From Siri and Alexa to ChatGPT, using voice assistants to direct web searches has become a regular part of our lives. Around 72% of Americans report using voice search on their phones every day.
This trend is not only bringing convenience to users but also shaping the way search engines display content. For starters, voice search uses more natural language. It also directly narrates answers from top searches, so searchers never need to look at the bottom of the search page.
If you’re a business developing its search engine optimization strategy, accommodating voice search is non-negotiable. Let’s take a look at how voice search technology impacts SEO and also learn a few strategies to optimize your website for voice search.
What is voice search?
Voice search is a technology that enables people to browse the internet with simple voice commands. These commands are processed through devices like smartphones and smart speakers, as well as voice assistant programs like Siri, Cortana, and Google Assistant.
Say you want to search for the ‘’best interior decor services in London.’’ Instead of opening a search engine and typing out the query, you speak it out to one of the voice assistants. The voice assistant, in turn, uses speech recognition to process the query and narrate the results from top SERPs. Here’s what you get:
The impact of voice search on SEO
Previously, SEO best practices were designed for text-based searches. But now, consumers prefer using voice searches over traditional queries, as it’s convenient.
Businesses, too, are relying on voice-based technologies, such as VoIP service providers, voice-activated applications, and smart speakers, to provide a better user experience. The growing popularity of voice technology is also having an impact on how search engines rank content.
Conversational searches
Voice-activated assistants like Siri and Google Assistant have changed the way people search online. Instead of typing “top furniture stores in Texas,” a user might just say, “Which is the best furniture store near me?”
If you’ve only optimized the content based on the first keyword, it won’t show up as a voice search result. Regardless of how high the search volume for traditional keywords is, optimizing content for conversational queries is essential to rank for voice search queries.
Top SERP results
In a traditional search, users scroll through the SERPs for relevant results. However, voice search users never look at the search page.
Voice search systems, such as those in smart speakers like Amazon Echo and Google Home, pull information from these top spots. To enhance your chances of being featured, focus on creating high-quality content optimized for featured snippets.
User intent
Often, voice assistants have access to voice data which allows them to personalize the search results for each user. If a user has previously talked about his child’s birthday and then searches “gift shops near me,” the voice search may use the previous data to understand the search intent and show him gift shops that cater to children.
Similarly, insights from VoIP interactions can enhance the relevance of search results. If VoIP data reveals that users frequently about the availability of same-day delivery, this data can help in updating content to highlight delivery options. This way, when users perform voice searches related to those product features, the results will be more accurate and relevant to their needs.
Responsiveness
Most voice searches are conducted through mobile devices and smart speakers, which have built-in voice assistants. This means responsive websites with mobile SEO-optimized content have better chances of appearing in a voice search result.
Conversely, if a user searches for “best sushi restaurant near me” and encounters a website with sluggish performance or one that doesn’t adapt well to their mobile screen, they might quickly move on to another result. This poor experience can negatively impact the site’s visibility and ranking in future voice searches.
Local searches
Many users use voice search while on the go. They may look for local businesses close to them with search terms ending with “near me” or “in [area].” Businesses that have optimized content for local SEO—by including accurate location details, relevant local keywords, and maintaining their presence in local directories—might be more likely to be recognized by voice searches.
10 ways to optimize your website for voice search
Voice search SEO goes beyond keyword research and placements. If you own a business website, optimizing it for voice search SEO should be a priority. Here are a few tactics that’ll help you modify your website for voice searches:
1. Target long-tail keywords
Voice search queries are usually long-tail. They might be complete questions or even full-length conversations. Most voice searches contain an average of 29 words. While short-tail keywords are still relevant for traditional searches, you also need to optimize content for long-tail keywords.
For instance, if you’re running an Italian restaurant, optimize for keywords like “best Italian restaurant” and “Italian food” to show up in text-based searches. At the same time, include common question keywords like “Where to eat Italian food near me?” to increase relevance for voice searches.
2. Use natural language
Since voice queries are conversational, it’s best to use conversational language in your content. This means replacing formal words such as “require” or “substantiate” with day-to-day words like “need” or “prove.”
Using personal pronouns like “you” and “your” is another way to maintain a conversational tone. You can also try creating first-person POV or narrative-based content to keep the content to increase recognition by voice search algorithms.
3. Rank for images and videos
Recently, many of Google’s top searches are content that includes videos. People, too, prefer watching quick video snippets instead of reading full-fledged articles.
For example, if we search “How to use Microsoft Office,” the first few search results displayed on Google are videos.
So, if you also want to rank higher in SERPs, use videos and images to compliment your content. You can add a video summary of a long-form article or upload images to demonstrate steps in a tutorial. Ultimately, though, make sure to have the right balance between media and written content.
4. Analyze your target persona
The type of conversations and words used in voice searches varies with demographics. A Gen Z consumer may use modern slang, while a boomer may use more formal language. If you want to target voice searches, it’s essential to research your target audience based on their age, location, and environment. Additionally, when it comes to email marketing, exploring tools like Klaviyo can enhance your ability to personalize content for different demographics.
Try to target a single customer persona in each content piece. For example, if you’re selling t-shirts to a Gen Z audience, write a blog post or product listing using terms used by the generation. If you’ve got similar products for millennials, create a separate blog post written using words millennials are familiar with.
5. Include FAQs
Including a frequently asked questions (FAQ) section at the end of your blog posts is a great way to add a few long-tail keywords. FAQs are structured in a question-answer format, which is ideal for voice search results. They also allow you to include more conversational answers compared to a traditional blog post.
Here’s a great example of an FAQ page by X (formerly Twitter):
They’ve added keywords like “What is X?” and “What’s a post?” which are the types of questions asked by someone using voice search features. These keywords are difficult to include in a typical blog post but sound natural when used as FAQs.
6. Use schema markup
Let’s be realistic. Voice search queries may have dozens of iterations. Sometimes, previous conversations and contexts influence voice search queries. It’s not possible to account for every single iteration and optimize your blog for all the dozens of keywords.
That’s when schema markup comes into play. Schema markup allows you to add additional information about the content, such as its importance or context, to the page’s code.
When voice assistants process queries, they can use this schema markup to better understand the context and prioritize your business as a relevant result, ultimately contributing to a better user experience by improving accessibility and relevance.
7. Pay attention to SERP features
Apart from the usual search results, Google also has SERP features like featured snippets, People Also Ask, and Related Questions. These features influence the results of a voice search.
To rank better in these search results, optimize your content for certain SERP features. Common best practices include making the content scannable using headings, targeting an H2 for featured snippet results, and also using images and videos.
Another SERP feature to pay attention to is the rich snippet. These snippets include data such as ratings and prices that are not found in the usual search results. Here’s an example of a rich snippet for a website that lists recipes:
If your business website contains customer testimonials or ratings, optimizing it for a rich snippet helps you gain better voice search visibility.
7. Join “Google My Business”
Voice searches utilize the user’s location to show relevant searches around them. If you want to rank for local search queries, like “restaurants near me,” you need to set up your Google Business profile.
Google Business listings help your website appear not only on the search page but also on other relevant pages like Shopping and Maps. While most voice assistants pull results from Google Business, you can also list your brand on other directories.
8. Get reviews and testimonials
Simply optimizing your Google My Business profile isn’t enough. Your business needs to show credibility to be at the top of voice search results. Businesses with a large number of positive reviews are automatically seen as popular by voice assistants.
Ask customers to leave reviews and engage with your business page to increase local visibility. Also, keep your listing updated with your phone number, a website, and recent images.
For example, if we search for “interior decorators in Denver,” the results that appear in the top three places have several reviews and high customer ratings.
9. Understand voice search devices
While all voice assistants operate on the same basic principles, each device has nuances.
For instance, Google Home sources all of its information from the Google search engine. On the other hand, Amazon Alexa collects data from multiple sources, including search engines like Bing and third-party and Amazon’s own database. Similarly, Siri takes data from Apple’s services.
If your target customers largely rely on one type of device—like iPhones—optimize your business content based on the requirements of that particular voice assistant.
10. Focus on product pages
Product pages appear on search engines’ “Shopping” tabs. If your website has multiple product pages, optimizing them for voice search helps bring your products to the top.
Here’s a Google search for “smartphones.” The “Shopping” tab displays product pages from various websites:
Product listings may also show up at the top of SERPs as some search engines display integrated results.
You can optimize product names, descriptions, and image alt texts for local or long-tail keywords to rank for product listings. Another way is to include a small FAQ section on each page to highlight the product’s attributes.
11. Stay updated
Since the popularity of voice search is growing, trends are also changing rapidly. It’s best to stay updated on voice search guidelines and content marketing best practices to ensure your content meets the requirements.
You’ll also need to monitor the published content, check which strategies work, and perform periodic content refreshes to stay relevant in voice searches.
“The voice search landscape is ever-evolving. Staying up-to-date with developments, recognizing trends early, and optimizing your content based on the data puts you halfway forward from your competitors.” —Vineet Gupta, Founder of 2xSaS
What is the future of voice search in SEO?
Voice assistants can accomplish more than just conversations and searches. People are using these commands to shop online or while voice ordering for restaurants.
With so much voice data available, voice assistants can improve natural language processing and display more contextually relevant results. This shift impacts various digital strategies, including how businesses approach their content marketing, app marketing, and overall online presence. Optimizing apps for voice search can make them more accessible and engaging, aligning with evolving SEO practices.
However, this also means businesses need to prepare for a future that’s heavily dependent on voice searches and adapt strategies to integrate emerging technologies. Some changes to SEO best practices may include:
Zero-click searches
Search engines are already delivering zero-click searches by analyzing SERP results and displaying the best answer at the top. But with the rise of voice searches, more queries may turn zero-click.
Here’s the Google SERP when searching for “popular image editing tools.” This is a zero-click search result:
To optimize for zero-click searches, businesses need to optimize their content to provide direct, bite-sized answers instead of only focusing on long-form, explanation-based content.
Searches in multiple languages
Voice assistants support conversations in multiple languages. If a user searches a query in a language other than English, the voice search may prefer to deliver results in that language.
Businesses that produce content in multiple languages will be able to reach a wider consumer base. It’s best to generate content in languages that the majority of your target clients are familiar with.
Mobile Optimization
With more smart devices supporting voice searches, a mobile-friendly approach is a must for all businesses. This doesn’t only mean having a responsive website that adapts to multiple devices.
Businesses also need to focus on maintaining fast load speeds, reducing page bulkiness, and investing in mobile SEO site optimization. Brands that build and support voice commands might also become more popular.
Conclusion
The growth of voice search is pushing businesses to rethink their SEO strategies. These voice search best practices will help you optimize your content for voice-based queries in general.
However, if you want to gain greater visibility in voice searches, you need a full-fledged content strategy that’s designed for your unique business requirements.
Omniscient Digital is a content production and growth agency that specializes in creating content for digital visibility. With years of experience, they can help you create a content strategy that not only helps you rank better in voice searches but also builds stronger authority and faster, more sustainable growth.
If you’re looking for help with content strategy to help support your ongoing search engine marketing campaigns, we might be able to help. Fill out this form for a free strategy call.
Author bio:
Emily Ahearn is an outreach specialist with a passion for connecting with people and building relationships. Emily has 5 years of experience in customer experience, which has enabled her to develop a versatile skill set that allows her to adapt to different environments and engage with a diverse range of stakeholders.