Emerging Trends in Voice Search and the Implications for SEO
Voice Search Will Change How Construction Businesses Market Themselves
Anyone who has been keeping up with the latest in voice search technology has probably read about the prediction that 50% of all searches in the year 2020 will be voice searches. This was predicted to be one of the biggest emerging trends in voice search and the implication if SEO.
The number has been frequently attributed to Comscore, but it was actually made by Andrew Ng, the Chief Scientist at Baidu at the time. His prediction was actually for a combination of voice and visual search, in China. The country accounts for 52 percent of global smart speaker growth.
It is currently difficult to gauge precisely how many voice searches are done, as there is no clear reporting available. But voice search is an inevitable part of the future of SEO. So you probably think that you will have to optimize your pages for voice. Unfortunately, it is not possible to do so just yet. This is evidenced by a tweet made earlier this year by Google Webmaster Trends Analyst, Gary Illyes. 
“It's a new year, maybe we can put the voice search optimization fad to sleep finally...” the tweet read.
What is Voice Search?
Voice search or voice-enabled is a speech technology that allows the user to search the internet, a website, or an app through voice instead of typing it into a search box. Originally designed as a software application, voice search is also used as a service by smartphones and other web-enabled devices.
Emerging Trends in Voice Search
The Google Voice Search app available for iPhones (previously known as Voice Action), got the ball rolling for the evolution of search by voice technology. Digital assistants now are not limited to just phones and smart speakers; they are multi-device as well. Right now, people engage most with digital voice assistants, followed by smart home speakers.
The future of voice search and upcoming trends for the technology are many. Below are some of those trends and how they will impact SEO:
Smart speaker use will increase
Alexa and Siri have been around for a few years, and while they were initially used by many as a mere source of entertainment, newer smart speakers like Google Home and Apple Homepod have improved voice technologies. Smartphones today typically have at least one digital voice assistant, so many people use voice search directly from their phones. But the sale of smart speaker devices has been steadily increasing. The most common questions asked are for music, weather forecasts and online search.
Voice AI and machine learning will advance
Voice AI and machine learning have been the biggest trends in healthcare, manufacturing, and scientific research. Even the future of SEO will be dictated by AI. Text-based search has been what search engines are based on. But with the latest technological advancements in AI, search engines will be able to understand audiovisual signals as well. This will result in a new type of writer who will write content for SEO-optimized videos.
Voice Search Data Will be Available
Back in 2016, Google hinted that they were considering an option on Google Search Console that would allow webmasters to see how people are using search by voice to find their pages. Their plan was to segment text and voice search in the Search Analytics Report. Right now, the only way to estimate voice keyword volume is by looking at the Search Keywords report. Queries that look like they could be voice queries are usually more natural queries.
What Microsoft Thinks about the Future of Voice Search
Touch has been the primary user interface for almost two decades now. While there are many who think that voice will be the next big thing in search, Microsoft seems to think otherwise. In Microsoft’s 2019 Voice report, the tech business asserts that conversational AI will be the next disruptor. And it will be easier for people to use since it won’t require us to learn computer code, but instead for computers to learn our language.
How Will Voice Search Affect SEO?
Text searches are not done in the same way that voice searches are. The average text search, for example, uses an average of one to three words, while voice searches are usually seven or more words long. For example, people type “ grocery near me,” into Google, but the voice search would probably be “Hey Google, where is the nearest grocery store?” To optimize for voice, businesses will have to conduct research into and use long-tail keywords.
know more: SEO vs Traditional Marketing: Which is Best for Construction?
For SEO optimization, using natural language with direct answers will ensure that people find your construction business online. Voice search is most commonly used to do local searches, so you should claim your Google My Business listing, complete your profile, and choose an appropriate business category. You will also need to ensure that all information on your website is up to date.
Optimizing for voice search is not just another marketing trend; it is a necessity. And the construction industry tends to lag behind other industries when it comes to adopting new technologies, so construction businesses will have to be prepared to capitalize on the advantages that voice search has to offer.
You won’t want to miss out on the voice search revolution. If your site is not ready for voice search queries, your competition will get ahead of you in terms of leads and sales. CMgurus has affordable SEO services for construction marketing and does the best SEO for construction companies. The way forward as we see it is to be conscious of and embrace both text and voice search.