Insights From LocationWorld: #5 Questions Are the New Queries

During the *From Vocal to Local: Does Voice Search Change Everything?*panel, LocationWorld 2016 attendees heard Microsoft's Purna Virji discuss the evolution of voice search. Virji explored how well-known voice assistants, like Alexa, Cortana, and Siri, are shaping search trends — and how voice search is impacting local search marketing strategy.

"With digital personal assistants, search is coming to us."

– Purna Virji, Senior Manager of PPC Training, Microsoft | @purnavirji

"Vocal search behaves quite differently than text search," explained Virji. "You can type 38-40 words per minute on a mobile device, but you can speak at least 150 words per minute." This leads to more question searches than keyword searches: 'Who?' 'What?' 'Where?' 'Can you?' The type of question informs the intent. Artificial intelligence makes it more critical than ever for businesses to ensure that their location data is consistent and structured to perform well in organic search.

Named by PPC Hero as the #1 most influential PPC Expert in the world, Virji specializes in SEM, SEO, and Voice Search. With over a decade of experience in search, she regularly speaks at conferences across the globe — including MozCon and SMX Advanced — and is a columnist for Search Engine Land and Search Engine Watch. An award-winning former journalist, Virji was the CEO of Purview Marketing prior to joining the Bing Ads team.

Read more groundbreaking insights from LocationWorld 2016 in our latest whitepaper: 11 Key Insights from the Intersection of Location, Marketing & Technology. Download it today.