ACCESSIBLE VOICE: Conversational Search for All

Mobile Voice Search Illustration

We all know folks with physical, cognitive and learning disabilities who need to use voice recognition technology rather than type on a keyboard or use a mouse. Yet many more of us are conducting conversational searches via voice-activated services on our mobile phones and other devices.

Report: There are now over 50 billion voice searches every month. This number is expected to grow to over 200 billion by 2020 and account for over 50% of all searches. [SOURCE]

So how is this changing the keyword phrases we use when we use voice search?

In the article How conversational searches change your search strategy, author Sara Kleinberg reports that people are “searching with natural language in a manner reminiscent of asking for advice.”

Here are some examples:

Mobile searches for “do I need” have grown over 65%. For example, “how much do I need to retire,” “what size generator do I need,” and “how much paint do I need.”

Mobile searches for “should I” have grown over 65%. For example, “what laptop should I buy,” “should I buy a house,” “what SPF should I use,” and “what should I have for dinner.”

Mobile searches starting with “can I” have grown over 85%. For example, “can I use paypal on amazon,” “can I buy stamps at walmart,” and “can I buy a seat for my dog on an airplane.”

Sara offers this advice to website owners and marketers:

“Because consumers are growing more and more at ease with technology, consider using more natural language and creating intuitive experiences across all of your digital touch points. In search, after locking down the key words and phrases typically associated with your business, think beyond those to consider more conversational phrases that customers might be using to find you.”

Read the rest of How conversational searches change your search strategy

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