Voice search: What is it & how does it work?

An article on Search Engine Journal says you shouldn't miss out on sales because your site wasn't optimised for voice search. Luckily, you can learn the best practices and get started today with this guide.



If your business isn't focusing on voice search optimization, you could be missing out on sales. Voice search's gradual rise and dominance in the search engine landscape can't be ignored. Smartphones, smart speakers, cars, smart TVs, smart home components, wearables, appliances, and other connected gadgets are on the rise.

They provide a level of convenience the modern consumer craves. The simple press of a button, followed by reciting a phrase verbally, can return instantaneous results. Speech recognition technology has made our lives even easier and shopping more effortless.

And more consumers are catching on to the benefits of using a virtual assistant for their needs. Forecasts predict by 2024, the number of digital voice assistants will reach 8.4 billion units. This number is higher than the world's population.

Additionally, nearly one-third of the U.S. population has a smart speaker device.

Before we dive into tips for optimizing for voice search technology, let's first explore what voice search is and its origins. Voice search eliminates a layer of effort, enabling consumers to leverage technology to answer a question or simply to find out more information about a topic.

Voice search functionality works through the automatic speech recognition system (ASR) to transform voice signals into text. This voice recognition technology allows smart device users to search by simply using their voices.

The voice search technology will then translate spoken words into text. Then, the search engine uses the text as if it's a standard search query and delivers relevant search results. Over time, machine learning improves to better understand natural human language and the searcher's intent to surface the best results possible.

Artificial intelligence (AI) assists personal voice assistant devices with audio quality, enhanced battery life, and voice control. Natural language processing enhancements continue to better understand the questions and commands given by the end user.</p>

Yeah, voice search is complex.

But luckily for a lot of us, having just a basic understanding can help guide your voice search optimization endeavors.