Greg's Words
The concept of a User Interface (UI) is as ancient as time itself, with only the face-to-face dialogue outdating our good old QWERTY companion.
The art of conversation.
A recent study uncovers a fascinating nuance - articulating your queries to Google yields more fruitful outcomes than the traditional method of hammering them out on a keyboard. The hypothesis is that those who choose to engage with their microphone give a tad more thought to their queries than their keyboard-bound counterparts.
Now, I remain on the fence about this proposition.
However, I can't deny the reality that transforming spoken words into digital text leans more toward convenience than anything else.
Executive Summary:
- The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) published an article accusing Google of manipulating search results to favor big businesses over smaller ones and suppress controversial auto-complete suggestions while engaging in the capricious blacklisting of sites. These conclusions were based on over 100 interviews and a comparative analysis of search results1.
- Google made algorithmic changes favoring big businesses and has been alleged to make ranking concessions on behalf of a major advertiser, eBay, according to WSJ. However, the implication that Google was willing to change the search engine results page (SERP) to get eBay’s money back is disputed by some who argue there's likely more to this story than presented in the WSJ piece1.
- Google responded to the WSJ article by highlighting its transparency around search rater guidelines, policies for special features in Search, and its work to combat misinformation. The company emphasized that its changes to Search are aimed at benefiting users, not commercial relationships. Google claimed the WSJ article contains old, incomplete anecdotes, many of which give a very inaccurate impression of how Google approaches building and improving Search1.
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The article "Why You Should Dictate Your Search, Not Type It" suggests that dictating searches can lead to better results than typing them. The paper described in the article found that when study participants dictated their responses to a search engine, they gave the queries more thought. As a result, the queries were more detailed, and participants were more satisfied with the search results.
"A study by Shiri Melumad of the Wharton School finds that dictating online search queries using voice technology leads to better results than typing them"1.
The author of the study, Shiri Melumad, an assistant professor at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School, mentions that interacting with voice technologies is almost like speaking in a second language. She observes that people tend to choose their words carefully when dictating a search because they worry that voice technology might misconstrue their query. Additionally, people instinctively consider how an audience would perceive their words when spoken aloud, even if no one is present.
The study involved several experiments. In one, 2,500 participants were asked to conduct an online search for wireless headphones. Half of the participants conducted the search by typing their query, while the other half dictated their query into the search engine. The vocalized queries were more likely to reference a brand name, a specific price, and the intended use for the headphones. When asked to rate their satisfaction with the search results on a seven-point scale, with seven reflecting the highest satisfaction, the collective ranking was 6.12 for the group that dictated their query and 5.94 for the group that typed their query. Despite the small difference, the author argues that the large sample size and the fact that it was replicated in other experiments make the results meaningful.
“As consumers increasingly gather information through voice-assisted technologies, the shift may alter both the nature of their queries and the types of information they are ultimately exposed to..."
In another experiment, participants were asked to search for a product that would help them be more productive or comfortable at home. Participants were divided into three groups: one that dictated their queries, a second that typed their queries, and a third that was asked to think about their search for 30 seconds before typing out a query. The group that typed their search without waiting had less detailed queries, and they were also less satisfied with their search results.
"When participants thought about vocalizing queries (either speaking to a voice assistant or dictating to a search engine), they remembered feeling more worried about being misunderstood, giving more forethought to their queries and making more of an effort to be specific in their queries."
Melumad points out that while the difference may be small in absolute terms when applied at the scale of daily Google searches, the consequences become quite meaningful. She also noted a similar pattern when surveying participants about their actual experiences with voice assistants, search-engine dictation, and text searches. When participants thought about vocalizing queries (either speaking to a voice assistant or dictating to a search engine), they remembered feeling more worried about being misunderstood, giving more forethought to their queries, and making more of an effort to be specific in their queries.
The article concludes by noting that as consumers increasingly gather information through voice-assisted technologies, the shift may alter both the nature of their queries and the types of information they are exposed to.
In terms of your previous question about Google manipulating search results, the Wall Street Journal reported on Google's alleged manipulation of search results. The report claimed that Google made algorithmic changes that favor big businesses over smaller ones, made adjustments to information layered on top of basic search results, kept blacklists to remove certain sites or prevent others from surfacing in specific types of results, and created algorithms and blacklists to weed out incendiary suggestions for controversial subjects.
Google has denied these claims, stating that the changes they make to search are aimed at benefiting users, not commercial relationships and that the Wall Street Journal's report contains old, incomplete anecdotes that give a very inaccurate impression of how they approach building and improving search1.
| Source URL | Source Title |
|---|---|
| https://www.searchengineland.com/wsj-report-about-google-search-manipulation-gets-a-lot-wrong-347682 | WSJ report about Google search manipulation gets a lot wrong (searchengineland.com) |
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Tweet: "🔊 Voice vs. Text: Which reigns supreme in online searches? New study by Shiri Melumad of Wharton School suggests dictating your queries could lead to better results! Let your voice be heard! #VoiceSearch #TechTrends #WhartonResearch"
LinkedIn Post Introduction: "Ever considered the power of your voice in online searches? A fascinating study by Shiri Melumad at the Wharton School suggests that dictating your search queries could lead to superior results compared to typing. It's time to rethink how we interact with search engines and embrace the potential of voice technology. #VoiceSearch #DigitalInnovation #WhartonResearch"
Comma Delimited Keyword List: "Voice search, Online search, Search queries, Voice technology, Shiri Melumad, Wharton School, User satisfaction, Search results, Voice vs Text"
Search Question: "How does voice search compare to text search in terms of search results and user satisfaction?"
Song: "Radioactive". I chose the song "Radioactive" by Imagine Dragons as the tune for the song because its theme of embracing a new era or change aligns well with the content of the article, which discusses the shift from typed to voice-activated search queries. The song's rhythm and structure also lend themselves well to creative adaptations.
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