Voice activated searches. They’re not just for Google any more.
According to Alpine AI’s January 2018 estimates, there are now over one billion voice searches across devices per month. With those kinds of numbers, your business should get involved. Some of the biggest brands are already ahead of the curve such as Dominos who added the ability to order pizza with your voice.
Siri has been able to request Uber rides and updates since late 2016, and now this feature is available via Alexa and Google Home. Also since 2016, PayPal has made it possible to use Siri on an iPhone or iPad iOS 10 to send and request money from a contact with a voice command. Making this accessible in 30 countries, Siri connects with the PayPal app, pulling up a details sheet of the transaction before your authorization.
Older consumers have moved to these technologies and are more dependent on voice search today than ever before. The younger consumers are being trained by the Internet of Things to ask for goods and services. They don’t type in keywords, they ask Alexa.
I read a story where someone showed their young child an old watch. The dial lit up on the watch shen she pressed the button. She then issued a voice command for the watch and was mystified when it didn’t respond.
Tamara MacDuff, a digital marketing strategist and a speaker on SEO, social media, and content strategy says that people are using voice to search for their favorite stores, restaurants, and things to do.
According to a 2016 study by MindMeld, 61 percent of people use voice-activated searches because they can multi-task and find their answers when their hands or vision occupied.
Mobile voice-related searches are three times more likely to be local-based than text. 22 per cent of all mobile voice searches are for local information. So get your Google My Business search sorted to start building visibility in Google Maps and Google Search in your local community.
The big players are investing in voice and reaping the benefit. Something to think about is, if they are getting involved, what’s stopping you? It’s something to think about for your 2019 business plan.
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