8 New Voice Search Trends & Predictions for 2022/2023 You Should Consider
People have been inputting text to search the internet for decades. However, voice search trends are becoming prominent because it is more natural for individuals to speak than type or click. With the advent of the COVID-19 epidemic, touchless technologies such as voice-activated assistants aid in reducing or eliminating touch points, increasing safety.
With the increasing popularity of smartphones, voice search has grown significantly. Voice is fundamentally altering how people interact with technology, particularly the growing tendency to communicate with digital devices.
As a result, online search as we know it is fundamentally altering.
Businesses and SEO strategists must recognize developing trends in voice search statistics to capitalize on its expanding popularity. So we've compiled major developing trends in voice search so you can adjust and capitalize on these ongoing changes.
How did voice search gain popularity?
One technological instrument and two smart devices are to blame for the growing popularity of voice search. The digital voice assistant is the tool, while smartphones and smart speakers are the devices. Because of its unique use, individuals have grown increasingly fond of using digital voice assistants in recent years.
Smartphones almost always include at least one digital voice assistant. With the increased use of mobile phones comes to an increase in the use of digital voice assistants.
The increasing popularity of smart speakers such as Google Home and Amazon Echo is also fueling the rise of digital voice assistants. And, you got it, every smart speaker includes a digital voice assistant.
Voice search is quickly becoming the preferred online search option. According to recent research, by 2020, 63% of Americans would have used a voice-operated assistant through devices such as their smartphone, household appliance, laptop, and TV.
Furthermore, as people sought alternative modes of communication during the pandemic, the global use of voice assistants increased by 7%. One of its most common use was to inquire about sickness symptoms as well as medical information.
It's not shocking that voice search will eventually take over the web search area. It is more natural for people to converse. Voice search is also quick, easy, and informal.
Today, an increasing number of users rely on voice search as a more dependable choice that provides faster results. Businesses are catching up to this voice search supremacy as well.
Text-based searches are not the same as voice searches. Aside from having distinct input methods, information obtained using voice search is also presented in a different way. As a result, organizations and marketers must revise their SEO tactics.
Here are the important voice search trends for 2021 to demonstrate how voice search differs from text search. We've integrated key voice search forecasts, along with other impending technology breakthroughs, to make your reading time more worthwhile.
- Voice is predominantly utilized for local searches.
According to online search trends, voice search users are increasingly looking for local results. Only a year ago, 58% of consumers utilized voice search to locate local businesses.
This suggests that individuals are increasingly using voice search to find nearby businesses or sites. According to Google, searches for "near me" businesses have increased dramatically in recent years.
- Voice search adoption is driven by smart speakers.
In 2020, it was discovered that 87.7 million American adults had a smart speaker, accounting for 34.4% of the US population. Experts predict that the number will rise more in the coming years as 5G networks are deployed everywhere.
Their early applications tended to be more amusing, such as asking amusing questions. However, the most typical smart speaker requests now are for music (85%), weather forecast (74%), and general web search (72%).
People nowadays use smart speakers, which are powered by substantial voice technological breakthroughs, for more important activities. These include budgeting, researching flights or motels, and ordering takeout.
- Mobile locations dominate voice search.
It's easy to become enthralled by Siri, Cortana, and the rest of the gang's growing strength. Yes, they have played a significant role in increasing voice search adoption.
It should be stressed, however, that smartphones will continue to be the primary driver of voice search in the long run.
Unlike text-based searches, most voice searches are conducted when individuals are on the move. Google reported in 2016 that voice search accounted for 20% of all searches on its Android apps.
It's no surprise that Google has been increasing the availability of voice search to a broader range of countries. It is currently available in 119 languages and counting.
- Voice AI and ML are rapidly learning.
Artificial intelligence and machine learning advancements are also affecting how people search the Internet.
Google's RankBrain is a prime example of how AI is taking over the Internet. This machine-learning AI is part of Hummingbird, Google's main search algorithm.
Rankbrain has been enhancing Google searches since 2015. Because it is built to detect words and phrases, this search AI can learn and better predict.
- For efficiency, people are turning to speech.
The number of voice technology applications is growing .
Voice technology is being used extensively in fields ranging from marketing and human resources to mass transportation and banking. It provides tremendous efficiency in addition to optimizing company processes and lowering costs.
Voice technology, when used correctly, allows people to do activities swiftly and easily. By being extremely helpful, efficient, and productive.
Overall, voice technology simplifies people's lives in ways that were not previously feasible. Voice search is one area where voice technology is making a huge difference. However, this has caused significant changes in SEO as we know it, requiring marketers to handle these changes.
- The use of voice-enabled chatbots will grow.
As of January 2018, the average monthly number of voice searches was 1 billion. The majority of these inquiries are routed through voice-enabled chatbots.
As voice recognition technology improves in accuracy, companies are releasing a slew of new applications. As a result, a growing number of consumers are turning to voice involvement.
Almost half of all consumers now use voice search devices at least once every day.
- Voice technologies are altering human behavior.
Voice search is altering how people conduct themselves in their daily lives. For example, voice search technology enables people to multitask in previously unthinkable ways.
This increased multitasking aptitude is spawning a new generation of distinct human behaviors. Many speech device users nowadays, for example, request flash briefings—a review of the day's important headlines—in their daily morning rituals.
- It is a component of the upcoming Conversational AI.
The previously consistent text-based search order is disrupted by voice search. It should be highlighted, however, that voice search is simply a subset of the greater conversational AI revolution. This larger shift encompasses all technical innovation aimed at providing people with the answers they require as rapidly as possible.
Unbeknownst to some, conversational AI is the driving force behind consumer behavior change. Nonetheless, voice search plays an important role in the greater picture of acquiring solutions as quickly as feasible.
Natural language processing is at the heart of conversational AI. If properly utilized, the technology that underpins voice search is quite amazing.
None of the major technology companies, such as Google or Microsoft, have yet mastered NLP.
What should you do in response to these voice search trends?
These trends have various ramifications for consumers as well as enterprises. The continued shift toward voice search can be attributed to a number of variables, the most basic of which is that people are born to talk, not type.
The majority of voice searches comprised questions for local firms, and they arose as a result of increased worldwide mobility. To capitalize on these developments, businesses must enhance their internet presence and brand information.
The growing global usage of smart speakers, as well as the benefits that voice-based chatbots provide, are driving the rise of voice search. Similarly, voice technologies have revolutionized people's daily life, and they are used because of the efficiency they give.
Because of the substantial efforts of Google and other technology companies, voice-based machine learning and conversational AI will continue to progress.
Voice search trends are extremely disruptive. Is this the end of text-based searches?
In light of these changes, the optimal SEO strategy is to incorporate both text and voice search optimization. Furthermore, the textual search will continue to exist and will not be phased out very soon.
You'll get the best of both worlds this way.
Aside from knowing the latest trends, it's also a good idea to keep up to date on the latest voice search statistics, especially given the surge in demand caused by pandemics.