Commentary

Voice Search Leads To Physical Actions

While smart speakers for the home have yet to generate considerable search volume, technology like Google Assistant and Apple Siri have made gains, even drawing consumers into physical stores after doing a search on their mobile device.

Chatmeter, a local search marketing agency, published research on consumer perception and behavior related to voice search. The report, Voice Engine Optimization, highlights hurdles and motivations and how this impacts search and in-store visits and sales for local businesses.

More than two in five people using voice search ask for directions, an address or business hours; and 88% of those are likely to use driving directions after a voice search to find the local store.

Some 90% of consumers use a voice assistant on their mobile device and those who make purchases via voice device are 30% more likely to use their voice assistant daily.

Fifty-two percent of consumers say convenience and ease of use are the top things they like about voice technology, and some 23% call it “fun and different.”

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About 27% of consumers say their No. 1 use for their voice device is to find a local restaurant, a shop or a business. Factors that most influence the decision to use voice or search results include distance at 63%, deals or discounts at 58%, and search engine ranking at 38%.

About 39% of consumers who use voice call out errors as the top determinant for using the technology, followed by 31% who say some voice assistants don’t understand the question, and 21% cite inaccurate or lack of answers.

Consumers are warming up to smart home devices such as Google Home and Amazon Echo. Daily active users of the Google Home smart device has grown by five times in the past year, Google CEO Sundar Pichai said in Alphabet’s third-quarter 2018 earnings call Thursday.

Chatmeter reports that between 15% and 21% who have never made a purchase via a smart speaker or mobile voice assistant are more likely to say security and incorrect ordering are concerns when making a purchase via voice.

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