Everybody is boarding the voice search train, and for good reason. About 33.6% of Americans of all ages use voice search to look up things online. This surge in usage sets up a flourishing future for this up-and-coming search tool.
The below guide will help you integrate voice search into your digital marketing strategy for 2025 and beyond.
Understanding Voice Search Queries
Unlike text-based searches, voice queries tend to be more conversational and often resemble natural speech patterns.
Most voice searches are posed as direct, conversational questions. This shift towards natural language means businesses need to rethink their keyword strategies.
Instead of targeting “roofing company,” businesses might optimize for a long-tail keyword like “Who is the best roofing company in Arlington, TX?” These detailed phrases provide greater intent clarity, increasing the likelihood of conversion.
Search engines leverage NLP to understand the context and intent behind spoken queries. Google’s advancements in NLP, such as BERT (Bidirectional Encoder Representations from Transformers), have improved the accuracy of voice search results.
Optimizing Content for Voice Search
So, how can you appear on voice SERPs? Is this similar to traditional contextual SEO strategies?
Focus on Conversational Keywords
Identify voice-specific keywords and question-based phrases using tools like AnswerThePublic, SEMrush, and Google’s People Also Ask.
Once you have your list of keywords, turn them into conversational questions. For example, if your keyword is “cheap Italian restaurant,” you can use it like “Cheap Italian Restaurants Near Me.”
Structure Your Content for Featured Snippets
Featured snippets are the direct answers displayed at the top of search results. These snippets are often the responses read aloud by voice assistants. If you want a chance in the featured snippet, providing a succinct answer within the first 50 words of your content is a good practice.
Create FAQ Sections
FAQ sections allow you to address multiple conversational queries in one place. Gathering frequently asked questions is relatively easy but tedious, so if you want to make your life easier, you can use a tool like BuzzSumo to cut your research time in half.
Leverage Local SEO for Voice Search
Have you ever noticed those funny, often misplaced “near me” keywords? Well, they’re there for voice search purposes. Users often look for local businesses near them, so local shops take advantage of this natural language and sneak them into their content to push them up in the voice SERPs. You should also update your Google My Business profile regularly to maximize local SEO efforts.
Technical SEO for Voice Search
Page speed directly impacts user experience and rankings. Use tools like Google PageSpeed Insights to identify and fix website speed issues such as large images or unused scripts.
Schema markup also helps search engines interpret your content. Implement structured data for FAQs, local businesses, and products to improve your chances of being featured in voice search results.
If you haven’t already done so, optimize your pages for mobile. With most voice searches occurring on mobile devices, ensuring your site is mobile-friendly must be your priority.
Measuring Success
Like any marketing campaign, you shouldn’t dive right into your voice search campaign without defining what success looks like. Here are some key performance indicators (KPIs) you might want to look for:
- Organic Traffic From Voice Queries: Analyze search queries using tools like Google Search Console.
- Changes in Bounce Rates and Dwell Time: Improved voice optimization often correlates with better engagement metrics.
- Increase in Featured Snippet Placements: Use tools like Ahrefs to monitor snippet performance.
Platforms like SEMrush, Moz, and Google Analytics can help you track these metrics and gauge the performance of your campaign.
Challenges and Future Trends
Voice search algorithms evolve rapidly day by day. Make it a habit to read Google’s update notes every time a new update rolls out. If you’re having difficulty understanding the papers, you can turn to thought leaders for a digestible update summary.
Artificial intelligence (AI) virtual assistants, such as Siri and Alexa’s continued evolution, are reshaping voice search. While Google has its own “Hey Google” feature, many users prefer using the aforementioned options for voice search.
Future searches may also combine voice and visual elements. For instance, a user might ask, “Show me how to bake a cake,” and expect both step-by-step instructions and a video tutorial. Diversify content formats to anticipate these shifts.
Conclusion
Believe it or not, voice search is not all that new — but technological innovation, time, and progress have their way of bringing this long-forgotten feature back to the mainstream.
Our team can help you incorporate voice search into your digital marketing strategy for the upcoming year. Contact Connection Model for expert content marketing strategies tailored to voice search!
Written By: David Carpenter
