In the last decade, the interaction between humans and technology has changed radically. If 10 years ago we got used to using our smartphone regularly, at the gates of 2024 we talk to Alexa to play our favorite station or we ask Siri to call our partner.
The integration of voice search into smartphones, smart speakers, and other IoT (Internet of Things) devices has been a significant leap in our technological interaction. And, most importantly, industry advances have made it an accessible and ubiquitous technology. In fact, the consulting firm Gartner estimates that currently 25% of interactions with technology are made through voice in Spain.
The evolution of voice search is linked to the development of virtual assistants such as Apple’s Siri, Google’s Google Assistant, Amazon’s Alexa or Microsoft’s Cortana. All major technology companies have their virtual assistant, which is integrated into products with high market penetration, such as smartphones and voice assistants.
What is voice search
It is a technology that allows users to make queries on the Internet or control devices using voice commands. This technological advancement uses natural language processing (NLP), speech recognition and artificial intelligence to understand and respond to users’ verbal requests.
The impact of voice search on the marketing sector
The user has a virtual assistant within reach of “her voice”, which forces companies to measure their impact on actions such as online search. The importance of voice search today is indisputable: it has transformed the way people search for information, make purchases and organize their daily lives.
For companies, this represents a radical change in digital marketing strategy, especially in SEO (search engine optimization) and SEA (search engine marketing).
If we have been working for years on how users write searches, now it is time to study how they verbalize their requests to search engines and how virtual assistants understand them. Adapting to this new search modality is crucial to maintaining relevance and visibility in the digital world.
Google leads the change
In such a changing scenario, it is interesting to analyze what actions the leading company in the sector is carrying out. Google, with a market share of more than 90% worldwide, is no longer just a search engine, but an ecosystem of solutions that focuses on anticipating and satisfying user needs.
The role of the user is fundamental in this new approach. Google is aware of this paradigm, which is why it is adopting social signals that increasingly impact search results. Google searches are now adapted to each user in a personalized way. Among other changes, the technology company has implemented:
- From offering a simple answer to developing a path for the user. For example, when we search for restaurant hours, Google gives us the opportunity to reserve a table.
- Adapting results based on the user’s search preferences and interests. For example, with video results, remembering preferences from previous searches for duration or comments.
- Google has left pure text results behind. The technology company has left behind the lists of 10 links, to offer dynamic pages enriched with images, videos and results from social networks.
Added to this is that a relevant percentage of these searches are done through virtual assistants, that is, searches by voice commands. These changes therefore require companies to evaluate what it means to do SEO and SEA in a user-centric environment that has changed the way they interact with technology.
Voice search is not just a fad, but a significant evolution in our interaction with technology
As we move toward an even more AI-integrated future, voice search will continue to play a crucial role not only in how we search for information, but in how we live, work and engage in the digital world. Companies and users that quickly adapt to this technology will be better positioned to reap its benefits and meet the challenges of tomorrow.
For this reason, companies like the digital agency Smartup propose a change of focus in digital marketing strategies, covering both SEO and SEA. The new approach of this company, with headquarters in Spain and Mexico, includes multiple scenarios to work and impact potential clients, extending beyond traditional search engines.
