The reality is somewhere in between. With voice enabled devices becoming more popular, users are becoming more accustomed to speaking to their devices and naturally, finding it far less silly to actually ask their computer or mobile phone a question.
Rather than heralding the end of SEO as we know it, we merely need to adapt to this change. In the same way that search engines moved away from a traditional directory and towards an algorithmic approach, voice search will only change how we optimise content for searches, not eliminate the need for it altogether.
Get your content in order
Voice searches take several forms, but by far the most common are in the form of questions. Performing some in-depth keyword analysis on possible queries for your business will help give you an idea on what keywords your should be optimising your content around. Ensuring your content answers these important questions maximises your chances of being visible on the SERP.
Make your business easy to find
The convenience of voice searches has seen a rise in searches for local businesses. Search engines already give prominent display to these results, showing contact and address information in large boxes so it’s vital that this information is kept up to date. This is especially important if you have service-based business as potential customers will often ask when they want a quick solution and any barrier to them receiving your contact info is a missed opportunity.
Prepare for screenless content
Smart assistants such as Alexa, Cortana and Google’s own have played a big part in the rise of voice search. There’s also one thing they have in common - most of these assistants are on devices that don’t have a screen, meaning the response is read back. Because of this, it’s essential that your content is easy to understand, using simple and straightforward language. Doing this will mean that search engines will be able to parse your content and be able to use it in a response to a user’s voice search.
It doesn’t look like voice search will be going away any time soon and with more smart devices appearing on the market, it’s only a matter of time before voice search overtakes text search, so get ready now!