You can see the results of a voice search in just 4.6 seconds. This is a fast and convenient technology that is gaining traction nowadays. Millions of people search for information, clothes, directions, and entertainment, not by typing queries in search engines but by speaking to voice assistants.
Voice searches provide concise and direct answers to users. They show featured snippets in results because they include the most relevant information matching the answers to conversational queries. Overall, voice technology has transformed how marketers create content to optimize for SERP rankings.
If you still use the traditional approach to appear in the search results, you must shift as users have shifted to voice search. So, understand the impact of voice technology on SEO and create better strategies. We have covered this in the blog.
Learn how voice search technology is gaining traction and its impact on SEO strategies. Let’s begin understanding the technology.
What Is Voice Search Technology?
Users search for answers by speaking on their mobile device or desktop. They tap on the speaker and say what they want to search for. This technology is called voice search because people give commands by speaking, not typing.
AI and speech recognition technologies are used in devices to enable voice search. An automatic voice recognition system transforms voice into text, and then Google (and Other search engines) understands the text and fetches results.
Natural language processing and Machine Learning technologies help devices understand human language and fetch results accordingly.
The Rise of Voice Search
You are living in the age of voice assistants. A few years ago, this technology was not common, and people could not imagine getting answers to their questions by just speaking to devices. In 2024, around 150 million people use voice search technology. But this is not how it started!
Well, the history of voice search can be traced back to the 1950s, but we will discuss its recent history to avoid unnecessary confusion.
Voice search started gaining popularity after the advent of AI-powered voice assistant devices, including Siri, Alexa, and Google Assistant.
AI is used in voice search to learn a person’s tone and language better. People have observed that this technology provides quick and effective results andtakes littleh time. Moreover, they find speaking more convenient than typing. They gradually shifted to voice searches, initially for only information, then shopping, and now for online payments.
How Voice Technology Impacts SEO Strategies?
Businesses are adapting their SEO strategies to voice searches because people use voice assistants more than before. Optimizing content for voice search is crucial because it impacts SEO. It has changed the way you create content for your audiences. Here are the impacts of voice search on SEO strategies.
- Shift Toward Conversational Keywords:
People tend to be more conversational when using voice searches than typed searches. That’s why voice searches sound more natural and provide more details. People are kind of lazy when it comes to typing, so they use short sentences, for example, “Coffee shop near me.” They say, “What is the best coffee shop near me?” when using voice search.
If you optimize your content for voice searches, consider long-tail keywords or conversational phrases. Likewise, people use natural language when they speak. So, analyze the difference between how people interact with voice searches and typed searches to optimize your SEO strategies accordingly.
How it used to look
How it looks now
- Increased Focus on Featured Snippets:
Voice assistants often fetch information from featured snippets. If your content appears in these results, you can get more views. This means that websites with clear and concise answers are more likely to appear in the feature snippet and the results of voice searches.
90% of people think speaking is easier than writing, so they find voice assistants more handy. Most Americans use voice assistant to check the weather. You can check data and analyze which type of queries people search using voice assistant and typed searches.
It will help you craft content accordingly and increase your chances of appearing in featured snippets. Ensure your content has bullet points and clear and concise information; this will make it readable by voice assistants aloud.
- Local SEO Has Become Even More Critical:
Voices searchers are mostly location-based; they are locals. These locals use voice assistants for queries like “Where is the restaurant near me?” “Where is the shopping mall near my location,” and “Find a plumber near me.”
For local SEO, ensure your business’s name, address, and phone number are listed on the search engine. This information should be consistent across all platforms. Optimize your Google My Business Profile and focus on local search intent.
- Increased Importance of Mobile Optimization:
People use mobile devices for most voice searches. Mobile is handy, and they can search for anything on the go. 45% of Americans use voice search on their mobile devices (Vixen Labs). Moreover, Google also shifted to mobile-first indexing. This means that if you have built a mobile-first website, your site is more likely to appear in the voice search results.
Ensure your website is fast and responsive so that voice searchers can find it easily in the SERPs. If you don’t have a mobile-friendly website, reform it according to this trend. Prefer building a mobile-first website as this is specifically built for mobiles.
- Optimizing for Intent-Based Search:
Voice searchers look for immediate results, so their searches are more intent-driven. They search for finding locations, purchasing, and other specific queries. You can know what EXACTLY users are looking for.
So, if you are targeting voice search results, focus on intent-based keywords. Google also prioritizes content that includes satisfying search intent keywords. List intent-based keywords like commercial, transactional, informational, and navigational. Now, as per your industry, analyze the intent of voice searchers and the keywords they use.
- Structured Data and Schema Markup:
Since voice search became popular, structured data and schema markup have become crucial for marketers. Search engines use this language to read and understand content. Although search engines are powerful tools, they still understand codes better than human language.
Add FAQ schema markup, review ratings, and local business schema to improve your website’s visibility in voice searches. Structured data standardizes information and classifies page content, making it easy for Google Bot and other search engines to read and show data uniquely when searched via voice technology.
- Speed and Direct Answers Have Become Essential:
Writing a query takes more time than saying it, so voice searches have expedited the speed of answers. People expect quick answers from voice searches because they search faster with voice assistants.
As a result, voice searches pick answers from concise and clear content, as it is easy for them to show quick results. They can scan short and to-the-point answers quickly. Your content can also be used in voice searches if you optimize it for fast loading time and direct responses.
Gone are the days when a lengthy introduction was common, and the primary information used to be at the end of blogs. Today, people want quick access to the main or exact information without wasting a second. So, craft concise content without talking about unnecessary details.
- Voice Search and Long-Tail Keywords:
Focus on long-tail keywords when creating an SEO strategy. People use long sentences when using voice assistants, and this trend will grow further in 2025. More than 60% of all voice-searched queries use long-tail keywords, which means their searches are conversational.
Focus on including keywords starting with “What,” “Why,” “When,” “Where,” “How,” “Which,” “Does,” and “Can” in your content because they create long-tail keywords. Moreover, queries that start with “Hey Siri,” “Hey Alexa,” or “Hey Google” are voice searches. Use tools to save your time. This way, you can expedite the keyword research process and find data about the user’s intent for voice search.
- The Role of AI and Machine Learning in Voice Search:
Machine learning algorithms improve speech recognition accuracy. The technology understands various speech patterns and languages. Voice assistants can better understand queries with the help of AI. This technology uses the natural language, context, and user intent of voice searchers, increasing the accuracy of the results.
AI can recognize regional accents, slang, and language. It can quickly understand who is searching and whether the query is from native or nonnatives. You need to focus on natural and intent-based keywords. Additionally, leverage the power of local SEO to create an effective SEO strategy for voice search.
- Consumer Behavior Trends:
People are gradually shifting to voice assistants for various reasons. Voice assistant technology is not limited to searches; people also use it to make online payments. They rely on this technology for convenience and speed. This shift impacts SEO strategies and how companies plan for marketing campaigns.
Optimize your content for voice search by considering the various reasons people use this technology. Track your audience’s behavior so you can modify content based on their searches. Moreover, tracking consumer behavior trends keeps you updated about what is happening in the content marketing world.
Percentage of consumers in the U.S. making online payments with voice assistants from November 2021 to May 2022.
Strategies to Rank in Voice Searches
Ranking in voice searches is not the same as ranking in traditional searches, and the same strategies will not work for it.
- List Your Competitors Ranking in the Voice Searches:
Make a list of your competitors whose content is ranking in voice searches. Analyze their content and find gaps in your content. Analyze what you are missing, which is why your content is not appearing in voice search results. Based on this analysis, you can conduct a voice search SEO audit.
- Optimize Content for Featured Snippets:
As you know, voice search results show featured snippets. Create content that is of high quality and qualifies to appear in the search results. Use bullet points, ordered lists, tables, and FAQs. Moreover, write concise and direct answers and definitions that a speaker can easily repeat. Ensure you answer the questions that start from who, why, where, and what, as voice searches care about this type of user the most.
- Focus on Local SEO Keywords
Voice searchers mostly search for local queries like “Restaurant near me.” So, you need to focus on local SEO more than ever. Include answers for the local questions and incorporate keywords that local users use when searching with the help of voice assistants. Include long-tail keywords in your content because 70% of search queries happen with these keywords.
- Use Schema Markup:
Google Assistant-enabled devices identify content to read aloud. By adding markup, you can help these devices find your content quickly for voice search results. Web pages with speakable structured data can reach a broad audience. So, add schema markup to the pages if you want your content to appear in the voice search results. It will show your content uniquely.
- Optimize Content for Google Natural Language:
Google uses Google NLP API tools to derive insights from unstructured data with the help of machine learning technology. Google uses this technology in search algorithms. You can apply this tool freely. Moreover, use natural terms that local people use in your content. The more your content sounds natural and aligns with Google Natural Language, the more it is likely to appear in the voice search results.
Final Thought
A gradual shift to voice searches can become a complete shift in the future. Analyze the impact of voice technology on SEO and create content that best suits voice search results. Shifting towards conversational keywords has become common because people use long queries when speaking. These queries are mostly local and require marketers to focus on local SEO. Mobile phones are the most common devices people use for voice search.
If you write direct and concise answers, your content can appear in voice searches. Also, include structured data in the web pages so Google NLP API can read your content aloud and display it in results. You can follow the strategies mentioned in the blog to create content suitable for voice search and stay up to speed for better content marketing.
