Search by Voice—The Evolving World of Voice Search

Next, we present 10 innovations driving global business and communication trends, as highlighted by the Vizeum Innovation Team.

Search methods are changing daily. Today, over 61% of search queries (the words typed into the search bar) are phrases starting with "5W1H" (who, what, when, where, why, how), rather than single words describing the information sought. Thanks to faster processors and more advanced machine learning, conversational voice search has made leaps and bounds in the past year. Today, the majority of smartphone users utilize voice search services like Google Voice Search, Apple's Siri, Microsoft's Cortana, or Baidu's Duer. Apple's wearable device, the Apple Watch, and Amazon's AI speaker, the Echo, are designed with voice search as a core feature.

Search algorithms have evolved, and websites and content now rank higher based on the meaning of the search query rather than keyword combinations. Furthermore, as evidenced by voice search results converging on a single answer, search accuracy has made remarkable progress. More companies are strategically incorporating voice search.

McDonald's "Know Our Food" campaign. Through advertising, it encouraged consumers to ask questions about products—such as ingredients and cooking methods—via Google Voice Search, directing interested consumers to the website.

Stella Artois promoted its tagline "C’est Cidre Not Cider." It ran a campaign where users who correctly pronounced "cidre" via Google Voice Search received the company's cider.

What will 2016 bring?

Voice recognition and natural language processing (the technology enabling computers to process everyday human language) will continue to evolve in accuracy, adapting to situations demanding immediate results, such as in automobiles. Companies will need to anticipate how their products and services will be searched for, simulate the answers, and incorporate strategies like SEO (search engine optimization) and location-based search.