s the most widely used search engine. Thanks to a wide array of innovators and computer engineers the engine gets better with each update and becomes more reliable. Furthermore, voice recognition capabilities are also improving, so we nearly have those super cool scientific computers that execute our voice commands, like in Star Trek. 

Voice searches is one of those things that is not outright necessary but it overall makes the whole experience better, like betfair promo code. Still, you would be surprised with just how often voice search is being used today, compared to 10 years ago. Since this is the case we wanted to take some time and go over some important things related to Google’s voice search. 

What made it more effective

As we all know voice recognition is being triggered by saying “OK Google” and then whatever we say next is treated as a search query. What’s most surprising is how the results are typically the same even when we speak or type the query. Sure it would not be surprising if we say or type the exact same thing, but we clearly have a different way of speaking a command than the way we formulated into writing. 

For example, you might type – “Tom Cruise height” but you are more likely to ask – “ How tall is Tom Cruise?” This is a simple example but you get the idea behind it. Basically, all of this is possible thanks to the change to Google’s algorithm that was introduced with the Hummingbird update. This in term enabled Google to analyze the semantics of the query rather than to do a search based on every word written. 

This increased reliability, precision and ease of access to voice searches has resulted in a massive surge in use. In fact, compared to the number of voice search uses back in 2010, the numbers have increased sevenfold. 

Can you optimize sites for voice searches?  

Considering how SEO plays a major role in digital marketing, one has to wonder if websites can and should optimize for voice search queries. Unfortunately, there is no simple “Yes” or “No” answer. 

As mentioned the search engine itself relies on semantics rather than exact targeted phrases, so changing your content to accommodate voice searches might look weird. That being said, there are sections where you can use the same queries as in voice search, like FAQ for example, or even the “About Us” section. Bear in mind that this is not exactly the best way to utilize the voice query analysis. It would be better to focus on what people typically search with a voice command rather than typing.

The analysis suggests that these are the type of questions that people want to find out while on the go when it’s inconvenient for them to type or browse the web. These are things like working hours, address etc. So you can optimize for voice search by ensuring those data fields are actually visible and identifiable on your website. Also, make sure you add google coordinates to your office, or shop, along with images, because that way Google can provide navigation. Finally, make sure your product core value is always mentioned, something that helps people find you even if they doesn’t know about your business, like “authentic Italian meals” for example.