It is quite common to see voice search being discussed as a trend for the future. However, voice search is happening right now. Voice-enabled technology is very much part of the mainstream, with devices powered by Alexa, Siri, Cortana and Google Assistant becoming a staple in many homes.
Local businesses can think of new technologies as a challenge. But the reality is they need to step up their game – if they don’t want to lose potential customers to the competition. After all, when a consumer uses voice to search for a product or service, most times they only get one result. That means if a business is not the top result, then they are not getting found.
People of all ages are tapping into voice search to find goods and services in their area. This is a great way of getting to know the local consumer. According to a study by BrightLocal, 58 percent of consumers researched a local business using voice search over the last year! From restaurants to restoration companies, people are interested in local businesses.
As you might suspect, smartphones and mobile devices are the leaders in voice searches, meaning that consumers are likely on the move and ready to make a purchase. Just as placing a focus on mobile strategy became a necessity as smartphones took off, voice-enabled technology means that voice search is truly becoming a necessity for local businesses.
Of the 5,000 questions asked, Google Assistant attempted 78 percent and answered correctly 93 percent of the time.
Siri attempted to answer the fewest questions at 40 percent, but achieved accuracy of 80 percent.
Alexa and Cortana both achieved a success rate of over 80 percent.
It’s only natural that voice search will serve different purposes for different industries. Retail, for example, is a sector where users can quickly locate stores selling the items they want. Buying a home, however, is typically a process where a user would conduct deeper research using text search. As voice search technology improves and users become more comfortable with it, every industry can anticipate a rise in usage. But before you can begin optimizing for voice search, it’s important to get a deeper understanding of the technology.
So where do you start? Right here – we’re going to help you with this today! Downloading this guide is a great first step.
VOICE SEARCH FOR LOCAL BUSINESSES,
BRANDS AND FRANCHISES
