What Is Voice Search & How Does It Work?

Voice Search Key Takeaways:

• Voice search refers to using speech to control smart devices and search engines, replacing the need for typing.
• Voice search is not limited to searching for information but can also be used for shopping, with 40% of smart speaker owners making monthly purchases using voice search.
• The development of voice search technology can be traced back to 1952, but modern systems analyze speech, detect questions, and provide relevant responses by accessing large data files.
• Voice search can be accessed through search engines like Google and Yahoo on various devices, including smartphones and computers.
• Smart speakers, such as Amazon’s Alexa, are exclusively designed for voice search and offer additional functionalities like news updates and making purchases.
• As a business owner, the widespread use of voice search can impact your business, as consumers increasingly rely on this technology to discover and purchase products and services.
• Similar to search engine optimization (SEO), voice search optimization is gaining importance among marketers, as it helps ensure that your products are more likely to be discovered through voice search.

In the past decade, voice search technology has become an industry standard. Thanks to popular developments like Apple’s Siri and Microsoft’s Cortana, users no longer want to waste time typing when they could be talking. 

But what exactly is voice search, and how does it work? Read on to find out everything you need to know about voice search technology—including how it can benefit your business. 

What is Voice Search?

Voice search refers to the process of using speech to control smart devices and search engines. At its most basic, voice search can be used in place of typing when looking up information in search engines like Google. 

Today, voice search technology can do far more than save you some typing time. Shopping is now a common instigator of voice searches, with users locating and purchasing products using nothing more than their voice. Of consumers who own smart speakers, an estimated 40% make monthly purchases using voice search. 

How Voice Search Works

Modern voice search technology might seem like a cutting-edge development, and in many ways, it is. But a rough version of voice search as it’s known today was first developed in 1952 by Bell Laboratories, with a device that could recognize a handful of spoken words and numbers. 

Fast forward to the present, and it’s clear that little has changed. Now, voice-activated search engines process human speech and analyze what they hear to detect a question. From there, they’ll access larger data files to find the most relevant response and repeat it back to you. 

The same thing occurs when you ask a device to purchase an item from your shopping list. It listens to you and determines the correct course of action, so you can get what you need without lifting a finger. 

Types of Voice Search Devices

Search engines like Google and Yahoo commonly feature a voice search option that you can access on any device that supports their site, including phones and computers. 

Additionally, voice search is used exclusively with smart speakers, which 35% of Americans have in their homes already. With these speakers (such as Amazon’s Alexa), users search for information, ask for the news, and of course, make purchases. 

Voice Search and Your Business

As a business owner, the widespread use of voice search may affect you more than you’d expect. Thanks to its convenience and time-saving capabilities, a growing number of consumers are using this technology to discover and purchase products and services—including yours. 

Like the now widely-recognized search engine optimization (SEO), voice search optimization is making waves with marketers. With the right strategy, you can all but guarantee your products are the ones consumers discover through voice search. 

Want to learn more about connecting with consumers through voice search technology? Visit apnTech today.