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Voice search optimisation: Current best practices and what to expect in 2025
SEO by fayedigital

Voice search optimisation: Current best practices and what to expect in 2025

Let’s talk about voice search. It’s not just a buzzword anymore; it’s a game-changer for how people find information online. Whether it’s asking Siri for the weather or telling Alexa to play your favourite song, voice search is everywhere. And if you’re in the business of getting noticed online, optimising for voice search isn’t optional—it’s essential.

Why voice search matters (and why you should care)

Here’s the deal: voice search is growing fast. Picture this—by 2025, experts predict that most households will have a smart speaker, and voice searches could make up half of all online queries. Crazy, right? This shift means traditional SEO won’t cut it anymore. You’ve got to think about how people actually talk when they search.

What’s changing?

  • It’s conversational: People speak differently than they type. Instead of “weather Melbourne,” they’ll ask, “What’s the weather like in Melbourne CBD today?”
  • It’s local: Voice search loves location-based queries like, “Where’s the nearest coffee shop?”
  • It’s instant: People want answers—fast and accurate.

If you’re not optimising for these behaviours, you’re missing out on potential traffic and customers.

How to optimise for voice search (Without losing your mind)

Let’s break it down into simple steps you can start today:

1. Think like your audience

Voice search is all about natural language. Instead of focusing on short, choppy keywords, go for phrases and questions people actually say. For example:

  • Typed search: “best running shoes”
  • Voice search: “What are the best running shoes for beginners?”

2. Aim for featured snippets

You know those little answer boxes at the top of Google? That’s what voice assistants often read aloud. To land in these snippets:

  • Write clear, concise answers to common questions.
  • Use bullet points and headers to organise your content.
  • Focus on giving real value—no fluff.

3. Go local or go home

Voice search loves local. Make sure your business is easy to find by:

  • Keeping your Google Business Profile updated.
  • Adding location-specific keywords to your site.
  • Asking happy customers to leave reviews (it helps—a lot!).

4. Make your site mobile-friendly

Most voice searches happen on mobile devices, so your site needs to be fast and easy to use. Here’s how:

  • Use a responsive design that looks great on any screen.
  • Speed up load times with compressed images and optimised code.
  • Skip annoying pop-ups that make people want to leave.

5. Use structured data (a.k.a. schema markup)

Structured data is like giving search engines a cheat sheet for your content. It’s especially useful for voice search. Add schema markup for:

  • FAQs
  • Product details
  • Reviews

This makes it easier for Google to understand and showcase your content.

6. Speed matters

No one likes waiting for a slow website. Speed up your site by:

  • Compressing images.
  • Using a content delivery network (CDN).
  • Minimising server response time.

What’s next? Looking ahead to 2025

Voice search isn’t just about answering questions; it’s evolving in exciting ways. Here’s what to watch for:

1. AI gets smarter

Virtual assistants and AIs like Alexa, Google Assistant, Microsoft Copilot, and ChatGPT are getting better at understanding context and nuance. This means your content needs to feel conversational and human.

2. Voice everywhere

It’s not just phones and smart speakers. Think about voice search on smart TVs, cars, and even fridges. Crazy, right? Optimising for these platforms opens up new opportunities.

3. Personalisation takes over

Search engines are using AI to deliver hyper-personalised results. Tailor your content to specific audiences to stay ahead.

4. Blended search experiences

Voice search won’t exist in a vacuum. It’ll work alongside text and visual searches, so your content needs to shine across all formats.

Let’s wrap it up

Voice search is here to stay, and it’s changing the game. If you focus on conversational keywords, local SEO, and structured data, you’ll be in a great spot. And as AI and Internet of Things (IoT) evolve, the possibilities will only grow.

So, what’s your next move? Start optimising today and make sure your business is ready for the voice-first future. After all, the future of search isn’t just written—it’s spoken.

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FAQs

Voice search optimisation is the process of optimising your website and content to appear in voice-based search results. This includes adapting your content for natural language patterns, focusing on conversational keywords, and structuring your content to answer specific questions that people commonly ask through voice assistants.
Voice searches tend to be longer, more conversational, and often in question format. While typed searches might be short phrases like ‘best restaurants Melbourne,’ voice searches are usually complete questions like ‘What are the best Italian restaurants in Melbourne CBD?’ Voice searches also typically have more local intent and expect immediate, direct answers.
Local SEO is crucial for voice search because many voice queries have local intent, such as ‘near me’ searches. Users often use voice search to find nearby businesses, services, or locations while on the go. Having an optimised Google Business Profile and location-specific content helps your business appear in these voice search results.
To optimise for voice search, focus on using natural, conversational language, create content that directly answers common questions, ensure your website is mobile-friendly and fast-loading, implement structured data markup, and maintain strong local SEO. Also, aim to earn featured snippets by providing clear, concise answers to specific questions.
Featured snippets are the highlighted answers that appear at the top of Google search results. They’re crucial for voice search because virtual assistants often read these snippets when responding to voice queries. To optimise for featured snippets, provide clear, concise answers to specific questions and structure your content with proper headings and formatting.
Mobile optimisation is essential for voice search because most voice searches occur on mobile devices. Your website needs to be responsive, fast-loading, and easy to navigate on mobile devices. This includes having touch-friendly elements, readable text without zooming, and quick-loading images and content.
For voice search keyword research, focus on long-tail, conversational keywords and natural language phrases. Use Google’s ‘People Also Ask’ feature to find common questions in your industry. Pay attention to question words (who, what, where, when, why, how) and include these in your content strategy.
Track voice search performance by monitoring featured snippet rankings, question-based keyword rankings, and local search visibility. While specific voice search analytics are limited, focus on metrics like mobile search traffic, question-based queries in Search Console, and performance in local search results.
Structured data helps search engines better understand your content and can improve your chances of appearing in voice search results. Implement schema markup for FAQs, How-tos, local business information, and other relevant content types to make it easier for search engines to find and present your content in voice search results.
Common mistakes include ignoring natural language patterns, neglecting local SEO, using technical jargon instead of conversational language, having slow-loading pages, not optimising for mobile devices, and failing to structure content in a way that directly answers user questions. Also, overlooking the importance of featured snippets and structured data can limit voice search visibility.