Google Search via iPhone plus Speech Recognition

[Jon_King]

This is pretty interesting, search google from your iPhone using spoken words...

[nytimes.com...]

[tedster]

This is pretty cool stuff. Speech recognition is one area of technology that is beginning to mature nicely, and that team at Google has been at it for a while now. I think it's time to take the mobile sector more seriously.

[Jon_King]

>>take the mobile sector more seriously

Mobile is a fast growth sector which may be difficult to monetize for traditional thinking web designers and SEOs.

I see mobile site specialists a must... screen real estate is very limited and so requires a virgin approach to development.

We are working on a basic strategy and find this new business area exciting but challenging.

[maximillianos]

If you have ever used an iphone you realize that "mobile development" is really unneccessay. I can view any website comfortably with the iPhone web browser.

The sites that do offer mobile versions usually annoy me since they assume I would prefer their trimmed down content versus the real site when I first visit. The ones that don't give me the choice of using their normal site really annoy me.

[outrun]

If you have ever used an iphone you realize that "mobile development" is really unneccessay. I can view any website comfortably with the iPhone web browser.

I agree, with browsers such as Opera Mini / Opera Mobile, Mozilla Fennec and the increase of screen resolution of Hand Held Devices, full version of websites are easily viewed with out having a mobile version present.

[tedster]

So has anyone had a chance to take this new voice recognition search for a test drive?

[JS_Harris]

I'd like to hear more too.

I have a huge interest in this since one of the tools I use to stay ahead of my competitors is based on SEO for the typed in word (let's face it, people type funny things and still expect results).

I have a strong feeling people searching by voice will say slightly different things than they would type.

[SEOMike]

I can view any website comfortably with the iPhone web browser.

Well, not quite yet. The iPhone still can't render flash. That's a problem because so many sites have a significant portion of their content in flash.

I'd think that most of the searches done on Google by voice are for locations as someone is waling around / driving. It'll be interesting to see if this increases the number of overall local searches.

[tedster]

I have a strong feeling people searching by voice will say slightly different things than they would type.

I'm sure you are right. I hope that data becomes available relatively soon, and sorted out from typed search data.

[oasisfan]

Iv'e been trying it with my South east English accent with a slight Australian twang and had excellent results.(it warns best results are with an American English accent so I wasn't expecting much)

I tried three or four word phrases (spot on) domain names- it has problems with "au" or maybe it was my accent.

It is very quick and a lot easier than having to type in a search.

I will now use it in preferance to typing (on my iphone anyway)

My iphone has taken over as my main browser by the way-yes it is that good.

I thought this to be a gimmick but it's so easy to use and I can see it being the way forward.

The iphone is just brilliant anyway so it just keeps on getting better and better and better.

Thanks Google, great stuff. This is genuinely useful and innovative. I have the iphone googlearth and its really to wow people at parties with and not that useful (well maybe I will find it to be useful later on)

Maybe they would want some sort of calibration mode eg you say words they display.

Yes I would agree the mobile sector should be taken very seriously now(well the iphone anyway, none of the others come close, sorry Android, LG, HTC, Samsung and the Blackberry wannabe iphones don't even come close)

I am surprised WebmasterWorld doesn't have an iphone forum though.

[edited by: oasisfan at 11:12 am (utc) on Nov. 18, 2008]

[tedster]

More information and a video are now available on the Google Blog [googleblog.blogspot.com].

[oasisfan]

umm-never made a you tube video. I would leave a glowing comment on that page but there is no where to add one. As I said it works for me in my English/Aussie accent.

I tried " Directions to 367 George Street Sydney New South wales" (apple store location!)it did it perfectly and then allows you the option of opening up the map app which gives you your GPS location and plots your route!

This is very useful.

[kamikaze Optimizer]

I have been using it all day and let me say, it is so cool.

It is not 100% correct all the time, but very close to it.

My son is using it right now as a pocket spell checker with his homework. If you can say the word, Google can spell it.

[briggidere]

Irish obviously isn't the best accent to have. I tried about 20 different 2-4 word phrases and not one came out right.

I think I need to work on my US accent ;-)

[nealrodriguez]

try 'supercalafragalisticespialadocious'

[GaryK]

I've been trying all sorts of voice searches with 0% positive results. It's not gotten one thing right yet. I have a good speaking voice. Very clear with excellent enunciation. I tested it in a quiet room. It either returns stuff close to what I've said, or it starts searching in the middle of me speaking. I've tried things like, "directions to nearest Starbucks" and all I get are search results for the Starbucks store location map. I've tried "directions to 10691 London Street..." [I obfuscated the actual street number] and as I start to say the city it cuts me off and starts searching for "Erections to [16591] London Street". Seriously.

There's lots of potential in mobile voice search. Based on my tests though, even after all these months, this app is not ready for prime time.

[Robert Charlton]

I've tried things like, "directions to nearest Starbucks" and all I get are search results for the Starbucks store location map.

That's also what you get when type it in at my desktop.

Is there any sort of evidence that they treat mobile or spoken queries differently (assuming, eg, that you might want maps or directions more)?

[GaryK]

The NYT article seemed to suggest I might actually get directions to the nearest Starbucks by using the iPhone's GPS. If not then why does Google ask if it can use my location information?

So far desktop search seems far less prone to errors. Words don't get misunderstood and search queries don't get cut off and submitted prematurely if I happen to pause for a micro-second.

I do keep trying voice search though in hopes it'll get better.