Jul32017
Make Me Local, Bromley, Kent

Would have thought that technology would encourage us to talk more? While we believe our devices mean we no longer have to interact with the world, it seems that we are actually becoming more conversational. The difference is, we aren’t having conversations with people, we are conversing with our high-tech equipment. The growth of voice search is overwhelming, here’s what you need to know about it.

Why is voice search popular?

 While voice search has been around for a little while now, apps such as Siri, Google Now/Assistant and Cortana looked to set to take the world by storm. Unfortunately, the enthusiasm quickly wore off. The reason? Inaccuracy. Using voice search just made people frustrated with use; when you want to call home, and your phone decides to call a restaurant in Rome…

In 2013, Google’s voice search platform had an accuracy rate below 80%. However, in just a few short years the technology has become so refined that it is now over 95%. That number is only expected to keep rising.

Voice search is incredibly useful; it is no wonder that around 55% of teens and 41% of adults use the function every single day. It is growing in popularity thanks to its;

  • use when driving
  • quick delivery of results with minimal effort
  • hands-free multitasking power
  • vision-free
  • no fiddly typing and incorrect spelling
  • simplicity and ease of use.

How will it affect your website ranking?

  • Mobile friendly

In 2015, voice searches reached 50 billion a month. It is now estimated that over 20% of searches are through a voice search system on a mobile phone. This means that if your website is not mobile-friendly, a voice search on a smartphone will not lead to your site for answers.

By having a mobile-friendly site, you will be ranked, and site trawled for the answers to the mobile voice search question. Making sure your website is mobile-friendly was already important, now it is crucial.

  • Who, what, where, how and why?

There is a huge difference in the way people respond to voice and type searches. When typing a query, people will use shorthand, only using one or two words to get the answer. With voice search, people speak more naturally, using question words. If you can alter your SEO to include key question phrases, you are more likely to match with a voice search with better long-chain keywords.

  • Think local

Voice searches are incredibly location-based. People will often use voice searches to find a local business. If customers are looking for a service, then search engines will try to give the user information for a business that meets the criteria, and that is as geographically close as possible to the user.

Make sure that your site is ready to be seen locally, by having reviews, business contact details and photographs available and give your business a boost.

Now it’s over to you

If you want your website to be seen by new customers locally and boost your rankings through voice search improvements, then get in touch with the team here at Make Me Local by emailing hello@makemelocal.com.