How Voice Search is Changing Consumer Behaviour

Voice search is changing how people use technology, especially when online. It makes searches quicker and more convenient. Virtual assistants like Alexa, Siri, and Cortana, and devices like Amazon Echo and Google Home let users search for information and make purchases using their voice.

The impact of voice search on consumer behavior is due to the increased use of virtual assistants. This helps to simplify the way people find and buy products online.

This blog will explore how voice search has influenced these changes. It focuses on the changing search patterns, user expectations, and the present voice search marketing trend. We will also discuss how businesses can adapt their strategies to meet these new behaviors.

What Is Voice Search and How Does It Work

Voice search lets users find information online, or in an app using voice commands. This technology converts spoken questions into digital data. The search engines then use it to give you relevant answers. It is widely used in smartphones, smart speakers, and cars.

People prefer voice search because it is fast, easy, and hands-free. This is ideal for multitasking or using while travelling when you cannot type on your phone.

These searches are usually longer and sound more conversational than typed queries. As a business, it is important to optimise content using natural language and long-tail keywords.

• Voice Search Trends

The importance and popularity of voice search technology is clearly indicated by recent voice search marketing trend from Google and other sources. These insights highlight the relevance of voice search optimization for businesses who want to refine their marketing strategies.

• More than 52% of households that have voice-activated speakers place them in the family room or living room.
• Almost 50% of smart speaker users prefer making purchases through their devices.
• About 58% of consumers use voice search to find local businesses.
• More than 20% of the searches that are done in the Google App are attributed to voice search.
• Almost 71% of people prefer to use voice search over typing a query.

Let us understand how voice search technology is impacting consumers overall.

• Changing Search Behaviors

The search behaviors of consumers refer to how people look for information online. Users use more conversational and natural language than they do while typing. For example, instead of typing "best coffee shops in London," someone might ask their voice assistant, "What are the best coffee shops near me?"

This shift in behavior has led to a surge in long-tail keywords and detailed search phrases. According to Google, almost 30% of adults^[1] use voice search on their mobile phones. To attract traffic from voice searches, businesses should adjust their content to match the search patterns.

To adapt to the rising popularity of voice search, businesses need to adjust how they create content. This means using longer and more specific keywords. It also includes answering common questions, and providing thorough, relevant information. This helps to enhance their visibility in voice search results.

• User Expectations

Voice search has increased the need for instant and accurate information amongst the users. Consumers today expect quick answers to their queries. They depend on virtual assistants for immediate insights and suggestions.

According to research, almost 60% of consumers have utilised voice search^[2] to discover local business information within the last year. To cater to this demand, businesses must optimise their online visibility for local voice searches. Include precise business listings and relevant content. You should also give clear responses to frequently asked questions.

• Purchase Decisions

The purchasing decisions of the customers are often observed to be instant in nature. By integrating voice search, you can aid customers’ purchasing behaviors and benefit from it.

This technology is integrated into devices like smart speakers and smartphones. Voice assistants enable consumers to make purchases effortlessly with spoken commands.

Businesses can utilise this trend by ensuring smooth voice-based transactions. They can also deliver personalised recommendations that are tailored to customer preferences.

• Voice-Activated Devices and Smart Homes

People have made voice-enabled apps a part of their daily routines. They rely on smart speakers and voice-assisted devices to access news, shop, and search for information online.

Voice-activated devices and smart technology have popularised voice search and reshaped consumer behavior. Alexa and Google Home are central tools for managing everyday tasks, including shopping.

By linking voice assistants with online shopping platforms, consumers can browse and purchase products using voice commands. This eliminates the need for screens or keyboards in the process.

Strategies to Meet Changing Consumer Behavior

As more people use voice search, businesses must update their SEO and content strategies to stay competitive. They must customise their content, focus on specific long-tail keywords, optimise local SEO, and create FAQ sections, which is important for adapting to these new voice search trends.

By staying informed about voice search trends, businesses can take advantage of opportunities to improve conversion rates, increase customer engagement, and drive revenue growth.

Here are some ways for businesses to meet the new consumer behaviors:

• Use Long-Tail Keywords

Optimising your content with long-tail keywords can improve your visibility in voice search results. Voice searches often use conversational language and provide more context. Focusing on natural language for content and queries can help your business get discovered more easily.

Select conversational phrases that match how people talk during voice searches. Utilise tools like 'Also Asked' and 'Answer the Public' to find relevant keywords and questions. This is because the traditional keyword research tools might sometimes need to catch up.

• Customise Content

Personalization enhances the voice search experience for your users. Businesses should create content that meets specific customer needs. Analyse the data collected through market research to understand audience preferences. By doing so, you can create detailed customer profiles.

Develop high-quality and informative content. It should answer customers' questions in a natural and conversational style. Include a dedicated FAQ section to address common user queries efficiently.

• Improve Local Search Presence

Optimise your local listings and content such as reviews and ratings. This helps in increasing your visibility in voice search results. Use local SEO techniques, such as setting up 'Google My Business' and creating local profiles on various directories on websites.

Use location-specific keywords to optimise your website. This will increase the likelihood of your business showing up in local voice search results when people are searching for nearby businesses or services.

• Utilise FAQs

You must also integrate FAQs on your website with natural language and relevant keywords. This can improve your voice search ranking and answer common questions in a straightforward Q&A format.

• Make Your Website Mobile-Friendly

Given the increasing use of voice search on mobile devices, it is important to have a website that works well on smartphones and loads quickly.

This ensures a better user experience and helps you to capture the voice search traffic. This is helpful as many people use their phones for voice searches while they are moving.

Summing Up

The voice search feature promotes hands-free use of the internet while shopping or browsing, or any other operation on your mobile or other device. This makes it easier to access information. This shift has significantly impacted consumer behavior and improved their online buying habits.

Voice search provides instant results in an easy way, which is an important requirement of today's digital world. Businesses that adapt voice search optimization can gain an edge in engaging with their customers. Understanding the impact of voice search optimization allows businesses to fully utilise this technology and do better in the market.

For businesses planning to integrate voice search into their operations and offerings, GrowthJockey offers expert guidance and beneficial strategies. Regardless of the size of your business, our customised solutions help uncover your business's full potential.

FAQs

1. What future voice search trends should businesses prepare for?

Future trends that are bound to arise around voice search technology include increased voice search integration with smart home devices and advancements in natural language processing. Businesses may also see a rise in voice commerce, where users can purchase directly through voice commands.

2. How do you use the voice search feature?

To use voice search with Google Assistant, follow these steps:

• Open the Google app on your Android phone or tablet.
• Tap the microphone icon.
• Speak your search query to find information on Google.

Also remember that the "Hey Google" command only activates Google Assistant.

3. What are some challenges that businesses face when adapting to voice search technology?

Businesses may face challenges such as accurately predicting the user's intent from voice queries and adapting content for different voice platforms. They might also need help in ensuring that their websites are technically optimised for the voice search algorithms.

1. 30% of adults - Link ↑
2. 60% of consumers have utilised voice search - Link ↑