The Future of Search
What is the Future of Search? SMX West Reveals All
Google’s Behshad Behzadi reveals his prediction for the future of search at the Search Marketing Expo, SMX West.
SMX West is one of the biggest and best search marketing expos out there. So, when their keynote speaker’s talk is titled ‘What’s the Future of Search?’, it’s well worth sitting up and taking notes.
Add to that the fact that the speaker is none other than Google’s Director of Conversational Search, Behshad Behzadi, and you have a recipe for an extremely insightful address.
Behzadi, a Google stalwart of over 10 years, opened the event by looking back before he began predicting the future.
He started off in 1998, telling the audience that the Google algorithm was relatively simple and unsophisticated before moving on to 2002 when synonyms were first introduced.
Their introduction was a key point for advertisers, as they no longer had to get search terms right on the money each and every time they ran a campaign.
However, by the time 2012 rocked around, Google’s algorithm was able to recognise and interpret ‘things’ instead of mere ‘strings’, leading the way to the introduction of the Knowledge Graph.
Zip ahead to last year, 2015, and the big news of the day was the fact that mobile search finally overtook those using desktops, and it is from there that Behzadi’s predictions for how Google’s search will perform in the future really got started.
It’s All About Voice
Yep, apparently, the future of search is largely going to be based on the way we interact with our devices. According to Behzadi, it all revolves around trying to build the ultimate personal assistant for each and every one of us.
But what has led Google and Behzadi to this conclusion? Well, he gave four key points that highlight just why the biggest name in the world of search is predicting that voice will be the future of the medium:
Voice Search Is Already Growing
Word errors when using speech recognition software is already down to as low as 8 percent.
While this may not sound all that impressive, when you consider that it was as high as 20 percent just two years ago, you can see that we’re moving in the right direction.
This has led to more people becoming accustomed to using voice commands for search rather than the old fashioned method of typing, especially when using certain devices such as wearables and smart cars.
Voice Search Brings In The Conversation
People speak differently to the way that they type, and this can bring a more personal air to search.
Users interacting with a search engine via a desktop would be likely to type in a search term such as ‘London weather’. Whereas, via voice, they would be more inclined to opt for a friendlier ‘What is the weather like in London?’
This is a key point for marketers to understand moving forward.
Speaking To Your Phone Is No Longer Seen As ‘Odd’
Behzadi reckons that the new range of devices hitting the market is becoming so intuitive that speaking into them is now regarded as relatively normal behaviour.
Voice search gives you the opportunity to have your own PA on call 24/7, allowing you to get on with more important aspects of your daily life.
Context Is Key
Improvements are being made with voice search that will help your device understand the meaning of what you are saying, not just the words.
Behzadi emphasised the importance of your own PA knowing your world, you, and the wider world beyond.
Conclusion
So, in a nutshell, the future of search is speech. Feel free to talk amongst yourselves, or your devices. 🙂
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About the Author
Danny Hall is the Co-Director of FSE Online, a leading SEO company in Essex in the UK. Danny’s specialty is technical SEO backed up by high-quality content and stylish design.
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The Future of Search
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