What is Google Voice Search?

Google Voice Search, also referred to as Search by Voice, is a product by Google that enables users to use Google Search by speaking into a mobile phone or computer. Users trigger the voice search function on a mobile device or computer by saying 'Ok Google' or selecting the microphone icon and speaking their search query.

It has become increasingly popular due to the growth of smart devices and improvements in speech recognition accuracy. Voice search can interpret natural language, is multi-lingual and has a built-in profanity filter. It saves time and makes searching convenient in circumstances where typing is not preferred or viable.

Google’s Voice Search technology enables Google to understand and execute complex voice instructions, thus offering a seamless and interactive user experience. An understanding of this technology is particularly important for marketers aiming to tap into this rapidly growing user base.

Google Voice Search plays a pivotal role in the realm of digital marketing, particularly Search Engine Optimization (SEO). As more people have begun using voice commands to search online, SEO strategies need to adapt to this changing landscape to rank the websites effectively.

The rise of voice search has resulted in the popularity of long-tail keywords. Marketers are compelled to integrate conversational, colloquial terms into their content to mimic the way people speak and ask questions in real-life situations. This has led to a significant shift in the content creation and keyword strategy of marketers.

In addition, local SEO has been significantly impacted by Google Voice Search. People often use voice search for finding local businesses or getting directions. Hence, businesses can greatly benefit by optimizing for local voice searches, ensuring they show up in the results for relevant queries.

An example of Google Voice Search could be asking for directions. Instead of typing 'nearest gas station', a user would use voice search to simply ask, 'Where is the nearest gas station?'. This natural language search makes it easier for users to search, especially on mobile devices.

Another example could be a voice search query for trivia or facts. Instead of typing 'Who won the world series in 2020?', a user may ask, 'Who was the winner of the 2020 world series?'. The language used in voice search is conversational, and phrases like these would require businesses to optimize their content accordingly.

Lastly, an example of a local search could be, 'What time does the local coffee shop close?'. For businesses, this points to the importance of adding operational hours to their online listings. It highlights how essential correct, up-to-date information is for appearing in voice search queries.