• by Laurie Sullivan  @lauriesullivan, May 15, 2013

Google will add conversational search to desktops and laptops through the Chrome browser for PC, Mac and Linux. But there is no word on how conversational search will influence product listing ads, paid-search marketing, and search engine optimization.

During the keynote at the Google i/o conference Wednesday, Amit Singhal, Google's senior vice president of search, called the technology "hot wording," which allows a person to speak commands to conduct a search or an action. An "okay Google" -- along with the question -- signals the command, so the engine can return the query and recite the answer or carry out the function, he said.

Google's Knowledge Graph technology, which maps and connects similar objects, makes the action possible. The feature will initially roll out in the United States, but Google added several languages to expand the use across the world, such as Polish, Turkish simplified and traditional Chinese.

The features demonstrate the next step in Google’s long-term strategy to turn its search-engine technology into a ubiquitous artificial-intelligence machine that answers questions and carries out tasks without being asked. Singhal called it the search engine of the future that must answer, converse and anticipate questions. Google Glass already uses the hands-free conversational function. Some cars also have this feature.

Aside from conversational search, Google Now offers several features. Among them are reminders. Apple also built a Reminders feature in iOS and OS X that tells the user on arrival to pick up groceries at a store, for example.