A couple of decades ago, “voice search optimization” sounded like something out of a science fiction movie.
Today, if we need to find the nearest taco stand, check stock numbers — or know how to say “dinosaur” in Spanish right this second like my sweet three-year-old nephew — we don’t think twice about asking Siri or Alexa.
From smartphones to smart speakers and smart TVs, conducting web searches with our voices is common. In many cases, it’s even faster, more convenient, and easier than typing in a query. That’s likely why the global speech and voice recognition market is projected to grow from $9.66 billion in 2025 to $23.11 billion by 2030.
Here’s the catch, though: Voice search isn’t the same as a text search. That means we marketers need to optimize our website and content differently to get found. Enter voice search marketing. In this guide, I’ll show you what that looks like and how to get to the top of its results.
Table of Contents
What is voice search?
Voice search is an internet search that uses voice recognition technology or conversation to complete the action. In other words, it’s when a person verbally expresses what they’re looking for rather than typing it.
This can be done through a search engine, where a voice is converted into text, and the engine returns a standard SERP, or via a digital assistant (like Apple’s Siri, Amazon’s Alexa, or Google), which listens to the request and responds with an auditory answer.
Think of when your hands are full while cooking dinner, and you’re looking for a substitute for cream cheese, or you’re presenting to your team and want to know the cost of a competitor’s product. Voice search can help.
This technology is even available in many newer vehicles, so you can find a destination or find out the weather without taking your eyes off the road.
But how does voice search work?
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Speech Recognition > Natural Language Processing > Answer |
Voice search can seem like magic, but it’s actually a clever combination of two powerful technologies: speech recognition and natural language processing (NLP).
Speech Recognition
In voice search, the first order of business is to turn your spoken words into text that a computer can understand. This is called speech recognition or automatic speech recognition (ASR).
Here’s how it works: When you speak, the device’s microphone listens and captures your voice. The system then converts these sound waves into digital signals that a computer can analyze. It’s like translating between two languages — from “speaking” into “computer language.”
ASR breaks your voice down to a combination of electrical signals, digitizes them, and analyzes the patterns to match them with the right words. But turning your words into text is only half the story.
Natural Language Processing (NLP)
Once your device knows what you said, it needs to figure out what you really mean. This is where NLP comes in.
NLP is the area of artificial intelligence that helps computers understand the way humans naturally speak. For instance, when you ask “What’s the weather like?”, NLP is how the system knows you’re asking for today’s weather forecast, not yesterday‘s or next week’s.
In other words, NLP analyzes your question to figure out your actual intent.
In a standard voice search, a user may start with a phrase (e.g., “Alexa” or “Hey Siri”) followed by a question or statement (e.g., “Where’s the nearest dinosaur museum?” or “When is the food truck festival?”). If someone uses voice-to-text on a search engine, they may have to click a button (like the mic icon on Google) to get started, then speak.
Either way, the device then responds with a spoken answer or, if it has a screen, displays top results from a search engine results page. Voice search optimization aims to capture a spot in this specific kind of search using both on-page and off-page, technical strategies.
Why optimize for voice search?
According to HubSpot’s 2026 State of Marketing, 73.7% of marketers plan on maintaining or increasing their investment in voice search optimization this year — and with good reason.
Increasing Popularity
Voice search isn’t a craze. About 20.6% of the global population aged 16 or older uses voice assistants to find information, and by the end of 2026, eMarketer predicts there will be over 157 million voice assistant users in the US alone.
To get more granular, Search Engine Land outlines that, with over one billion voice searches conducted monthly and 58.6% of U.S. residents having tried voice search, optimization is no longer optional for many businesses.
Voice search presents another opportunity to capture organic search traffic, no matter what industry you’re in. With it, you’ll reach new potential customers who rely on smartphones and smart speakers.
Overall SEO Impact
Targeting voice search can also help your site’s overall SEO and ranking. Search engines like it when websites optimize for voice searches, which can give your site more authority and thus higher spots on results pages, maybe even high enough to land in a voice search result.
Staying Competitive
When you type a phrase or query into a search engine, you get pages of results, right? (Unless you try that “I feel lucky” button on Google, of course). When you use voice search, you get just one, or maybe two or three at most.
Research from 2025 shows that voice assistants typically read information from the very top search results, especially “featured snippets” or position zeros. If your business isn’t ranking in those top spots, voice assistant users might never hear about you.
Getting to the top of search results isn‘t just about appearing on a screen anymore — it’s about being the answer that millions of people hear when they ask their voice assistants for help.
The ROI of Voice Search Optimization
Voice search optimization delivers returns in many different ways to your business.
Increase Revenue
According to Capital One Research, 49.6% of U.S. consumers use voice search for shopping (154.3 million Americans). When someone asks their voice assistant, “Where can I buy organic dog food near me today?” they‘re further along the buyer’s journey than someone casually browsing search results.
There’s a sense of urgency and intent with voice searches. The user is often ready to visit a store or make a purchase decision in that moment. By optimizing for these high-intent searches, you position your business to capture these sales and increase revenue.
Local Brand Awareness
While good voice search performance is a nice little feather in the cap of any business, it’s especially beneficial for local businesses.
All of the assets you develop for voice search optimization (i.e., an optimized Google Business Profile, consistent NAP information across directories, schema markup for local business data, and mobile-friendly site design) have compounding value. While helping you in voice search, they’re also strengthening your overall local SEO performance in traditional search as well.
For businesses serving local markets, voice search optimization isn‘t just about capturing a new channel; it’s about being discoverable at the precise moment when nearby customers need your services most.
Future Proofing
Voice search is growing, but it’s still in early adoption. By investing in voice optimization now with structured data implementation, conversational content, featured snippet targeting, and comprehensive local SEO, you can establish visibility before the competition gets high.
Early adoption also signals to search engines that your business provides helpful, well-structured information that serves users across multiple search options. This authority can translate into better rankings across all search types, not just voice queries.
Businesses that optimize for voice today position themselves to succeed in tomorrow’s more diverse and conversational search ecosystem.
How is voice search different from text search?
If you’re any kind of web professional, be it a marketer, website owner, or SEO specialist, you’re probably familiar with general SEO techniques for ranking higher in search results, and you might wonder why voice search needs its own category of optimization.
While there is overlap between on-page search optimization and voice search optimization, there are also fundamental qualities of voice search that make it unique from a text search on a website like Google.
Namely, voice search queries are more conversational than text searches.
When we humans talk to our devices, we phrase our queries differently, closer to how we actually speak in real life, rather than short-hand phrases we type into search engines.
For instance, in a voice search, you may ask, “What’s the best museum to learn about dinosaurs in New England?” while in a text search, you’d probably type something like “best dino museum near me.”
(Yes, I’m also doing research for my nephew’s next visit as I write this. It’s called multitasking.)
Because of this, search engines had to improve at picking out the meanings of longer, more conversational queries and producing relevant results.
Google’s Hummingbird and BERT algorithm updates shifted focus toward searcher intent, detecting any underlying meaning of queries (instead of just individual keywords) and providing more relevant results for more conversational voice queries.
In our dinosaur example, I’m not just looking for any old museum; I want to find the very best dinosaur museum in my region. Fortunately, you don’t need to overhaul your existing SEO strategy to capture voice search traffic. In the next section, we’ll cover some techniques to help you.
1. Target questions and other long-tail keywords.
As mentioned, voice searches tend to be worded differently than text searches. They’re longer, more specific, and more likely to be full sentences than disjointed keywords, since that’s how we speak.
Because of that, one of the best things you can do for voice search optimization is target long-tail keywords, especially questions, in your content.
Long-tail keywords are phrases with three or more words and are a big component of keyword optimization and SEO in general.
They attract qualified traffic better because they’re more targeted to the user’s intent. You can also fine-tune to your business (e.g., “spas in the Denver area” instead of just “spas”), which means less competition on the results page.
To find questions, think of “who,” “what,” “when,” “where,” and “how” related to your product or industry.
Also, think of popular buying questions, such as price, alternatives, and competitor comparisons. Including these in your page copy with direct, satisfying answers, as well as in off-page elements (like image alt tags), helps you compete for a spot in voice search results.
I know trying to pack a bunch of questions and answers onto a page can create kind of an awkward user experience. If you’re worried about this or having too much information on a page, try creating a frequently asked questions (FAQ) section at the bottom of your page or even a page dedicated to them.
This content format is also optimal for Google featured snippet placement and answer engine optimization (AEO), but more on that later.
Pro Tip: Use one or more keyword research tools, such as AnswerThePublic, to identify the most relevant keywords for your target customer.
You can also take inspiration from the “related searches” or the “people also ask” sections of the Google results page to see which questions your audience asks the most. Enter a search about your business and see what Google recommends.
Read: 14 best AI SEO tools & how I use them (new data)
2. Use conversational language.
I can’t say it enough: Voice searches are conversational. So, give your content a conversational tone to meet users where they’re at. In addition to feeling more authentic and easier to read, casual writing is often interpreted as more relevant to voice queries.
Use casual and first-person language (e.g., “I,” “me,” “you,” “we”) in blog posts, avoid jargon and overly technical language, and add touches of humor to support your points.
This isn’t a license to downgrade the quality of your content, though. You can adopt a casual writing style while still providing real value to visitors. Google still values high-quality content; just write it (almost) as if you were saying it aloud. If you have an established brand voice to follow, make your content’s tone lean toward the more casual end of that voice.
3. Prioritize voice search local SEO.
Local SEO is the process of improving search engine visibility for local businesses, primarily brick-and-mortar businesses. Local SEO is crucial for these businesses, as it targets potential customers in nearby areas who are most likely to visit and buy.
As we’ve discussed, it’s also one of the best ways to optimize for voice search. Here’s what business listings look like in Google Map results:
There are many ways to improve your local SEO, but the most important one is creating and maintaining a Google Business Profile. This is the listing that appears when you search something like “___ near me.” It tells visitors where you’re located, contact info, hours, directions, and other useful information.
Voice search results often pull information from these profiles. But that’s not the only way to optimize for local SEO. You should also:
- Optimize online directories and citations.
- Optimize URL, title tags, headers, meta description, and content.
- Add location landing pages to your website.
- Get backlinks from local, relevant, and authoritative sources.
- Encourage customer reviews on Google
We’ll dig into a few of these later on, but you can explore implementing them and others in “Everything you need to know about local SEO.”
4. Aim to capture Google featured snippets.
Google reports that nearly 60% of searches now end without a click. That’s because many users get what they need directly from AI Overviews, knowledge panels, and, of course, featured snippets.
Google featured snippets are short pieces of content (a paragraph, numbered or bulleted list, or other formats) displayed on the Google results page above organic search results. They’re pulled from a web page that ranks highly for the query and, if captured, they can offer a major traffic boost.
But what does this have to do with voice search optimization?
If a featured snippet exists for a query, virtual assistants (especially those running on Google) are more likely to read that content as its answer. So, capturing it is a huge competitive advantage.
Unlike a Google Business profile, landing in a Google featured snippet isn’t something you can guarantee, but there are steps you can take to improve your chances.
See our guide on optimizing for Google’s featured snippet box for an in-depth explanation.
5. Use schema markup.
Schema markup is a type of structured data — that’s web developer speak for code you add to your website that helps Google and other search engines provide more detailed results.
It typically includes key information about your business, like operating hours, address, phone number, website, pricing, and reviews, and it benefits your site’s SEO in general, not just voice search SEO.
While invisible to human visitors, schema markup helps search engines better understand your website’s content, improving your visibility in search results and getting you more clicks. It also better equips you to appear in featured snippets, AI search, and rich results overall, which increases your chances of landing in voice search results and answer engine citations.
Useful structured data for voice search marketing includes:
- LocalBusiness schema
- FAQPage schema
- HowTo schema
- Article schema
- Product schema
- Review schema
To get started, see our beginner’s guide to structured data, then check out our intro to using schema markup on your website.
6. Optimize for mobile.
Mobile devices account for over 60% of global internet traffic. Because of this, Google considers the mobile user experience integral to a good website and factors it into its rankings.
To land in results for both text and voice search, embrace responsive design and find other ways to make your website mobile-friendly. It’s one more step that helps you stay competitive in voice search.
Pro tip: The HubSpot Marketplace is full of free mobile-responsive website templates to help make optimization easy for you.
7. Keep your site fast.
Technical website’s performance is just as important to your website’s search as the on-page, especially site speed.
In fact, according to LiquidWeb, 53% of consumers believe a website’s speed is a reflection of brand quality. 43% get frustrated if a website doesn’t load within 10 seconds (which seems like a lifetime when you experience it), and 22% would even abandon the website.
Like mobile optimization, page load time is another Google ranking factor that affects how well your site shows up in voice search results and beyond. Again, it’s all about the experience: Google wants to show results that will make us happy, not frustrated.
Google’s Chrome UX Report found the average website takes 1.9 seconds to load the main page content on mobile, while desktop clocks in a little faster, within 1.7 seconds. If you’re not hitting these numbers (see Website Grader), there are many ways to speed up your website.
Go through our list of performance optimization steps for tips.
8. Optimize for “near me” searches with location-specific content and variations.
I know what you’re thinking, “Didn’t we already talk about local SEO?” And we did, but while those tactics were mainly focused on improving your local presence and reputation online for voice search, this is about how to optimize your website for voice search.
To optimize your website for “near me” searches, I recommend creating local landing pages or location-specific blog content for each service area. I saw huge results using this tactic for clients years ago, and it’s still effective.
Even if you’re a single-location business, dedicated pages (or landing pages) for “business consulting in Brooklyn” or “Belly dancing classes in Hartford” give search engines clear geographic and service data to note and deliver to relevant users.
Incorporate your location naturally into your copy, as professional belly dancer Laska does on her website.
Use phrases like:
- “(Your service) near me”
- “(Your product) close by”
- “(Your business type) open now”
- “Best (your service) based in (city/town, state)”
Also, ensure your name, address, and phone number are consistent across all you online platforms (i.e. social media, your website, review site listings).
Voice assistants don’t want to risk giving users the wrong information. So, any inconsistencies in this information can confuse bots and prevent them from citing you.
9. Track voice search performance.
Like any marketing endeavor, improving your voice search optimization requires setting goals and tracking metrics to gauge how well your strategy is working toward them. Here are the critical metrics marketers should monitor:
- Long-tail Keyword Performance: Track your rank for long-tail keywords like question-based content.
- Featured Snippet Appearances: Tools like SEMrush or Ahrefs offer tools to help you monitor how many featured snippets or “position zeroes” your site owns and for which queries.
- Mobile Performance: Monitor session duration, time on page, and bounce rates specifically from mobile traffic. Longer sessions usually mean the content was a good match for voice-triggered pages. Voice users are also typically action-driven, so pay close attention to mobile conversion rates.
- Local Search Traffic: Your referral traffic from review sites and the number of “Near Me” appearances are helpful indications of your local “footprint.” You may also want to track your number of reviews, as these can also help your rank.
- Site Speed: Ensure your pages meet Core Web Vitals standards for speed, responsiveness, and visual stability. Slow-loading pages will struggle to compete for voice search visibility, regardless of content quality.
To effectively grow with these metrics, establish a regular monitoring cadence. Review featured snippet performance weekly, analyze query trends monthly, and conduct comprehensive voice SEO audits quarterly.
Use Google Search Console for query data, combine it with your marketing or analytics platform like HubSpot for behavioral metrics, and leverage SEO tools like SEMrush, Ahrefs, or Moz to track featured snippets and rankings.
The key is connecting voice search visibility to business outcomes — qualified traffic, conversions, and revenue. By tracking these specific indicators, you’ll be able to prove the value of your voice optimization efforts and refine your strategy based on real performance data.
FAQs About Voice Search Optimization (You Don’t Have to Ask Alexa)
Is voice search optimization worth it?
Yes, voice search optimization remains a worthwhile investment, though it’s important to have realistic expectations. According to eMarketer, U.S. voice assistant users are projected to reach 170.3 million by 2028, representing steady compound annual growth of 3.3%.
But why the anticipated growth? In February 2024, a survey by eMarketer found that search emerged as the leading use case for voice assistants in the US, showing that people rely on voice for more than just entertainment or device control.
For businesses with physical locations, the ROI can be even better since voice searches often have strong local intent (i.e., searching for nearby businesses, operating hours, and directions).
What are the five voice search platforms?
The five major voice search platforms businesses should consider are:
- Google Assistant — (92.4 million users) Google Assistant pulls answers primarily from Google’s search index and featured snippets, making traditional Google SEO optimization directly applicable.
- Apple Siri — (87 million users) Siri is integrated across the Apple ecosystem (iPhones, iPads, Macs, HomePods) and relies on multiple search sources, including Google and Apple’s knowledge graph.
- Amazon Alexa — (77.2 million users) Alexa dominates the smart speaker market through Echo devices. Alexa uses Bing search results and Amazon’s product database.
- Microsoft Cortana — While less prominent in consumer devices, Cortana is available in Windows and Microsoft 365, serving business and productivity users.
- Other (i.e., Samsung Bixby) — Available on Samsung smartphones and smart home devices, Bixby provides voice search within the Samsung ecosystem.
To maximize visibility across platforms, I’d say prioritize Google SEO optimization (which benefits both Google Assistant and Siri). And if you’re a local business, keep your Google Business Profile and Apple Maps listings up to date, and get yourself set up on Bing Places.
How to improve voice search?
To improve your voice search performance, focus on matching how people actually speak their queries.
- Target conversational, long-tail keywords. Voice queries tend to be longer and more naturally phrased than typed searches. Instead of “plumber Boston,” users ask, “Who’s a good affordable plumber in Boston?”
- Structure content for featured snippets. Create FAQ pages and content with clear questions and concise 40-60-word answers. Use bullet points and numbered lists to make them easier to skim and increase your chances of being selected as the answer.
- Strengthen local SEO. Claim and fully optimize your Google Business Profile with accurate hours, location, phone number, and categories. Make sure your NAP (Name, Address, Phone) is consistent across all directories and profiles.
- Optimize for mobile and speed. Since voice searches predominantly happen on mobile devices, ensure your site loads quickly and provides a seamless mobile experience.
- Implement schema markup. Use structured data to help search engines better understand your content, particularly for FAQs, local business information, reviews, and events.
- Write conversationally. Create content that sounds natural when read aloud. Use question-based headings and provide direct, helpful answers.
Is voice search the future of SEO?
Voice search is definitely a part of the future of SEO, along with artificial intelligence, visual search, and whatever else may come our way. Key words being “a part of.”
According to eMarketer, voice assistant adoption is expanding steadily, with Gen Z projected to reach 64% adoption by 2027 (up from 51% in 2023), while Search Engine Land’s analysis points out, voice assistants are expected to reach 8.4 billion units globally — more than the world’s population.
But search behavior is increasingly diverse. Consumers use social media, voice search, image search, and AI chatbots to search, depending on context, while traditional text search still dominates overall usage.
That said, the most strategic approach is to integrate, not replace. Voice search optimization means better content quality, reinforced local presence, and improved user experience, but all of these things help your overall SEO as well.
The bottom line: Voice search is here to stay and will continue growing, but it exists alongside other search methods. Businesses that incorporate voice-friendly strategies now — natural language content, local optimization, structured data — will be well-positioned for continued growth while simultaneously improving their traditional search performance.
Gets your “voice” heard with voice search optimization
Over the past decade, voice search has evolved into a major player in the SEO world, and, unlike those dinosaurs I’ve been researching, it won’t be going away any time soon.
Not only should you be aware of voice search queries, but you should also actively work to capture this important segment, especially if you’re a local business trying to generate website and foot traffic.
By following the tips above, you’ll put your site in good standing with search engines, which in turn helps you capture more voice search traffic. Even if you don’t see immediate results at first, these steps will benefit your site’s overall SEO, too. Siri, that sounds like a win-win.
Editor’s note: This post was originally published in June 2022 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.