Google Assistant, Alexa and Cortana are just some of the voice assistants used in homes across the world today. This technology, combined with voice search capability, is a trend businesses need to adopt if they want to keep up in 2020. According to an Adobe Digital Insights Consumer Electronics Report, over 50 percent of the customers who have a voice assistant use it at least once a day. With this figure in mind, my law firm is making sure when someone says, "Hey Alexa, find me a lawyer," we're on the top of the search list. As soon as we have this up and running, we're going to do the same for Google Assistant.

What Is Voice Search?

According to digital growth strategist Gabriel Shaoolian, "Voice search essentially allows users to speak into a device as opposed to typing keywords into a search query to generate results. Audio technology uses speech recognition to understand what users are saying with extreme precision. It then delivers results orally to the user." So even if you don't have a voice assistant in your home, office or pocket, chances are you've seen others use voice search more than once.

Why do clients use voice search? It's practical, for starters, because you don't have to painstakingly type out each letter or stare at a screen for long periods of time. And with 84 percent of customers feeling comfortable with issuing voice commands while others are in their vicinity, there is now even more of a reason to embrace voice search before your competitors do.

Get Ready

There are more than a few ways to take advantage of the voice search trend and ensure your content makes it to the top of the list.

Keeping It Casual

This doesn't mean you should change your company's formal or straightforward editorial style guide, instead, keep in mind voice assistants are made to handle the way consumers speak naturally. Clunky keyword phrases like, "best law firm Harris County," isn't natural to write, read or say, so it's a good idea to use language which doesn't sound like you're forcing SEO on your audience.

'A Lawyer Near Me'

Gone are the days of having to include address information in your search; instead, you can now permit your devices to pinpoint your whereabouts and search for what you need relative to your position. According to Think with Google, between 2015 and 2017, there was a 500 percent increase in "near me" mobile searches, including variations of "to buy" or "can I buy." So including "near me" throughout your content is a surefire way to take advantage of the voice search trend.

Specificity Is Key

When humans speak to a voice assistant, we like to organically include long-tail keywords, so it's important our content follows in the same vein. What is a long-tail keyword, you ask? While conventional keywords are usually short and general ( like 'lawyer'), long-tail keywords are focused and can be three to five words long (like 'personal injury lawyer in Houston').

'At A Crossroads'

Arianna Huffington, the founder and CEO of Thrive Global, recently stated, "We're at a crossroads in our relationship with technology — and the rise of A.I. is only accelerating the urgency to put humanity at the center. We will have technology that augments our humanity or undermines it." While readying your company for new technology trends may seem impractical at times, or worse, downright scary, preparing for voice search and meeting your clients where they are now will pay off in 2020 and beyond.

Nicolette Daniel is the Chief Strategy Officer (CSO) with Patrick Daniel Law in Houston, TX, www.PatrickDanielLaw.com.