• by Laurie Sullivan , Staff Writer @lauriesullivan, January 9, 2014

The longer phrases spoken in voice search queries create a much closer match. It serves a more relevant ad to consumers, improves the quality score of the brand, and produces a lower bid for the phrase. In this scenario marketers will pay less for the top position. 

The bottom of a detailed post from Alex Funk, director of digital media strategy at Covario, closes with an interesting thought about updating keyword lists to match longer natural language queries from users on the go. He said a few marketers have begun to explore that option, but not many. Frankly, I'm surprised, given the increase in mobile searches and smartphone use.

Android market share continues to grow, according to numbers from equity firm J.P. Morgan. Android U.S. smartphone market share grew to 52%, compared with 41% for Apple’s iPhone as of October 2013. While Android’s share gains have been predominantly driven by Samsung devices, Google’s mobile offerings have expanded beyond its Nexus devices with the launch of Moto X, the first Motorola device designed and produced under Google’s ownership.

Consumers don't need to use a phone running the Android operating system. Anyone can download Google's search engine to an Apple iPhone or other smartphone to use its voice search. 

I rarely type in a query to do a search on my smartphone. Sometimes I search by voice on my laptop. The combination of phrases marketers need to think about might seem daunting, but automation and getting to know your existing and potential customers better will help.

"We believe Google will work to find new ways to integrate information and service across its platform. Google Now, available on desktop and mobile devices, not only incorporate Search and the knowledge graph but also information from Gmail and Google+ accounts to surface important and relevant information to users," wrote J.P. Morgan Analyst Doug Anmuth, along with his team, in the "Google" section of firm's annual "Nothing But Net" report advising investors where to put their money in 2014. "We have seen similar integration in Google Maps with travel information. We believe Google will focus on building content in 2014, particularly in Google+, Google Now, and Google Maps as we see these products as key to Google’s overall cross-platform strategy and into mobile."