Twitter Facebook LinkedIn Flipboard 0 mohamed_hassan / Pixabay Voice interaction has been linked directly to local search with an increase in phone calls. Whether its to find restaurants, hotels, doctors, heating and air conditioning help, directions to a local address, local voice search is on the rise. Consumers have begun to realize the value of voice-activated, user-friendly interactions. It is predicted that by 2020 half of all online searches will be voice searches. According to BrightLocal Study: 58% of consumers have used voice search to find local business information within the last year. 46% of voice search users look for a local business daily. 27% visit the website of a local business after conducting a voice search. 76% of smart home speaker users conduct local searches at least once a week and 53% performing daily searches. The Breakdown Use voice-activated devices least once per day1: 41% of all adults 65% of users age 25 to 49 59% of users age 18 to 24 57% of users age 50 and over How voice searches are used2: 51% to research products 36% to add to shopping list 20% to provide ratings/reviews 18% to contact customer support Primary location when using voice search3: 43% at home 36% in the car 19% on the go 3% at work Typical next step after voice search4: 28% call the business 27% visit the business’ website 19% visit the business’ location 14% do more research on the business 12% do more research on other businesses Reasons why people use voice search: 61% use voice search when their hands are occupied 30% use it for faster results 24% use it so they don’t have to type long phrases Voice search penetration5: 72% food & beverage 68% health 68% sports 64% news/media 62% lifestyle 62% automotive 56% retail 52% travel 48% real estate 42% entertainment 39% banking Top 10 voice-query keywords6: How What Best The Is Where Can Top Easy When Get Ready for Voice Search It’s time to optimize your website and online media for Voice-Activated Searches (learn more basic optimization here as well as specific device optimization.)It is predicted in just two years the competition for voice search will be tight. Starting now will ensure your business is ahead of the curve. SOURCES: https://www.pwc.com/us/en/services/consulting/library/consumer-intelligence-series/voice-assistants.html https://see.narvar.com/Connecting-with-Shoppers-Report.html?utm_source=press&utm_medium=pressrelease KPCB 2016 Internet Trends https://www.brightlocal.com/learn/voice-search-for-local-business-study/ https://www.searchenginejournal.com/voice-search-optimization-strategies/261115/#close https://www.seoclarity.net/next-generation-search-voice-17099/ Twitter Tweet Facebook Share Email This article was written for Business 2 Community by Laura Donovan.Learn how to publish your content on B2C Author: Laura Donovan Follow @thewordpro Laura Donovan is the President of The Word Pro, a national digital marketing company. She is a graduate of North Central College with a degree in Organizational Communications, a discipline that has proved valuable in her Social Media endeavors. Laura been managing Facebook, Google+ and Twitter pages for small and… View full profile ›More by this author:2020/2021 Digital Media Trends to Work into Your Marketing Strategy – Social Media2020/2021 Digital Media Trends to Work into Your Marketing Strategy – Online SearchConsumer Behavior is Shifting, Businesses Need to Make Changes